Legislators have decided to recommend restoring most of the money Gov. Mike Rounds wants to cut from the Highway Patrol budget.

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bill Monday that would put $1.4 million more into the law agency's operations next year than the governor has recommended.

Rounds had proposed a $2 million cut in Highway Patrol spending because revenues used to support the agency have been weak. Nearly all of the patrol's budget is funded by the state fuel tax.

SB172 now goes to the full Senate. It initially would have restored the entire $2 million.

Sen. Gene Abdallah, R-Sioux Falls, sponsor of the bill, called for restoration of the full $2 million. He said the Highway Patrol will be less effective if troopers spend less time on the road and overtime is cut.

Rounds ordered those operational changes in the effort to trim costs, along with skipping purchases of replacement patrol cars for one year.

Abdallah said trooper morale has sunk since the cuts were announced. Public safety could be compromised if troopers cannot continue to do their jobs as they have, he said.

"It's very important that we have people ready to respond," said the senator, a former head of Highway Patrol.

Tom Dravland, state public safety secretary, told legislators safety will not suffer, insisting troopers will not be less effective in doing their jobs.

"I believe they're up to the test and they'll continue to do their job to make our highways safe," said Dravland, who was a trooper for several years and eventually became superintendent of the agency.

"Drugs, drunks and other criminals will continue to be taken off the road," he said. "If there's a call to service, the patrol will go."