MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — District 20 Sen. Paul Miskimins of Mitchell says lawmakers are now sorting through one-time spending priorities as South Dakota’s budget process moves forward, with floor activity expected to ramp up ahead of the Feb. 24 crossover deadline. (South Dakota legislative calendar PDF)

Miskimins said ongoing tax revenue funds day-to-day government operations, while one-time dollars are typically used for construction projects and other special expenses.

The Legislature’s Joint Appropriations Committee recently adopted updated revenue targets for both the current budget year and the next fiscal year. In mid-February, the committee revised the state’s fiscal year 2026 ongoing revenue projection to about $2.48 billion and set an ongoing revenue target of about $2.55 billion for fiscal year 2027, according to reporting from SDPB and KOTA Radio.

Lawmakers are also debating how much money the state should keep in reserves. Gov. Larry Rhoden has proposed increasing budget reserves to 12.5% of the general fund budget, compared with a traditional target around 10%, SDPB reported.

Crossover day — the deadline for most bills to pass out of their chamber of origin — is Feb. 24 in South Dakota.