State Auditor says proposed budget will outspend tax collections

State Auditor Dave Vaudt says the state budget plan Republicans in the Iowa House have proposed spends more than the state will collect in taxes. But Vaudt says House Republicans have taken some steps to repay what’s been taken out of special state savings accounts and used for other purposes. “I think the bottom line is we’re making some steps forward,” Vaudt says. “Obviously, my key concern is bringing expenditures in line with revenue.” If the proposed state budget plan is ratified by the Legislature and the governor, it will be the eighth consecutive year in which the state spent more than it took in. Vaudt says legislators and the governor need to “exercise some control” when it comes to spending.