Budget battle continues between Legislature and Governor

The battle to fix the state budget shortfall is now back in the hands of legislators after Governor Vilsack issued his revised plan Wednesday. House Speaker Brent Siegrist, a republican from Council Bluffs, says he has some concerns about the Governor’s plan.He says his biggest concern is the transfer of money from the road fund that’s intended for road construction. Siegrist says neither party wants to transfer that money. Vilsack wants to take 45-million dollars out of the economic emergency account to ensure schools and the Department of Human Services don’t get whacked. Siegrist says legislators don’t want to use any more of that money then they have to.He says they agreed to use some of the money to help education, but don’t want to use any more, because it doesn’t solve the long-term problem. Siegrist says they may have to tap money that normally goes to the infrastructure fund.That’s money that comes from the interest on gambling funds, and generates around 20-million dollars that could be sent to the general fund. Siegrist says they’ll have their own plan ready by the end of April.