A DISAGREEMENT OVER WHETHER TO SPEND 14 MILLION DOLLARS BOOSTING PAY FOR PARAEDUCATORS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS NOW A BIG STUMBLING BLOCK IN BUDGET TALKS AMONG REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS.
GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SAYS HOUSE SPEAKER PAT GRASSLEY SUCCESSFULLY LOBBIED TO INCLUDE THAT AMOUNT IN LAST YEAR’S BUDGET AND, IF IT WAS A PRIORITY, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF THE K-12 FUNDING PLAN HOUSE AND SENATE REPUBLICANS ALREADY ADOPTED IN APRIL.
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BB3 OC………IN HIS :06
SPEAKER GRASSLEY SAYS THE 2024 LEGISLATURE MADE A COMMITMENT TO RAISE PARAEDUCATORS PAY AND HOUSE REPUBLICANS STRONGLY FEEL THAT COMMITMENT SHOULD BE MAINTAINED.
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BB4 OC……SOMETHING LIKE THAT.” :09
FOR YEARS, REPUBLICANS HAVE CRITICIZED DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR CHET CULVER FOR APPROVING AN INCREASE IN STATE FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS IN THE SPRING OF 2009, THEN ORDERING A 10 PERCENT ACROSS-THE-BOARD SPENDING CUT THAT FALL DURING THE RECESSION.
THIS WEEK, GOVERNOR REYNOLDS AND SENATE REPUBLICANS ANNOUNCED THEY’VE AGREED ON AN OVERALL STATE SPENDING PLAN THAT’S FIVE-POINT-TWO PERCENT HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR’S.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS FAVOR SPENDING 36 MILLION DOLLARS MORE.
REYNOLDS SAYS SHE IS LEERY OF THE HIGHER LEVEL OF SPENDING HOUSE REPUBLICANS PROPOSE GIVEN AN UPDATED ESTIMATE ON STATE TAX REVENUE.
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BB5 OC……….TABLE RIGHT NOW.” :15
GRASSLEY DISAGREES:
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BB6 OC……….OUR HANDS ON.” :17
REYNOLDS SAYS HOUSE-PASSED BILLS PROVIDING SALES TAX BREAKS FOR TOILET PAPER AND LAUNDRY DETERGENT THAT GRASSLEY HAS CHAMPIONED WOULD FURTHER COMPLICATE THE BUDGET PICTURE.
SHE SAYS THE HOUSE REPUBLICANS’ BUDGET PLAN IS TOO MUCH OF AN ESCALATION IN STATE SPENDING AND WOULD IMPEDE HER GOAL TO CONTINUE REDUCING THE STATE INCOME TAX.
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