Republican lawmakers gather to discuss budget

DES MOINES - Republicans who hold a majority in the Iowa House have returned to the Statehouse for private meetings to plan their next step in a long-running budget dispute with Democrats.

GOP legislators and Gov. Terry Branstad say they are willing to compromise with Democrats but have ruled out spending more than $5.9 billion in the next fiscal year budget.

Democrats note that state will start the new fiscal year with roughly $1 billion in reserves and are pushing to increase spending on schools.

Democrats have criticized a Republican plan to roll all budget matters into one measure, calling it a Frankenstein bill. On Thursday as legislators met inside the Statehouse, two activists dressed as Frankenstein marched outside the building.