Senate to debate standing appropriations bill

DES MOINES (AP) ? The Iowa Senate is planning to debate a spending bill that includes an assortment of measures including a 4 percent increase in funding for school districts for the fiscal year beginning in July.

The so-called standing appropriations bill also includes several spending increases, many likely to be argued as Republicans and Democrats differ on how the state?s revenue should be spent.

Included is $3 million for the Malcolm Price Laboratory School at the University of Iowa. The money would keep the school open and fund a study to determine whether it should be closed.

The bill also spends $2.9 million to repair damage caused by flooding on the Missouri River and provides $5.5 million for a bioscience initiative at Iowa State University.