The new Republican controlled House and Senate will sit for the beginning of session Monday.

Republican Senator and Chair of the Senate Education Committee Amy Sinclair tells KNIA/KRLS News she has several big ideas for the future of education in the state, but says her hands are tied until the Legislature can untangle the current $110 million dollar budget shortfall. Until the budget is balanced out she will not be sure what is possible to bring to the table. Sinclair says she’s excited to see the many ideas her constituents have shared with her in regards to education become agenda items. She has a particular interest in per pupil spending limits in each district and hopes to see them removed. She says the restrictions are archaic and prevent schools from properly utilizing their tax base. She says she will work to remove unnecessary rules and regulations that bog down Iowa’s teachers and let them get back to educating children.