(Des Moines) — The Iowa Legislature returns to Des Moines today to begin a new session, and there will be a new lawmaker to take the oath of office. State Representative Chuck Holz, a former veterinarian from Le Mars, will be sitting at the desk that was formerly occupied by Chuck Soderberg. Soderberg resigned from the state legislature when he accepted a position as the executive director with the Iowa Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives. Holz will serve on the House Agriculture Committee, as well as the Commerce, Economic Development, and Transportation Committees.
Iowa lawmakers have convened for the 2016 legislative session, with a school funding fight expected in a year with limited new dollars.
Legislators in the Republican-majority House and Democratic-controlled Senate gaveled in Monday at the Capitol in Des Moines. A key issue will be how much additional funding to provide to schools.
Branstad will unveil his budget Tuesday during his Condition of the State address. The Republican governor said Monday that he will seek a 2.45 percent increase to basic state aid for schools for the 2016-2017 school year. That’s less than Senate Democrats want to spend and more than House Republicans have previously sought.
Branstad said the spending increase combined with money for a teacher leadership program would cost $145 million in the next fiscal year.
State Representative Chuck Holz, of Le Mars, signs the oath of office as he begins work as a lawmaker.
