Trump Dismantling South Dakota's Libraries
- info9885116
- 2 minutes ago
- 2 min read
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 17th, 2025
SIOUX FALLS, SD -- The South Dakota Democratic Party is appalled that President Donald Trump's reckless cuts have now led to the closure of the South Dakota State Library. After state lawmakers listened to the voters and minimized cuts to the State Library, the Trump Administration pulled the rug out from under our feet. The interlibrary loan courier program is now in jeopardy, impacting public, private and home schools as well as rural areas and reservations. Dedicated librarians will also likely lose their jobs.
"Cutting interlibrary loan and state library funding eliminates efficiency and literacy in South Dakota," said Rep. Erik Muckey of District 15 who sits on the Appropriations Committee. "It is appalling and insulting to watch an unelected autocrat dismantle long-standing programs funded by Congress and supported by the South Dakota Legislature in the name of "efficiency."
"Cutting the Interlibrary Loan Program and other literacy grants in the name of 'waste' is incompetent at best and malicious at worst. They are some of the most cost-efficient government resources available to communities across South Dakota. The loan program dramatically reduces shipping costs for sending texts between local and school libraries. It also lowers the cost of research databases instead of communities paying 20 times more on their own."
"Libraries are the lifeblood of communities across South Dakota, whether in my hometown of Corsica or my current home in downtown Sioux Falls. Cuts like these demonstrate what is really happening in Washington, DC, right now: amateur-hour political games that are out of touch with everyday life in South Dakota."
"I urge South Dakota's Congressional delegation to uphold Congressionally-approved funding for these programs and listen to what has already been debated in the Joint Committee on Appropriations in the South Dakota Legislature. South Dakotans love their libraries and use them every day, and these cuts eliminate efficiencies that help our communities thrive."
For questions, you can contact the SDDP Executive Director Dan Ahlers at dan@sddp.org or contact the state party office by phone at 605-271-5405 or 605-940-3071.
Paid for by the South Dakota Democratic Party | www.sddp.org