Legislature works out plan to fill budget gap

The Iowa Legislature’s sent the governor the G-O-P budget-cutting plan that erases the 120-million dollar deficit in this year’s state budget. The plan calls for a one-percent cut in most state agencies, but republicans backed down from asking all state workers to take unpaid furloughs. Managers will be required to save even more money somehow, but can use other methods as some argue furloughs aren’t workable. The plan also uses 45-million dollars from the state’s economic emergency fund to cover K-through-12 schools so they don’t endure more spending reductions, a move Governor Tom Vilsack applauds.Vilsack says it’s better than the alternative, which would have cut schools across-the-board. The Senate gave final legislative approval to the budget-cutting plan yesterday afternoon. It cleared the Iowa House late Wednesday night.