House Republicans will begin working the first day of the 2011 legislative session on finding “several hundred million dollars” to cut in the current year’s budget, House Speaker-elect Kraig Paulsen and House Majority Leader-elect Linda Upmeyer announced this week after being selected for their new leadership positions.
“We’re going to look for opportunities to reduce spending in the current year’s budget, and we will be doing that on day one,” said Paulsen (R-Hiawatha). “I think it’s several hundred million dollars. Are people going to notice? I don’t know. I would say ‘probably not’ because I think there’s several hundred million dollars in the current year’s budget of marginal or no value to Iowans.”
The legislature convenes January 10 and is expected to run 110 days – through April 29 – although Paulsen said he’s amenable to shortening the session.