Recent revenue estimates for the state of Iowa 2017 fiscal year budget shows the budget could be more than 100 million dollars short of original estimates.

Due to the shortage more cuts to the budget could be expected. One area of the budget that has been a source of scrutiny for area lawmakers is the budget increase for public schools. State Senator Amy Sinclair tells KNIA/KRLS News the legislature made sure to set the 1.1 percent increase for school funding to ensure the state set its priorities. She says if the state had not set the increase, the 1.1 percent would have defaulted to zero. Sinclair says that setting the 1.1 percent increase in her opinion does keep the state in place for getting additional funding to schools despite the projected shortage. Sinclair adds that there is an estimated $190 million reduction in the revenue estimate for the 2018 fiscal year budget.