James Q. Lynch, CR Gazette-
DES MOINES — The only official action by the Iowa Legislature on Wednesday was approval of a resolution honoring the 1937 Melrose High School boys’ basketball state championship team.
Like that Melrose team, which became known as the “Iron Men” after playing two consecutive state tournament games without substitutions, it appears lawmakers’ mettle will be tested before they wrap up a 100-day session that already has run 115 days.
However, there was progress Wednesday. House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, and Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, announced a compromise to bridge a $115 million difference on the education appropriations budget.
The Senate passed a $891 million educational appropriations budget, including $34 million more for higher education funding. That was $14 million more than Gov. Terry Branstad proposed. The House cut $31 million from the current year’s budget.
The leaders declined to offer any details, but Gronstal said the Senate had “come down in our numbers significantly and I think (the House) has come up in their numbers significantly.”
“Everybody will be satisfied and everybody will be dissatisfied,” added Paulsen, “There are 150 of us here. Every one of them would probably change a couple of line items, but at the end of the day this will meet the needs of Iowans.”
Although she has not seen the budget agreement, Rep. Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport, a member of the education appropriations House-Senate conference committee, said she understands it calls for more funds for higher education, workforce training and keeping all entities “pretty close to the status quo.”
“Compromise occurred. Compromise was made,” she said.
The education appropriations budget is just one step along the way to adjournment, but, Gronstal said, “Every agreement we get on one piece lets us move on to the next.”
Paulsen agreed with the significance of the education appropriations budget. However, he said lawmakers and the governor have yet to reach agreement on the “framework under which all the budgets followed.”
That means adjournment is not imminent.
“It’s anybody’s guess whether it’s today, tomorrow or what day it is, but we’re working toward that end,” Paulsen said.
Gronstal said he wishes the session was over, and said negotiations are “perhaps better than expected, but not as well as hoped.”
However, Gronstal said legislative work will have to be scheduled around senators’ absences.
“With a citizen Legislature (and) in May some of those folks have commitments that are difficult to postpone or set aside,” he said. “So we will work around that.”
Both chambers will be in session, if only briefly, today.
