DES MOINES, Iowa - The Iowa House Tuesday approved cuts to this year's state budget due to declining tax revenue.
Democrats say Republicans shouldn't have had to adjust the budget three times in the past year.
"To me, this is a dereliction of our duty." Said Iowa City Democratic Representative Mary Mascher. "We have a responsibility for this budget."
The Iowa House Appropriations Chairman, Republican Pat Grassley, says keeping a budget balanced is hard.
"We're in a situation where we have to make tough decisions. It's budgeting. This should be tough. This should be difficult" Grassley said. "If it were easy we wouldn't be taking our jobs seriously."
Included in the cuts for the fiscal year that ends in June is language that allows Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds to adjust the budget even more, as long as she notifies the state legislature of her actions.