He urged lawmakers to cut costsm [sic], but there is one cut Governor Rounds doesn't support.

In the final hours of the 2008 legislative session lawmakers cut the $3 million that pays for the Governor's Laptop program. Rounds blames Senate Democrats.

Five-thousand students in districts across South Dakota could have had new laptops next fall. But a nearly unanimous decision in the Senate erased that possibility.

Governor Mike Rounds says, "Of all the places to have it cut, in the Senate which claims they're working on education, to actually cut on a voice vote a program as important as this."

Governor Rounds says the program offers students endless possibilities. That's why he wants to find the $3 million to bring the program back.

Rounds says, "We're having a very positive program and it's one I want to see continue on. So were not ready to give up the fight on this one yet. This is one where you actually get results form the dollars your [sic] investing."

A couple of Gov. Rounds' comments strike Open Forum as odd.

To start, the voice vote Gov. Rounds referred to - the one that stripped HB 1087 of the $3 million in laptop funding - passed unanimously in the Senate (if any Senator voted against it, then SDPB's microphones didn't pick it up). It seems that any "blame" for cuts to laptop funding should be placed on the Senate, and not any one political party.

(Editor's Note: Open Forum isn't intending to defend any political party, we're just striving for accuracy.)

Next, we're not sure what Gov. Rounds means by: "This is one where you actually get results from the dollars your [sic] investing."

That's confusing. This is one program you actually get results from? One?

Does that mean we are investing tax dollars in programs that aren't effective? If so, which programs don't generate results? Was Gov. Rounds referring to state programs, or was Gov. Rounds saying that K-12 districts aren't getting results?

Perhaps we'll see more from Gov. Rounds next week, when lawmakers return for the final legislative day. Until then - leave a comment and tell Open Forum what you think Gov. Rounds was referring to.