Republican Senators want new restrictions for state spending as part of any deal with democrat Governor Tom Vilsack.
Vilsack and G-O-P legislators are negotiating over budget cuts in hopes of convening in a special session soon.
Senate Republican Leader Stewart Iverson of Dows wants to limit the Governor’s ability to count unspent money in the state’s bottom line when the books are closed on a fiscal year.
Governor Vilsack also used money from the state’s economic emergency fund to cover a deficit so the state would end the last fiscal year in the black. Iverson says legislators should give approval whenever those emergency funds are used.
Iverson says as a last resort, Republican legislators may sue Vilsack over the budget issues if there’s no agreement on new accounting restrictions.
Senate President Mary Kramer, a republican from West Des Moines, says Republican lawmakers want some assurance Governor Vilsack will accept new restrictions in state budget practices. She says prevention is an early line of defense, so they’d like to make some changes that would prevent the surprise downtown that occurred.
Kramer says there are lots of deals to be struck before the legislature re-convenes in special session.
A House leader suggested November 8th would be the earliest lawmakers could gather again in Des Moines to discuss budget cuts and budget restrictions.