Republican legislators are preparing to cut up to 40-million dollars from this year’s state budget. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Jeff Lamberti of Ankeny says it’ll amount to a three-to-four percent cut in the four months that remain in the state’s budgeting year.Lamberti, a republican who’s considering a run for Governor in 2002, says Governor Vilsack won’t discuss budget cuts yet.A spokesman for the Governor calls Lamberti’s criticism “ironic” because Republican legislators met this week with Vilsack, and never brought up the subject. Vilsack spokesman Joe Shannahan says Vilsack is willing to discuss budget cuts, whenever Republicans are ready to sit down and talk.
