Iowa Governor Terry Branstad delivered the annual “Condition of the State” message to legislators yesterday, with a “Together We Can” theme. Working together “matters” — Branstad said — since any bill must win approval in the Republican-led Iowa House and the Democratically-led Iowa Senate before it reaches Branstad’s desk.

Many of the governor’s priorities are hold-overs from previous years, with a few tweaks. Branstad’s proposes a new five-million dollar competitive grant program for communities or private sector companies that extend broadband service in rural Iowa.

Branstad also called on legislators to come up with a way to improve the state’s transportation infrastructure, but the governor did not recommend a specific plan of action.

Branstad also released his budget plan, outlining seven-point-three-BILLION dollars in state spending. That’s between four and five percent bigger than the current year’s budget. Branstad did not fully embrace the Regents plan to provide more state money to the public universities so in-state tuition can remain the same for a third straight year. He recommends Iowa’s public school districts get about 50 million dollars more in general state aid for the next academic year. That’s an increase of one-and-three-quarters of a percent.