Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
DES MOINES — Lt. Gov Kim Reynolds defended Gov. Terry Branstad‘s recent decision to slash the salary of a commissioner Reynolds voted to appoint two years ago while in the state Senate. The situation is one Iowa Rep. Chuck Isenhart, ranking member of the House Rules and Administration Commission labeled as troubling.
Kim Reynolds
However, Reynolds said Monday that Branstad is “operating within the limits of the Iowa Code,” and is justified in his actions, as the cost and objectives between administrations have changed. Godfrey was appointed by former Gov. Tom Vilsack five years ago.
“I believe the Governor has the right to make sure that he has the confidence in the leadership that he has put in place,” she said on Branstad’s behalf, as the Governor attended the funeral of Cedar Rapids fallen soldier Sgt. First Class Terryl Pasker.
“[Branstad] ran to change the direction of government and doing that, we need to make sure you have the confidence in the leadership to obtain the goals you set forth,” Reynolds continued. “He has the parameters in which to set the salary [of the commissioner].”
Chuck Isenhart
“Six the commissioner has a fixed term of six years set in the law, that proposition is highly doubtful, from the Legislature’s point of view,” Isenhart wrote in a Facebook note published late Monday.
“As ranking member of the House Rules and Administration Committee, I am troubled by the governor crossing the line and trying to monopolize a power that belongs equally to the General Assembly and that affects the lives of thousands of Iowans. The provision of health care to workers injured on the job is not a political question that gets re-opened with every election.”
In 2009, Reynolds was still a state Senator from Osceola. That year, she voted to reaffirm Godfrey’s position.
“I believe it was an unanimous vote, if I remember right,” she said. “At that point, I didn’t have any outstanding issues. There was no reason why I would have voted against him. [Now] it’s a different day, and we’re dealing with different circumstances.”
Isenhart, who served as vice-chairman of the joint Economic Development Appropriations subcommittee on which Reynolds sat and to which Godfrey reported, said any concerns or questions Reynolds had about the effectiveness of the program or the performance of the commission should have been mentioned.
“I also wonder why no one — the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, anyone on his staff or the [Iowa] Workforce Development director in whose department the program is housed — no one approached our committee at any time during the long session we just completed to raise questions about the commissioner,” he said. “Lobbyists are not shy. Any of the businesses that apparently encouraged the Governor to make this move also could have approached us. We try to be helpful. That’s our job. But we need to address legitimate concerns in an open and transparent way.”
Isenhart says he remains “highly skeptical” that the salary reduction ordered by the Branstad administration is justified from a performance standpoint.
“Through this strongarm tactic the Governor is staking claim to a political outcome which he has no right to command,” Isenhart said.
“I have encouraged the chairs of the House Oversight Committee to join with the Senate to bring clarity to this matter. Given the vague charges that have been made, this is now a matter of justice for Commissioner Godfrey. In the meantime, I have contacted Rep. [Jason] Schultz, chair of my budget subcommittee [and a Schleswig Republican], asking him to be ready to address this situation during the 2012 legislative session if the Oversight Committee does not address it before then.”
(Reporter Lynda Waddington contributed to this report.)
Follow Meghan Malloy on Twitter
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter