Republicans in the Iowa Senate have drafted a bill that would pare about 52 million dollars out of the current year’s state budget. It includes nearly 25 million dollars in cuts to the three state universities and 15 community colleges. Republican Senator Charles Schneider of West Des Moines says cuts are necessary because state tax revenue isn’t meeting projections.
Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, says the cuts are necessary because former Republican Governor Terry Branstad failed to fulfill his promise to create 200-thousand jobs and raise family incomes by 25 percent.
The Senate G-O-P’s plan cuts more deeply than Republican Governor Kim Reynolds proposed. Schneider says lawmakers want to make sure there’s no need to dip into cash reserves this summer to cover red ink in the state budget, something Reynolds had to do last year.
