Republicans end up with 25-million in proposed budget cuts

Republicans in the Iowa House have advanced a bill which cuts about 25-million dollars from this year’s state budget. Republican Dave Millage of Bettendorf is chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Millage says due to this years-declining revenue, the state budget is in danger of slipping into red ink. Democrats, like Representative Steve Falck of Stanley, said the bill was more than mere “belt-tightening.” Falck calls it a “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” cut. Governor Tom Vilsack has indicated he’ll accept about four million dollars in specific cuts, but is skeptical of a one-percent across-the-board cut in many state government agencies.