Republicans say Governor’s message big on style, small on substance

Republican legislators give democrat Governor Tom Vilsack’s 2002 “Condition of the State” message high marks for style and symbolism, but low marks for substance. House Speaker Brent Siegrist, a republican from Council Bluffs, says they have to see if the speech is matched by the final budget.On Friday, Vilsack will release the details of his state spending plan for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1st. House Republican Leader Christopher Rants of Sioux City says the Governor failed to provide any specifics. Rants says Vilsack didn’t lay out how he wants to accomplish his goals.Representative Steve Sukup of Dougherty is a G-O-P candidate for Governor who hopes to be the Governor delivering next year’s “Condition of the State” message. If so, he says the speech would be a lot shorter.Vilsack’s speech lasted almost an hour. About 150 Iowans who oppose what they call “factory farms” rallied at the statehouse today, calling on lawmakers to give local officials the authority to regulate the placement and operation of large-scale hog lots.