Leaders of the Iowa Senate have announced plans to issue a formal letter to each of the State’s 50 Senators, calling for a special session of the Iowa Legislature. Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, of Council Bluffs, said today (Tuesday) “Governor Branstad’s surprising vetoes of one-time funding for K-12 schools, community colleges and state universities continues to make no sense to a majority of Iowans.”

Gronstal added “The Governor’s vetoes are especially egregious in light of the fact that the Legislature worked in a bipartisan fashion to avoid using one-time money to fund ongoing needs and the Legislature’s overall spending level was actually below the Governor’s. In the end, it is schoolchildren, college students and Iowans needing mental health treatment who will suffer because of the Governor’s actions. I believe there will be bipartisan support for overriding the worst of Governor Branstad’s vetoes.”

Legislators may call a special session if two-thirds of the Senators and two-thirds of the Representatives agree in writing to participate in a special session.