Three weeks after its scheduled end, the Iowa State Legislature closed the longest session since 1981 on Friday, May 20, with a compromise budget that left Republicans saying they spent too much and Democrats saying they spent too little.

They must have done something right.

The session, which many are calling “historic,” at least in regard to its length, produced meaningful legislation on a broad range of issues.

The most noticeable change for students will take place on July 1: The 65-mile-per-hour speed limit will be increased to 70 miles per hour, in time for the holiday weekend.

The increase is a mixed-blessing for speeders; Gov. Vilsack agreed to sign the bill in exchange for doubling the speeding fines.

Funding for every level of education increased, including a $24-million increase for state universities. The money is welcome, although it falls short of the $40 million in additional funding requested. A 3 percent tuition increase may still be likely, however.

Iowa lawmakers passed one of the toughest anti-methamphetamine laws in the nation. New rules make pseudoephedrine, a common cough medicine and key ingredient in meth, more difficult to acquire.

Legislators also lengthened sentences for sex offenders and increased monitoring of released convicts.

The Republicans can brag taxes were not increased, although many Democrats, including Vilsack, were disappointed that the cigarette tax was not raised. They plan to reintroduce the issue next year.

Democrats can tout legislative victories in health care, including mental health coverage, and a pilot program that will bring more uninsured people into Medicaid and focus on preventative care.

The Iowa Values Fund was the subject of an important compromise in the closing days. Although Democrats favored grants and programs for spurring economic development, Republicans pressed for tax credits. The end result was a bit of both: During the next 10 years, $50 million in grants and incentives and $20 million in tax breaks is budgeted.

The session began with high hopes for bipartisanship when the November elections produced a Senate divided evenly (25-25) between the two parties and a House with a slight Republican majority (51-49). With a Democratic incumbent in the governor’s seat, many guessed that compromise would characterize the session.

In the end it did, but not without a little partisan bickering, ultimatums, log-rolling and legislative chicken along the way. The end result was a session that left all parties equally disappointed and equally pleased. Whether you give the legislature thumbs up or thumbs down depends on whether you see the glass as half-empty or half-full.