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Gov. Branstad’s budget proposal leaves out bullying office

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January 18th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad’s budget recommendations for the upcoming fiscal year leave out direct funds for a bullying prevention office he created months ago via executive order. Branstad didn’t direct general fund money to the Center for Violence Prevention at the University of Northern Iowa in his recent budget proposal. The center, which requested $250,000, was tasked with managing the Governor’s Office for Bullying Prevention.

A Branstad spokesman says the governor expects the center to be funded under his proposed $8 million request of new money for the Board of Regents, which oversees Iowa’s three public universities. The schools sought a combined $20 million in new funding, separate from the bullying office.

A UNI spokesman declined to comment on whether UNI would use some of that funding for the bullying office.