Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad is proposing a 7.8 percent increase in state government spending in a budget submitted to lawmakers last week. The budget would raise general fund spending above $7 billion, but is still 8 percent below authorized capacity, Branstad noted.

The proposal includes $4.4 million for the Iowa Water Qual­ity Initiative. Iowa Secretary of Ag­­riculture Bill Northey had requested $6.65 million for the initiative and $1 million to support urban conservation. Last year, the department received $2.4 million ...