The 2019 Iowa Legislative Session is underway, and a great deal of early discussion has been spent on the budget for the coming year.

District 19 State Representative Chris Hagenow says the budget process this year is promising to be more positive than it has been in the last couple years. He says there’s been some noticeable growth in revenues, which means the Legislature likely won’t have to make budget cuts. However, Hagenow emphasizes that they aren’t likely to do much additional spending. “We’re not ones that are always looking to grow government, either. And just because there are some new tax dollars flowing in doesn’t necessarily mean that we need to use those and just spend them. So we’re going to make sure that we remain conservative in how we spend tax dollars, and only use those on the priority needs of Iowans. And just make sure that we’ve got an honest, straightforward budget that Iowans can be proud of.”

One aspect of the budget that typically garners a great deal of discussion is funding for K-12 public education. Governor Kim Reynolds proposed approximately $90 million of new money to be spent on education, which Hagenow says is what the Legislature will likely allocate. He adds that public school funding is always the first budget item decided each year, as they are required by law to have it decided within 30 days of the start of the session. This ensures school districts have enough time and information to certify their own budgets.

To learn more about the latest from the current legislative session, click the link below to listen to the most recent Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program with Hagenow.

https://raccoonvalleyradio.com/2019/01/lets-talk-dallas-county-1282019-chris-hagenow/