Iowa legislative leaders from both political parties say there’s been progress in state budget negotiations, but a final product is far from ready. Senate Democratic Leader Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs says there have been “multiple meetings” of key decision-makers.
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In March, legislators voted to cut taxes. That meant Republican Governor Terry Branstad and Senate Democrats had to lower their overall target for spending in the next state budgeting year to about seven-point-three BILLION dollars. House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, a Republican from Clear Lake, says Democrats have to decide where they’re willing to cut.
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Branstad submitted a handful of documents to legislators, acknowledging the reduced state spending cap. Branstad says more than 23-million dollars’ worth of cuts will have to be made in the original budget plan he submitted to legislators in January. The governor called the cuts “adjustments to be agreed upon” with legislators, but didn’t specify which programs would or should be hit.
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