In his third Condition of the State speech Tuesday, Gov. Tom Vilsack outlined his vision for ways to help Iowa’s slumping economy, and in a time when resources and new money in the state are becoming increasingly scarce, emphasized education is a focal point for state spending.

In these tough economic times, it is a wise decision to make education the top priority. After all, it is the top priority of most Iowans, and what few initiatives are made at this time should be those with the greatest benefit to all Iowans.

Sure, the economy is tough. But that isn’t a reason to cut corners by stalling progress to areas that need it. And one area at the top of that list is education.

The political fight ahead of Vilsack and a split legislature will undoubtedly be a heated one. VIlsack said he wants to put $50 million into a special fund to provide a better quality education for all Iowans. In a better economic climate, this request would not garner the inevitable controversy it most surely will this year.

State budget reform laws call for 1 percent of the state budget to be deposited into an emergency fund that protects the state against economic emergencies. Vilsack wants to take an amount equal to that and put it into education. The money would be used to continue past initiatives, such as reducing class sizes in lower grades and increasing teacher pay.

Vilsack’s requests were vague; he hasn’t yet released his budget recommendations, and once that happens there will be many in the Iowa legislature who will immediately weigh in with their disapprovals. Republican lawmakers have already said they will not touch the “rainy day” emergency fund, and Vilsack’s plans will use money that would normally be put into it. In a nutshell, everyone will be preparing for fierce battles at the statehouse.

While it’s not yet clear what exactly will result from Vilsack’s speech, a speech some are labeling as nothing more than a “pep talk,” what is clear is that it will be difficult to pass any such initiatives this session.

This means state politicians on both sides of the aisle – Democrats and Republicans – face a time where compromise and working together to win out over partisan politics and constant bickering will be the only way to ensure the struggling economy gripping the nation doesn’t jeopardize the future of Iowa and its schools.

Putting education on all levels – K-12, high school, community colleges and state universities – at the top of his agenda shows that Vilsack remains committed to bettering young Iowans, as he has shown in the past. Even in these times of economic turmoil, Gov. Vilsack’s plans to continue to move forward – or at the very least, to not move backward – should be comforting for all Iowans.

editorialboard: Andrea Hauser, Tim Paluch, Michelle Kann, Zach Calef, Omar Tesdell