The Iowa Legislature will convene for a one-day special session today in an attempt to adjust the state budget after Gov. Tom Vilsack proposed a 4.3 percent across-the-board cut totaling $200 million.

An appropriation bill will be introduced to restore some funding to priority areas, including public safety and public defense, local K-12 schools, the Human Service department, the Iowa Veterans Home and the state corrections department, said Joe Shannahan, Vilsack’s communication director.

“We just finished a meeting with lawmakers, and we believe we will successfully restore these funds,” he said Wednesday afternoon.

Lawmakers likely also will discuss reorganizing the Human Service Department, establishing a state homeland security division and an early retirement plan, Shannahan said.

“We hope to provide homeland security for Iowa to be better prepared for any terrorist attack against Iowa and its people,” he said.

Shannahan said the early retirement plan is designed to help “soften the blow” for people who are forced to be laid off.

“We are in the middle of a national economic downturn,” he said. “State revenues are coming in at the lowest in 18 years, and by law, we are required to make a budget balanced.”

Sen. Johnie Hammond, D-Ames, said the wide range of subject matter slated for discussion at the special session has caused some conflict among the legislators.

“I am getting different versions from the House and Senate,” she said. “The House says we are going to have five bills, and the Senate says we are going to have one bill with everything in it.”

Hammond said she plans to vote against legislation with the most devastating cuts, but she said restoring some money is possible because Vilsack’s proposed 4.3 percent is too much to cut.

She said trying to pass the action in one bill would be unconstitutional.

Shannahan said the governor cannot pick and choose which areas of funding to cut without legislative approval, and Vilsack is recommending an across-the-board cut.

Rep. Barbara Finch, R-Ames, said she will be open-minded during the special session and keep her priority on education.

Many lawmakers have their own recommendations about how to handle the state’s financial situation, Finch said, but she is confident everyone will work together to find a solution.

Finch said she was “amazed” by the Board of Regents’ proposed 18.5 tuition increase. When the across-the-board budget cuts were expected to hover around 7 percent, she said she heard tuition for the regents schools was expected to increase 15 percent. After Vilsack lowered his recommendation to 4.3 percent, the regents increased their proposal to 18 percent, she said.

“It was really surprising to me that the regents are raising tuition 18 percent; it will definitely affect in-state students as well as out-of-state students,” Finch said.

Hammond said she does not see additional funding for the regent schools coming up during the session.

“I don’t see any changes that are being talked about for the regents, but there are add backs for independent and community colleges in the state,” she said.