Fate of State Budget still uncertain after special session

The status of next year’s state budget’s still in doubt as republican legislators adjourned Monday’s special session without making the spending changes democrat Governor Tom Vilsack’s demanding. Senate Democrat Leader Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs says the Governor should veto the republican budget plan and call lawmakers back, again, to fix things. He says they can work in May and June on a budget that reflects Iowans’ priorities. House Democrat Leader Dick Myers of Iowa City agrees. He says they’re under funding education, public safety and children’s safety and they need to deal with that.House Republican Leader Christopher Rants of Sioux City says a second special session won’t yield anything different, as republicans won’t back down. He says. “It would be pointless to have another special session, there is no need to do it. The governor needs to sign the budget, we’ve stretched the budget as far as it can go.”While Rants says another special session would be pointless, Senate Republican Leader Stewart Iverson of Dows says a second “extraordinary” session would be “fruitless” as republicans won’t yield to the Governor’s demands.