Earlier this week, a conference committee decided on a 2.25 percent increase in supplemental state aid for kindergarten through 12th grade education in Iowa.

District 24 Senator Jerry Behn says the House Republicans proposed a two percent increase, while the Senate Democrats wanted four percent and the governor pushed for 2.4 percent. The decision by the conference committee came after the Revenue Estimating Conference met earlier this month and didn’t make dramatic changes to their projections in December. Even though it is slightly higher than what the House proposed, Behn explains why the House settled on that percentage.

“I want to remind everybody that the two percent was not just a number that was picked out of thin air. That was the available revenue that we had. I think any number you get above that, either has to come out of the ending fund balance or some other programs.”

Both the House and Senate passed the recommended 2.25 percent bill and now it goes to the governor who is expected to sign it.