(Radio Iowa) – Most spending decisions for the state budget year that begins July 1st have not been made by lawmakers. Republicans control the debate agenda and Senate Democratic Leader Janice Weiner says House and Senate Republicans haven’t agreed on the total level of spending yet.  “We are in some sort of disarray,” Weiner says. “It seems pretty clear that we’re going to be going into overtime at this point,” The Iowa Constitution does not require the legislature to end on a certain date. However, this Friday is the 110th day of the 2025 legislative session and lawmakers will not get payments to cover expenses for traveling from their homes to Des Moines after May 2nd.

Weiner says while Senate Republicans and Governor Reynolds have agreed on an overall level of spending, House Republicans have not revealed what their total spending target is. “Republicans have been in charge for over eight years,” Weiner says. “At this point it also bears repeating that both Governor Reynolds and the overall Senate Republicans’ budget target are deficit budgets, using one time reserve funds to cover ongoing expenses.” Republicans say making withdrawals from state reserves was part of the plan when they passed income tax cuts. Speaker Pat Grassley — the top Republican in the House — says Republicans are meeting in private to hammer out budget details.

“I think that the ball is still rolling when it comes to the budget negotiations…We’ve been having productive conversations,” Grassley says. Lawmakers have made one spending decision — on how much the state will spend on K-through-12 education in the next budget year. However, there was a two-month standoff between House and Senate Republicans before that decision was made in early April. Grassley says he’s hopeful overall budget negotiations don’t drag out much longer. “I am not going to make any predictions. I know we’re getting kind of getting to that point in session where we need to start finding some resolution on things,” Grassley says.

Key House members are at the Capitol today (Monday) for private meetings, but there will be no debate in the House. Senate leaders have released a list of 15 bills eligible for debate this (Monday) afternoon. The Senate is likely to take confirmation votes today (Monday) so two members of the board that governs the three state universities may continue serving on the Board of Regents.