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The Iowa Legislature has agreed on the total amount of the budget for the state in fiscal year 2019, amounting to over $7,600,000,000, approximately $23 million more than the current fiscal year. State Senator Julian Garrett tells KNIA News the two chambers of the legislature still has to agree on the amounts budgeted for each department, and his subcommittee has already come to an agreement on appropriations.

“The Justice Systems committee has about 10% of the total state general fund budget, and my House counterpart and I met, and with the figure that we have to work with we were able to go through the different line items and agree on a budget for the coming year. So we are ready to go for our budget, and I’m assuming we will pass it this week in the House and Senate.”

Garrett also said the budget agreement is coming along a little sooner than in previous years, and he was happy with the the cooperation between the House and Senate on negotiations this year.