The March Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) came out with their projections, and it is better news for Iowa lawmakers.

District 47 Representative Chip Baltimore says the REC is estimating $33 million in additional revenue over their projections in December. Baltimore adds that of the $33 million, $28 million is said to be from the recent federal government tax reform. He points out that Iowa isn’t in as bad of shape as they were in January to make cuts to the current fiscal year budget.

“I think we are going to be able to easily  find places to find that without a substantial impact on the vast majority of services provided by the state.”

Baltimore believes there won’t be cuts to the judicial branch’s “threat” of closing down judicial services in one-third of the state’s counties.

“They (the judicial branch) have an obligation to provide court services. There are lots of other ways that the judicial branch could have made some cuts, other than just coming out and going nuclear and declaring that 30 courthouses were going to close. I think that was, like I said, a negotiation tactic and I think it was a poor one.”

Baltimore notes as soon as this current fiscal year budget is handled, then lawmakers will work to finalize the next fiscal year’s budget.