Governor asks Legislators to reconsider their budget plan

Democrat Governor Tom Vilsack continues to call for using 120-million from the state’s economic emergency fund to cover a state budget shortfall, even as republican legislators are poised to send him legislation that’d use just 45-million from that account, and enact more budget cuts. Vilsack says the GOP cuts will, for example, force the Department of Human Services to lay off 230 child protection workers. He says they’re asking the republicans to fully consider the impact of the decision they’re about to make.Vilsack says it just makes sense to use the economic emergency fund to cover the 120-million dollar shortfall. He says, “We have the money, it’s not like we have to tax folks to get the money, we have the money.”Vilsack held a news conference this afternoon as the Iowa House debated the G-O-P budget cutting plan. Vilsack says he got a coonskin cap as a Christmas present from his wife and he’s not going to give up.As you may recall, Davey Crockett — one of the soldiers who dug in at the Alamo — wore a coonskin cap.