Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is currently in his sixth term as governor. As the 2015 legislative session nears a close, he says that legislation on the gas tax and broadband access for rural communities are the biggest accomplishments of this session.
In this River to River interview, IPR statehouse correspondent Joyce Russell talks with the governor about his views on medical marijuana, granting felons voter rights, and how he plans to deal with the budget impasse.
“As governor, it’s my responsibility to try to bring them together and make sure that before the fiscal year is over, we have a unified budget,” says Gov. Branstad. “I also believe strongly we should pass a biannual, two year budget, so we don’t go through a food fight over the level of spending next year again.”
Also on today's Legislative Day edition of the show, host Ben Kieffer asks lawmakers why the education budget has not been finalized, a holdup that’s forcing schools to consider layoffs and vacancies in teaching positions for the coming year.
