An Ames lawmaker isn't optimistic when it comes to education funding in the 2018 Legislative session. Democrat State Seantor Herman Quirmbach says the clock is ticking on a current-year budget cut to the regents system anywhere between $8 and $14 million. He says the longer the cuts go unmade, the harder they'll be to make. He also says the news isn't much better for K-12 education, where an allowable growth rate for next year isn't likely to be any higher than one-percent. Quirmbach says time is not on lawmakers' side this year with a short 100 day session that could be further compressed by efforts to save money. He says leadership wants lawmakers to be done in 85 days.