The latest local news, weather and high school sports from the Heartland

OTTUMWA, IOWA -- The Iowa Constitution may be seeing some changes in the next few years.

The first part of the new amendment deals with the 99% spendature or in other words, the Legislature can spend no more than 99& of the budget.

If at the end of the year there is a surplus, it has to go in a tax paying trust fund. Lawmakers can then vote by a 2/3 majority to include that in the next year’s budget.

The second part of the amendment says lawmakers cannot raise taxes or change tax rates on our income tax, sales tax, our use tax unless there’s a 3/5 majority vote in  both the House and the Senate. And the same goes with passing a new tax.

Republicans are saying this new amendment would protect tax payers.

“And you know in today's economy, Iowa has one of the highest taxes and this is a way to say to businesses and the economic development that we are serious about not continually taxing you without having a super majority of our legislature and for the state say yeah we want to pay more money,” said Trudy Caviness, Wapello County Republican Chair.

We'll hear from local Democrats on Wednesday.