As the current legislative session continues, one area that has been particularly contentious has been Governor Terry Branstad’s proposed budget cuts. State Representative Jarad Klein (R) believes it’s no secret the House of Representatives has not agreed with many of the proposed cuts, as they attempt to find savings estimated at $120 million. Klein indicated both sides have drawn their proverbial lines in the sand, and it’s now their jobs to find some middle ground. He says, “The governor is very hard on what he wants, and we’re sticking very hard on what we want. There’s a few areas that we’re very unwilling to go into and cut back. We’re talking things like public safety and community colleges. Those are areas that are very important to us. Some of the places he would prefer to go are places we wouldn’t really like to go, and some of the areas we would like to go are places he doesn’t want to go.”

In addition to finding common ground for budget cuts, Klein would like to see improvements with the budget estimating system they have. He feels it’s unacceptable for their estimate to be off by $120 million, and hopes the legislature will find ways to get more accurate projections moving forward. To hear more about the legislative session, listen to the In Touch with Southeast Iowa interview with Klein at KCIIRadio.com.