The state supplemental aid topic continues to be debated in a Conference Committee at the Iowa legislature.

District 47 State Representative Chip Baltimore says the House’s proposal is for a 1.25 percent increase in educational funding for the 2015-16 school year and the Senate’s proposal is for a four percent increase.  Last December’s figures from the Revenue Estimating Conference (REC), projected that the state would receive $200 million in additional revenue for the 2016 fiscal year.  Based off those estimates, Baltimore adds that their 1.25 percent increase would generate about $100 million and the Senate’s proposal would generate $300 million.

Baltimore says the House’s plan is to give $100 million to education, $50 million to cover the reduction in federal Medicaid expenses and $50 million to salary increases for state employees.  Baltimore explains the complications with the Senate’s proposal.

“If they’re going to spend $300 million (for education) and we only get $200 million more coming in (projected for the 2016 fiscal year), they have to go out and do one of two things.  They either have to take that extra $100 million difference from some other part of the (state’s) budget and then, still find a way to pay for the Medicaid (reduction) and the state employee salaries or they have to raise taxes.”

The Conference Committee is at a standstill until the final projections are released by the REC later this month before they can make a final decision on what to give school districts for the upcoming school year.