Iowa must continue to be a place of opportunity where those willing to work hard and play by the rules can succeed. That means making smart investments in the economy, education and health care, while defending the right of Iowa workers to earn a decent living. It also means a fiscally responsible budget that is balanced, does not raise taxes and keeps our “rainy day” and reserve accounts full.
Democrats and Republicans agreed this week on the framework for a fiscally responsible budget. Now we must work together on the details to address the top priorities of Iowans. For Senate Democrats, that includes a 4 percent increase in state support for local schools, paying for property tax cuts and working family tax cuts approved last year, increasing community college funding and freezing tuition at our state universities for the second year in a row.
We’ll keep you updated as we work out the specifics in the coming weeks.