The debate continues over multiple education spending issues at the Iowa Legislature.

State Representative Guy Vander Linden says the house and senate are in conference committee attempting to find a compromise about state supplemental aid. The house passed a two percent increase, the senate passed a bill at four. Vander Linden says even with the House’s plan, they would have to cut funding to other state programs, including law enforcement, due to tight budget revenues.

“We need to keep in mind that school funding will be going up–in all likelihood, for the fourth year in a row, and in the meantime, other parts of the budget are taking genuine cuts,” he tells KNIA/KRLS News.

In other education related areas, Vander Linden says three bills are in committee that plan to extend the state’s one-cent sales tax for education infrastructure. He says only one contains the governor’s proposal, that would use growth from that tax to help finance water quality initiatives.