Government and Politics
March 12, 2025
From: South Dakota Governor Larry RhodenPIERRE, S.D. – On Mar 12th, Governor Larry Rhoden VETOED HB 1132, which would have expanded the child care assistance program beyond the low-income families that it is meant to prioritize. Governor Rhoden outlined the reasons for his VETO in a letter to the House of Representatives. You can find a copy of the letter here. You can find a picture of Governor Rhoden VETOING HB 1132 here.
“House Bill 1132 shifts South Dakota’s child care assistance program away from its core mission,” wrote Governor Larry Rhoden in the letter. “Currently, the program is designed as a safety net to help low-income families cover child care costs while they work toward self-sufficiency. This bill would give child care workers preferential treatment, by allowing them to receive this aid at a higher income level.”
The Department of Social Services has been actively implementing solutions to address the child care shortage in South Dakota, including:
“The Department of Social Services has been actively implementing solutions to support the child care industry and workforce. These solutions focus on sustainable approaches and do not involve expanding our state’s safety net program beyond its intended purpose,” continued Governor Rhoden. “The state’s role in promoting our child care workforce should be supporting economic development and encouraging private sector solutions – not broadening government safety nets into permanent workforce subsidies.”
Governor Rhoden has signed 125 bills and VETOED one this legislative session.