Democrats Respond to Governor Daugaard’s Budget Address
SIOUX FALLS – The South Dakota Democratic Party released the following statement from Executive Director Sam Parkinson in response to today’s Budget Address by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:
“Policy failures and a lack of leadership from Gov. Daugaard and the Republican majority in Pierre have caused South Dakota’s economy to sink to the second-to-last place in the nation, which, in turn, has caused yet another bleak budget outlook for our state government. And, yet again, the Governor’s Address was long on the details of the challenges facing the state in slow revenue growth, but short on the details of what, if anything, he might do to promote economic development and growth.
“This Legislative Session, Democrats will continue to promote pro-growth policies to help create an economy that works for everyone, not just the privileged few. Democrats understand that more money in the pockets of average South Dakotans means more money spent in our communities, and a more stable state budget outlook. The continued weakness of our economy makes it more clear than ever that this is a time for new, Democratic leadership in state government and not the same old way of doing business that got us here.”
Here’s a look at some of the weak economic performance numbers in South Dakota resulting from failed Republican leadership:
- South Dakota’s economy shrank 0.3% from Quarter 1 to Quarter 2 this year. Iowa was the only other state with a negative GDP (-0.7%) in Q2.
- South Dakota’s economy has now shrunk in three (3) consecutive quarters (-2.9 in Q4 of 2016, -5.9 in Q1 of 2017, and -0.3 in Q2 of 2017)
- Since 2011, Gov. Daugaard’s first year in office, through 2016, SD’s per capita GDP growth has been 0.2% (an average of 0.04% a year)
- During that period the overall per capita GDP growth in the United States has been 6% – 30 times faster than South Dakota’s.
- The only neighboring state which has underperformed South Dakota during this period is Wyoming.
- In 2016, South Dakota’s per capita personal income grew just 0.4%, below the national average of 2.5% in metro areas and 1.0% non-metro areas.
- Per capita personal income fell in 45 South Dakota counties in 2016 and rose in only 21 counties.
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