Budget talks are starting up for Iowa at the capitol building in Des Moines and Governor Terry Branstad is challenging every department to reduce its budget by 15% for the next fiscal year.

District 24 State Senator Jerry Behn tells Raccoon Valley Radio that the Department of Natural Resources is going to do just that by eliminating an entire branch of their services.  Behn says Iowa DNR Director Chuck Gipp announced last week that the management services would be consolidated into the other two services that they provide which are conservation and recreation and environmental services.

While the details are still being ironed out, Behn believes this tactic should be utilized by other departments.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the results of that and I’m hopeful that other departments can take his (Gipp’s) lead and continue to make government more efficient.  So I’m actually pretty excited about that, I think that has some great possibilities.”

Behn adds that the DNR is a huge department and so if they can cut 15% of their budget for next fiscal year, that would mean lots of money the state could save.