A 10-member panel of legislators could be assembled as soon as this afternoon (Thursday) to begin work on a compromise education reform plan. On Wednesday afternoon Democratic Senator Herman Quirmbach, of Ames, urged his colleagues to quickly vote to advance the legislation. “See how fast we can get the ping-pong ball bouncing so that we can get it to conference committee,” Quirmbach said.

Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Red Oak, suggests it won’t be easy to strike a deal. “Although the House and Senate plans share many components that we all agree upon, there are numerous differences,” Ernst said. Aside from the policy debate, there’s a more than 100-million dollar difference in the spending levels Democrats and Republicans have proposed.