Iowa’s Revenue Estimating Conference will meet this week to set their March budget estimate.

District 10 Republican State Senator Jake Chapman says there’s indication that state revenues are actually up from the initial figures estimated in December.

“That’s a good thing that our economy is doing well, our unemployment is holding pretty steady at 4.95%” says Chapman.

According to Iowa State Code, the Governor and legislature are required to base their budget numbers on whichever number is lower between the March and December estimates. So though it sounds like Iowa’s economy is improving, Chapman says he feels the bottom line shouldn’t change.

“I don’t think this is a free ticket for us to just go out and spend more money” says Chapman.  “The democrats are proposing an 11 percent increase in spending, in one year, and I don’t think just because we’re having more revenue coming into the state we should be spending more money.”  Chapman says that money should go back to the tax payers who have paid so they can have a better quality of life.

Chapman says the remainder of the session will likely be spent figuring out the budget, and it could send the session into overtime.