Monday Morning Read: State budget woes, Steve King controversy, March Madness

MORE STATE BUDGET WOES? - Gov. Terry Branstad and legislative budget-makers may have to confront options this week for balancing the state's fiscal 2017 ledger that could include dipping into reserves as a temporary stopgap if projected growth in tax collections is downgraded again. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/news/iowa-facing-more-budget-woes/

STEVE KING TWEET CONTROVERSY - Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, has gained notoriety for his often contentious comments about immigration and the nation's demographics. On Sunday, in a tweet about the nationalist Dutch politician Geert Wilders, King again appeared to cross the line. 'Wilders understands that culture and demographics are our destiny,” King wrote. 'We can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies.” Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/news/steve-king-tweet-on-our-civilization-stirs-controversy/

GRAD STUDENTS HELPING CITY - A group of University of Iowa graduate students are getting a taste of what it's like to work for a city government. About 25 Master of Accountancy students, who are in this spring's advanced auditing class, have been assigned to work with Iowa City's finance department - specifically, developing internal auditing processes for various city departments' financial polices and procedures. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/news/university-of-iowa-graduate-students-help-city-with-class-project/

IOWA STATE BACK TO NCAA - When the only thing you know is ending your season in the NCAA tournament, it's a little easier to take it for granted. The Cyclones (23-10) were picked as a No. 5 seed and will take on No. 12 seed Nevada in the first round Thursday in Milwaukee. The winner advances to face No. 4 Purdue or No. 13 Vermont in the Midwest region. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/basketball/iowa-state-not-taking-6-straight-ncaa-tournament-appearances-for-granted-will-face-nevada/

IOWA READY FOR ‘VALUABLE' NIT - The Iowa men's basketball team wasn't sweating whether or not it would be playing in the NCAA Tournament or the NIT. Now, similar to 2013, when Iowa made the NIT final, a young Iowa squad is going to get the chance to play more games in March - this time a Wednesday showdown against eighth-seeded South Dakota at 6 p.m. inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/sports/hawkeyes-ready-for-valuable-nit/

QUOTABLE: 'I didn't think he would come in blazing like he has. It seems almost like a dictatorship at times. He's got a lot of controversial stuff going on and rather than thinking it through, I'm afraid that he's jumping into the frying pan with both feet.” - Tom Godat of Clinton, a longtime Democrat who said he voted for Donald Trump but is now having some misgivings about the president's actions in office