House GOP wants to spend less than the governor proposed

DES MOINES - Public school funding and the state budget's catch-all spending would get increases, but all other state departments would face cuts under budget targets declared Thursday by Republicans in control of the Iowa House.

House Republicans will use the targets when their budget committees break out in coming weeks to set spending for the fiscal year that starts July 1. They set overall spending at $7.32 billion, roughly a 2 percent increase over their estimated budget for this fiscal year.

The Republican proposal calls for a 4.6 percent increase in the area of the budget with school and miscellaneous spending, including a 2 percent increase in funding for public K-12 schools.

The targets include spending decreases in the remaining areas, including health and human services, postsecondary education and justice systems. Just where those cuts are made will be determined by the individual budget committees.

'This budget has been put together in a mindful manner to make sure we are living within our means but also funding the priorities of Iowans,” said Rep. Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, who chairs the House budget committee.

The House GOP proposal spends $89 million less from the general fund than proposed by Democrats in control of the Senate and $92 million less than proposed by the Republican governor.

House Democrats criticized the budget targets.

'For years, Republicans have been funding corporate tax cuts at the expense of Iowa schools. The Republican budget will lead to higher class sizes and increased property taxes,” Rep. Chris Hall, D-Sioux City, the Democrats' leader on the House budget committee, said in a statement. 'House Democrats believe we can balance the state budget and make public schools our top priority again.”

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, called the Republicans' proposal 'one of the worst budgets” for education funding that he has seen.