Decorah State Representative Darrel Branhagen says the battle over education funding is a battle to make the best guess

Experts agree that the biggest challenge facing the Iowa Legislature this session will be to determine how much money to spend in support of education.

In his weekly newsletter, Decorah State Representative Darrel Branhagen says it's really a question of both sides trying to make their best guess:

"As each year's budget is really a guess (an estimate) of what revenues and expenditures the state might take in or spend in the next year, Republicans like to play it safe and make absolutely sure the state will not spend more than it takes in, the "conservative" approach. Democrats like to make sure that they can fully use all money that is taken in on existing and good programs, but again without breaking the budget, or the "liberal approach."

"There is really nothing wrong with either approach, but again each side is guessing. So Republicans say that we will have maybe $153 million more to spend next year, and Democrats forecast almost $300 million.  Neither side is wrong, but neither can find out if they are really right, either.  So the annual fight over education, which is makes up 52 percent of Iowa's $7 billion budget, is over how close each side can guess, without getting it wrong."