• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / News / GOP lawmakers release outline for next state budget

GOP lawmakers release outline for next state budget

February 21, 2022 By O. Kay Henderson

Rep. Gary Mohr.

Republicans in the legislature have released their state spending plans for the budgeting year that begins July 1, 2023. House Republicans propose a 1.8% overall increase in general state spending.

House Appropriations Committee chairman Gary Mohr of Bettendorf said it includes a $31 million increase in spending at the state-supported universities and community colleges.

“We want to cut taxes, but yet we want to provide services to the people of Iowa, but we want to do it in an ongoing, sustainable way,” Mohr said, “and this is doable.”

The House GOP budget plan also includes $19 million extra for public schools to hire bus drivers, cooks and other staff.

“We’re doing some other things within the budget with other investments on worker training, other things like that to make sure that we’re trying to address this workforce shortage that we’re seeing across the state,” said House Speaker Pat Grassley, a Republican from New Hartford.

Republicans in the Senate are proposing a state spending increase of a little less than 1%. Senate Republican Leader Jack Whitver of Ankeny said overall budget negotiations are starting far earlier than usual, alongside debates on tax policy and last week’s decision that set the level of state spending on public K-12 schools.

“It’s a budget that does what I’ve said for a long time which is allow us enough room to continue to invest in priorities, while continuing to work on the tax reforms that we’ve been doing,” Whitver said.

Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls called these spending levels are inadequate.

“(Republicans) been really clear that they want to do this huge tax cut that’s primarily going to benefit the wealthy,” Wahls said, “and they’re willing to cut or underfund state services to pay for it.”

Wahls said increased state spending on higher education is critical and he points to the waiting lists at Kirkwood Community College for health-care related training.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Democratic Party, Iowa State University, Legislature, Republican Party, Taxes, University of Iowa, University of Northern Iowa

Featured Stories

Senator Ernst says Russian ban shows she’s doing something right

Bill creates new deer hunting season, with AR-15s

Governor signs Iowa Renewable Fuels Standard into law

Jury returns guilty verdict in shooting death of State Trooper

A haboob, a dust storm black out, hits northwest Iowa

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Iowa’s Huckstorf garners national award

Iowa Special Olympics Summer games set to open in Ames

Radio Iowa/Baseball Coaches Association High School Poll 5/16/22

Iowa assistant coach Kirk Speraw to retire

Northern Iowa prepares for Missouri Valley Conference softball tournament

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2022 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC