Republicans say it’s up to the Governor to come up with budget cuts

Republican legislative leaders are waiting for democrat Governor Tom Vilsack to propose cuts in the current year’s state budget. Last year, republicans passed a bill that made additional cuts in the budget, but Vilsack vetoed it. House Republican Leader Christopher Rants of Sioux City says the ball’s in Vilsack’s court now. Rants says the they sounded the alarm a year ago, “but the governor rebuffed us at every turn.” He says he’s ready to sit down and talk with the governor now if the governor is ready.This morning, Governor Vilsack said the state’s budget situation is getting worse, and more cuts will likely be made to the present year’s budget. Vilsack also ordered a hiring freeze, a freeze on state travel and a ban on office supply purchases. Rants says the state’s fiscal situation is no surprise, and he wonders why that order didn’t happen a couple of months ago. Rants says the governor should’ve acted sooner to meet the growing budget concern.