Legal aid nonprofit in western South Dakota faces budget shortfall
Budget shortfall and proposed federal funding cuts could reduce legal aid services for low-income and tribal communities
Dakota Plains Legal Services is facing a $176,000 budget shortfall that is affecting staffing and services, Interim Director William Sulik told the Commission on Equal Access to Our Courts, according to reporting from South Dakota Searchlight. The nonprofit serves western South Dakota and Native Americans on and off tribal lands statewide. Sulik said the organization is delaying hiring, reviewing operations and leaving three recently vacated positions unfilled to help preserve services.
The financial challenges could continue if federal funding is reduced. According to reporting from South Dakota Searchlight, Dakota Plains received about $76,000 less this year from the Legal Services Corporation, which provides about 73% of the organization's operating budget. Sulik said funding and staffing shortages have also slowed expansion of the Justice Bus, a mobile legal aid clinic serving rural and tribal communities. "We're trying the best we can," Sulik told South Dakota Searchlight.
- 1.Makenzie Huber. Western South Dakota legal aid nonprofit faces budget shortfall. South Dakota Searchlight.
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