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Tribal advocates keep up legal pressure for fair political maps; 12-member jury sworn in for Trump's historic criminal trial; Healthcare decision planning important for CT residents; Debt dilemma poll: Hoosiers wrestle with college costs.

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Civil Rights activists say a court ruling could end the right to protest in three southern states, a federal judge lets January 6th lawsuits proceed against former President Trump and police arrest dozens at a Columbia University Gaza protest.

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Rural Wyoming needs more vocational teachers to sustain its workforce pipeline, Ohio environmental advocates fear harm from a proposal to open 40-thousand forest acres to fracking and rural communities build bike trail systems to promote nature, boost the economy.

How Much Would Teacher Pay Raise Affect SD Households?

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Tuesday, February 16, 2016   

PIERRE, S.D. - A move to turn around South Dakota's worst-in-the-nation teacher pay could come up for a vote with state lawmakers today. The bill includes a sales tax hike and a property tax reduction.

Joy Smolnisky, executive director with the South Dakota Budget and Policy Institute, says for middle-class earners with a $250,000 home, they'd save about $113 a year on property taxes.

When the sales tax bump is added, however, they'd end up spending an extra $154 a year. She says that raises some important questions for homeowners.

"Am I willing to invest this much in order to be able to have a competitive school system that brings in good teachers? What about the school districts that can't even attract a math teacher," she says. "How will my kid do in that district?"

House Bill 1182 is part of Gov. Dennis Daugaard's plan to bump up sales taxes by a half-cent to raise about $107 million for a teacher pay increase.

The governor's plan also includes a $40 million property tax reduction. The state's low-income renters may not see direct benefits from the property tax relief, while they might end up paying an extra $72 in sales taxes.

Smolnisky points out any tax increase can be difficult for low-income households, but thinks investing in the state's teachers is critical.

"In all the states around us, the pay is significantly more, even after you've adjusted for cost-of-living and the tax structure," she says. "So, it's really difficult for us to attract quality teachers to stay in South Dakota."

The bill was postponed by House lawmakers last week, and put on the legislative schedule for today. The Senate also will be considering similar bills in the coming weeks.


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