New state committee formed in anticipation of further cuts

Iowa is receiving hundreds-of-millions of dollars in federal stimulus and recovery money, but a Southeast Iowa state lawmaker says tough budget times arent over. Fairfield Senator Becky Schmitz says Its unlikely that revenues will turn around by the time the Legislature reconvenes in January, and its unlikely that federal stimulus dollars will be so plentiful next year. Schmitz says the legislature needs to start planning for cuts now. She says theyre creating a a new State Government Reorganization Committee to find ways to improve state services, share costs across departments, increase efficiencies, and save money.