The governor of South Dakota is busy putting together his 2012 budget.  One large expense? Refilling the Extraordinary Litigation Fund, which is used mostly for defending anti-choice laws in court.

Via the Rapid City Journal:

Next year’s South Dakota budget calls for more than a million dollars in supplemental funding for the state’s legal fund, including small fees for several high-profile cases but the potential for big expenses defending a controversial abortion law.

Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s budget proposal asks for the Legislature to add $1.043 million to the state’s Extraordinary Litigation Fund, which pays for legal costs above and beyond the ordinary.

In July, that fund had just under $150,000 – against expected costs of $1,225,000 over the next year.

…

The state Office of Risk Management predicts the Planned Parenthood case to cost South Dakota $750,000 in Fiscal Year 2012, which runs through the end of June 2012.

The projected costs do not cover the state’s new controversial 72 hour wait period and mandatory crisis pregnancy center counseling session law. Anti-choice activists originally claimed the state would have no legal defense costs, since they would be fundraising to fill a fund to defray costs.

So far that fund has under $70,000, and hasn’t seen a donation since August.