Budget squabble continues at the statehouse

More partisan intrigue over the minutia of the state budget. A panel of legislators had Attorney General Tom Miller and Auditor Richard Johnson testify for two hours today about changes Governor Tom Vilsack seeks for next year’s state budget. Johnson, a republican who’s the state’s top C-P-A, says some of the changes do not make good business sense.Johnson says the changes are accounting tricks that could land the statebudget in red ink in future years.Miller, a democrat who is the state’s top attorney, says the Governor’sbudget plan is legal, regardless of the changes Vilsack seeks.Miller says many of the changes Vilsack seeks are routinely made bylegislators and other Governors.Vilsack, for example, suggests using some of the money from a special”infrastructure fund” to clean up the state’s waterways. The politicaltension at the hearing was heightened by the presence of the chairman of theRepublican party, as well as three of his staff members.should help them.Tracey Williams KCNZ Cedar Falls