Bleeding Heartland - Kirsten Running-Marquardt

Another Iowa legislative victory for Big Ag

desmoinesdem — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:49:00 GMT

Factory farm advocates failed in 2009 to circumvent the Iowa DNR's rulemaking on applying manure over frozen and snow-covered ground. Then they failed in 2010 to win passage of a bill designed to weaken Iowa's newly-adopted regulations on manure storage and application.

But this year, the Iowa Pork Producers Association succeeded in convincing state lawmakers to relax requirements for CAFO operators to be able to store their own manure properly. All they had to do was dress up their effort as an attempt to help families with aspiring young farmers.
Last month Bleeding Heartland covered House File 512, the so-called "mothball" bill for farm structures. Proponents say it would help farm families who need to downsize temporarily, until a child has grown up, finished college, and decided to come home to farm.

The big "tell" during the House debate was that proponents rejected State Representative Chuck Isenhart's amendment, which stated:

During the period of election [to be a small animal feeding operation], a manure storage structure that is part of the confinement feeding operation is not used to store manure originating from a location outside the confinement feeding operation.

If the intent of the bill were to keep vacant buildings available for family use someday, the Iowa House should have approved that amendment. But they rejected it, because CAFO operators want to have the option to dump excess manure in the vacant buildings of neighbors. Transporting and offloading manure to another farm increases the risks of spills and water pollution.

Several environmental organizations and the Iowa Farmers Union had lobbyists registered against House File 512. Only the Iowa Pork Producers Association had lobbyists registered in favor.

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Action was mobilizing opposition to this bill. In early April, that group claimed victory when the legislation was placed on the Iowa Senate's "unfinished business" calendar.

But unfinished business doesn't always stay unfinished at the statehouse. Last week, Senate leaders revived their version of the same bill, called Senate File 418. As described in the Senate Journal for May 1 (pdf), Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Joe Seng received unanimous consent to replace Senate File 418 with House File 512. The Senate then approved by voice vote Seng's amendment to the legislation, and passed the bill by 43 votes to 6 (Jack Hatch was absent). The six no votes came from the following Democrats:

Joe Bolkcom
Dick Dearden
Pam Jochum
Matt McCoy
Janet Petersen
Herman Quirmbach

I am surprised Rob Hogg was a yes here.

Excerpt from a May 1 press release by Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Action:

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement member Lori Nelson of Bayard, Iowa released the following statement Wednesday morning before the Iowa Senate debates an environmentally hazardous bill that would de-regulate basic and common-sense manure management regulations:
"Senate File 418 - the so-called "mothball" bill - is a shameful attempt by one of Iowa's largest corporate ag lobby groups and Democrats like Majority Leader Mike Gronstal and Ag Chair Joe Seng to de-regulate basic environmental protections that were designed to keep factory farm manure out of our water."
"Today we will hear false statements on the Senate floor, by Democrats and Republicans alike, that this bill is somehow meant to protect the environment because dumping overflowing toxic manure into an abandoned factory farm during bad weather is safer than spreading it on frozen or snow-covered ground. But this is a false comparison and is simply not true. There is a third option that was contemplated by legislators and regulators over five years ago that put the responsibility on the industry to solve this problem, and that is the correct approach we must continue to demand now."
"After the 2009 law banning liquid manure application on frozen and snow-covered ground, the Environmental Protection Commission and the Administrative Rules and Review Committee carved out a five year window for the factory farm industry to come into compliance with the new law, either by building extra storage capacity, reducing their herd sizes, or taking other steps to properly manage their manure over the winter months."
"The industry has had five years to fulfill their obligations, but they have refused, because they don't want to spend the money to do what's right. Now the Iowa Senate, under the leadership of Democrat Mike Gronstal, is set to give one of Iowa's most polluting industries a free pass for bad management rather than stand up for everyday people and the environment."
"We have 628 polluted waterways in this state. The amendment that will be proposed on the floor of the Senate today by Senator Seng is lipstick on a factory farm pig. There is no such thing as an emergency that would require dumping overflowing manure into an abandoned factory farm. That's not an emergency, that's bad management. Winter comes every year, and extreme weather is the new normal. The industry has had years to figure this out."
"Senators of both parties who claim that this measure is the lesser of two evils compared to spreading manure on snow are giving the factory farm industry a free pass for bad management. This is a horrible bill, it's bad policy, and legislative support for it demonstrates to every Iowan all that is wrong with state politics."

Yesterday the Iowa House took up the amended House File 512. According to the House Journal (pdf), floor manager Lee Hein moved that the representatives concur in the Senate amendment. Immediately afterwards, the House approved the bill by 85 votes to 14. Only these Democrats voted no:

Ako Abdul-Samad
Bruce Hunter
Marti Anderson
John Forbes
Lisa Heddens
Chuck Isenhart
Anesa Kajtazovic
Vicki Lensing
Mary Mascher
Kevin McCarthy
Jo Oldson
Cindy Winckler
Beth Wessel-Kroeschell
Art Staed

All House Republicans voted yes, joined by all of the other Democrats present. Dan Muhlbauer was absent but would surely have been a supporter; he supported House File 512 last month.

UPDATE: Cody McKinley, a lobbyist for the Iowa Pork Producers, told the Des Moines Register that

an amendment added to the bill by the Senate addresses CCI's concerns by allowing animal or manure storage in a mothballed facility only "on an emergency basis" and requiring farmers to inform the Department of Natural Resources of such circumstances.
"At any time, the DNR still has jurisdiction over that facility to go in and inspect and make sure they're fulfilling the full extent of the law," McKinley said.

That's not nearly as useful as Isenhart's amendment, which would have barred the use of mothballed facilities to store manure from other farms. So what if a CAFO informs the DNR that they are transporting manure to a vacant building? The DNR doesn't have enough CAFO inspectors even now, as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency thoroughly documented. DNR staff won't closely scrutinize these "emergency" storage situations and won't be able to prevent spills during transport and offloading.

IA-Sen: Most Democratic state legislators endorse Braley

desmoinesdem — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:10:00 GMT

Representative Bruce Braley's campaign for U.S. Senate rolled out its largest batch of endorsements today: 71 state legislators. All 26 Iowa Senate Democrats plus 45 of the 47 Iowa House Democrats are named in the press release I've posted after the jump. For some reason, Iowa House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and former Iowa House Speaker Pat Murphy are not in this group. Murphy is running for the first Congressional district seat Braley is vacating.

Earlier this week, Braley's campaign announced that it raised more than $1 million during the first quarter. That is a solid number, and I'll be interested to see how the numbers break own (contributions from individuals vs PACs, for instance). Bleeding Heartland will publish a detailed roundup of Iowa Congressional fundraising after all the candidates have filed their reports with the Federal Election Commission. Those reports are due April 15.
April 3 press release from Braley for Iowa (emphasis in original):

71 Iowa Legislators Endorse Braley for Senate
DES MOINES, IA - 71 Democratic members of the Iowa legislature have announced their formal endorsement of Bruce Braley for Senate. 45 Iowa House Democrats are endorsing Braley today, as are all 26 Iowa Senate Democrats, including Iowa Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal and President Pam Jochum.
Braley announced in February that he had formed a committee to run for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Tom Harkin.
Sen. Michael Gronstal (D-Pottawattamie) said, "I'm proud to endorse Bruce Braley today. Iowans are fortunate to have Bruce in their corner fighting for them in Congress, and he'll do even more in the Senate. From passing polices that strengthen the middle class to helping small businesses, Bruce works so hard to get things done for Iowa because he's never forgotten where he's come from."
Rep. Kirsten Running-Marquardt (D-Linn) said, "Today is a great day for Iowa. I proudly stand with many of my colleagues and endorse Bruce Braley. Bruce has a proven track record of fighting for the middle class, standing up for veterans and working to make college affordable. He is one of us and Iowa needs him in the US Senate."
Braley said, "I'm honored by this outpouring of support. I've launched this campaign because Iowans deserve a Senator who will work hard every day to rebuild the middle class, create economic opportunity, and use taxpayer money more wisely. The endorsements of 71 Iowa legislators today is a big boost to our campaign and I'll rely on all of them to help build our growing grassroots organization in the months ahead."
In recent weeks, momentum has continued to build behind Braley's Senate campaign. On Monday, Braley announced that he has raised $1 million for his Senate campaign since Harkin announced his retirement. In February, Rep. Dave Loebsack (IA-02) and former Rep. Leonard Boswell endorsed Braley for Senate. Last week, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald announced their endorsement. And eight labor organizations have endorsed Braley: State Association of Letter Carriers, the Iowa Postal Workers Union, the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 3 Iowa Union, UAW Region 4, SEIU Iowa - Local 199, AFSCME Iowa Council 61, the Iowa State Council of Machinists, and the Great Plains Laborers' District Council.
A full list of the legislators announcing their endorsement today can be found below:
HOUSE
Name County
Deb Berry Black Hawk
Anesa Kajtazovic Black Hawk
Bob Kressig Black Hawk
Sharon Steckman Cerro Gordo
Patti Ruff Clayton
Roger Thomas Clayton
Mary Wolfe Clinton
Daniel Muhlbauer Crawford
Dennis Cohoon Des Moines
Nancy Dunkel Dubuque
Charles Isenhart Dubuque
Bruce Bearinger Fayette
Todd Prichard Floyd
Daniel Kelley Jasper
Curtis Hanson Jefferson
Dave Jacoby Johnson
Vicki Lensing Johnson
Mary Mascher Johnson
Sally Stutsman Johnson
Jerry Kearns Lee
Art Stead Linn
Daniel Lundby Linn
Tyler Olson Linn
Kirsten Running-Marquardt Linn
Todd Taylor Linn
Mark Smith Marshall
Ako Abdul-Samad Polk
Marti Anderson Polk
Bruce Hunter Polk
John Forbes Polk
Ruth Ann Gaines Polk
Jo Oldson Polk
Rick Olson Polk
Joe Riding Polk
Jim Lykam Scott
Phyllis Thede Scott
Cindy Winckler Scott
Frank Wood Scott
Lisa Heddens Story
Beth Wessel-Kroeschell Story
Mary Gaskill Wapello
Scott Ourth Warren
Helen Miller Webster
Dave Dawson Woodbury
Chris Hall Woodbury
SENATE
Name County
Jeff Danielson Black Hawk
Bill Dotzler Black Hawk
Amanda Ragan Cerro Gordo
Rita Hart Clinton
Tom Courtney Des Moines
Pam Jochum Dubuque
Brian Schoenjahn Fayette
Rich Taylor Henry
Mary Jo Wilhelm Howard
Tod Bowman Jackson
Dennis Black Jasper
Joe Bolkcom Johnson
Bob Dvorsky Johnson
Robert Hogg Linn
Wally Horn Linn
Liz Mathis Linn
Steve Sodders Marshall
Chris Brase Muscatine
Dick Dearden Polk
Jack Hatch Polk
Matt McCoy Polk
Janet Petersen Polk
Michael Gronstal Pottawattamie
Joe Seng Scott
Herman Quirmbach Story
Daryl Beall Webster

Iowa House votes to relax manure storage rules for CAFOs (updated)

desmoinesdem — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:15:00 GMT

In an ideal world, evidence that more than half of Midwest rivers and streams can't support aquatic life would inspire policy-makers to clean up our waterways. Rivers that are suitable for swimming, fishing, and other recreation can be a huge economic engine for Iowa communities.

We live in Iowa, where most of our lawmakers take the Patty Judge view: "Iowa is an agricultural state and anyone who doesn't like it can leave in any of four directions."

Yesterday the Iowa House approved a bill to relax manure storage regulations for large confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). All of the House Republicans and two-thirds of the Democrats supported this bad legislation. Details on the bill and the House vote are below.
Proponents of House File 512 claim it would make life easier for farmers who want to "downsize" their operations temporarily.

"This bill allows you to notify the DNR [Department of Natural Resources] that you will no longer have animals above the 500 animal unit that requires the manure management plan," [Republican State Representative Lee] Hein said, "simplifies it and allows those buildings to remain intact in case, say, for instance the next generation comes along in a few years and wants to enter back into the hog operation."

If that were the intended goal of this bill, Iowa lawmakers should have had no problem with an amendment proposed by State Representative Chuck Isenhart, the ranking Democrat on the Iowa House Environmental Protection Committee. His amendment was short and simple:

During the period of election [to be a small animal feeding operation], a manure storage structure that is part of the confinement feeding operation is not used to store manure originating from a location outside the confinement feeding operation.

In other words, go ahead and mothball your barn in case your child wants to come back to the farm someday. But in the meantime, don't use your barn to store manure overflowing from someone else's CAFO. During yesterday's floor debate (audio available at Radio Iowa), Isenhart warned that House Fill 512 would become a "fall-back" option for CAFO operators who don't want to invest in adequate manure storage facilities. He noted that the original bill does not recognize potential hazards from manure spills during transportation to a neighboring farm and offloading.

House members rejected Isenhart's amendment by voice vote shortly before the vote on final passage for House File 512. Incidentally, Hein (the floor manager of this bill) chairs the House Environmental Protection Committee. We can see how committed he is to that mission.

But I don't mean to pin all the blame for this bad bill on House Republicans. Most of the Democratic caucus helped to pass it by 83 votes to 16. The roll call (pdf) shows that all 52 Republicans present voted yes, joined by the following 31 House Democrats: Bruce Bearinger, Deborah Berry, Dennis Cohoon, David Dawson, Nancy Dunkel, Ruth Ann Gaines, Mary Gaskill, Chris Hall, Curt Hanson, Dave Jacoby, Jerry Kearns, Dan Kelley, Bob Kressig, Daniel Lundby, Jim Lykam, Helen Miller, Dan Muhlbauer, Pat Murphy, Tyler Olson, Scott Ourth, Todd Prichard, Joe Riding, Patti Ruff, Kirsten Running-Marquardt, Art Staed, Sharon Steckman, Sally Stutsman, Phyllis Thede, Roger Thomas, Mary Wolfe, and Frank Wood.

I understand the political realities. Many of these Democrats represent rural areas; others represent urban districts where the livestock industry is important to the local economy. The bill's going to pass anyway, so why stick your neck out? The sad fact is, agribusiness interest groups will endorse challengers to most of these Democrats in the next election, ignoring the friendly votes cast to appease Big Ag.

Next time I receive a fundraising call from the Iowa Democratic Party or the House Truman Fund, I will let them know that this bill is one reason I'm keeping my checkbook closed. At least a dozen of the Democrats who voted for House File 512 represent rock-solid safe districts. That includes you, Iowa Democratic Party Chair Tyler Olson.

Credit goes to the House Democrats who had the guts to vote against House File 512 yesterday: Ako Abdul-Samad, Marti Anderson, John Forbes, Lisa Heddens, Bruce Hunter, Chuck Isenhart, Anesa Kajtazovic, Vicki Lensing, Mary Mascher, Kevin McCarthy, Jo Oldson, Rick Olson, Mark Smith, Todd Taylor, Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, and Cindy Winckler.

The lobbyist declarations on House File 512 show that the Iowa Pork Producers Association is the only group registered supporting the bill. These organizations have lobbyists registered against the bill:

Iowa Environmental Council
Food & Water Watch
Des Moines Water Works
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Action Fund
Iowa Farmers Union
Sierra Club Iowa Chapter

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement's Action Fund is calling on Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal to block the Senate version of House File 512. That bill, known as Senate File 418, has already passed the Senate Agriculture Committee and is eligible for floor debate. Gronstal has the final call on what comes up for a vote. In the past, he has supported some bad legislation designed to support factory farms. But in those days, Senate President Jack Kibbie always had Big Ag's back. Now the Senate President is Pam Jochum, who has a strong environmental voting record. Maybe she can prevail on Gronstal.

Iowa Department of Natural Resources Director Chuck Gipp does not agree with Iowa CCI's interpretation of this bill's potential impact on water quality. No big surprise there. The Iowa DNR's lobbyist is registered "undecided" on House File 512.

Any relevant comments are welcome in this thread.

P.S.- House File 512 originated in the House Agriculture Committee, currently chaired by Pat Grassley. He is considered a leading contender for Iowa secretary of agriculture in 2014 if current Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey runs for U.S. Senate.

P.P.S- Environmentalists living in the first Congressional district should ask Pat Murphy to explain this vote when he asks for their support in the IA-01 Democratic primary. In fairness to Murphy, he has voted against some other bad legislation favored by Big Ag in recent years.

UPDATE: Representative Isenhart responded to my request for comment on the passage of this bill.

Rep. Hein, the bill's floor manager and a hog producer, admitted in his remarks what environmental groups feared the bill will make possible: that so-called "mothballed" confinement facilities can still be used to house sick animals and the manure pits to store excess waste from other facilities, all without updated manure management and other plans to mimimize risks to the environment and animal safety.

APRIL 5 UPDATE: The Iowa Senate will not take up this bill during the 2013 legislative session, according to this Iowa CCI Action alert. In an article on legislation that will not clear the second "funnel" deadline today, William Petroski and Jason Noble mentioned that Senate Democrats are rejecting "a proposal to revise rules on hog feeding operations."

Who's who in the Iowa House for 2013

desmoinesdem — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 13:15:00 GMT

The Iowa House will begin its 2013 session next Monday with 53 Republicans, 46 Democrats and one seat to be filled in a special election on January 22.

After the jump I've posted details on the Iowa House majority and minority leadership teams, along with all chairs, vice chairs, and members of standing House committees. Where relevant, I've noted changes since last year's legislative session.

Some non-political Iowa House trivia: three state representatives have the surname Olson (not counting Democrat Jo Oldson). There are two Millers, two Taylors, and two Smiths, one from each party in every case. David is most common first name: the new cohort contains three Daves and two Davids. Four state representatives have the first name Mark, four are called Daniel (three go by Dan) and four were given the name Robert (two Robs, one Bob, and a Bobby). Four women are named Mary (one goes by Mary Ann), and two are named Linda. There are two men each named Greg, Chuck, John, Kevin, Pat, Bruce, Tom, and Chris, and there would have been two Brians if Brian Quirk had not resigned shortly after winning re-election. Oddly, no current Iowa House member is named Mike or Michael.

JANUARY 28 UPDATE: Democrat Todd Prichard won the special election in House district 52, bringing the number of Todds in the Iowa House to two. I've added his committee assignments below. Republicans maintain a 53-47 majority.
Iowa House Republican leadership team

Speaker Kraig Paulsen was first elected in 2002 and just re-elected from House district 67, covering suburban and rural areas in Linn County.

Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer was first elected in 2002 and just re-elected in House district 54, covering all of Franklin County and parts of Cerro Gordo and Butler counties.

Speaker Pro Tem Steve Olson was first elected in 2002 and just re-elected in House district 97, including parts of Scott and Clinton counties. Last year's Speaker Pro Tem Jeff Kaufmann retired.

Majority Whip Chris Hagenow was first elected in 2008 and just re-elected in House district 43, covering some western suburbs of Des Moines. Last year's Majority Whip Erik Helland lost the 2012 Republican primary in Iowa House district 39.

Assistant majority leaders: Matt Windschitl was first elected in 2006 from district 56 and just re-elected in district 17, covering all of Ida and Monona Counties and parts of Harrison and Woodbury Counties. Windschitl was also an assistant majority leader in 2012.

Walt Rogers was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 60, covering parts of Waterloo and Black Hawk County.

Jeff Smith was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 1, covering all of Lyon and Osceola Counties and part of Dickinson County.

Joel Fry was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 27, covering Clarke, Decatur, and Wayne Counties, and part of Lucas County.

Iowa House Democratic leadership team

Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was first elected in 2002 and just re-elected in House district 33, covering parts of the southeast side of Des Moines. He served as House majority leader during the 2007 through 2010 legislative sessions.

Assistant minority leaders: Ako Abdul-Samad was first elected in 2006 and just re-elected in House district 35, covering central and north-side neighborhoods in Des Moines.

Mary Mascher was first elected in 1994 and just re-elected in House district 86, covering parts of Iowa City.

Mark Smith was first elected in 2000 and just re-elected in House district 71, covering northeastern Marshall County, including Marshalltown.

Mary Gaskill is the newest member of the House Democratic leadership team. She replaces Kirsten Running-Marquardt, who was an assistant minority leader last year. Gaskill was first elected in 2002 and just re-elected in House district 81, covering Ottumwa and some surrounding areas in Wapello County.

FEBRUARY 5 UPDATE: Iowa House Democrats chose Dan Muhlbauer to lead their Rural Caucus. Muhlbauer raises cattle, hogs, corn and soybeans on a Crawford County farm. He was was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 12, covering Carroll and Audubon Counties and part of Crawford County. Last year Andrew Wenthe held this position, with Muhlbauer as Rural Caucus vice chair, but Wenthe retired.

Iowa House Standing Committees

Administration and Rules

Chair: Matt Windschitl (see above). Last year Renee Schulte chaired this committee, but she lost her re-election bid in House district 66.

Vice Chair: Walt Rogers (see above)

Ranking member: Dan Muhlbauer (see above). Last year Andrew Wenthe was ranking member on this committee, but he retired.

Other members: Joel Fry (R), Chris Hagenow (R), Steve Olson (R), Kraig Paulsen (R), Jeff Smith (R), Linda Upmeyer (R), Ako Abdul-Samad (D), Deborah Berry (D), Mary Mascher (D), Kevin McCarthy (D), Mark Smith (D)

Agriculture

Chair: Pat Grassley was first elected in 2006 and just re-elected in House district 50, covering Grundy County and parts of Hardin and Butler. Last year Annette Sweeney chaired this committee, but Grassley defeated her in the GOP primary to represent House district 50.

Vice Chair: Jarad Klein was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 78, covering Keokuk County and most of Washington County.

Ranking member: Helen Miller was first elected in 2002 and just re-elected in House district 9, covering part of Webster County, including Fort Dodge.

Other members: Dwayne Alons (R), Clel Baudler (R), Peter Cownie (R), Dave Deyoe (R), Jack Drake (R), Lee Hein (R), Bobby Kaufmann (R), David Maxwell (R), Brian Moore (R), Steve Olson (R), Tom Shaw (R), Bruce Bearinger (D), Nancy Dunkel (D), Curt Hanson (D), Jerry Kearns (D), Dan Kelley (D), Dan Muhlbauer (D), Scott Ourth (D), Patti Ruff (D), Todd Prichard (D)

Appropriations

Chair: Chuck Soderberg was first elected in 2004 and just re-elected in House district 5, covering most of Plymouth and part of Woodbury Counties. Last year Scott Raecker chaired the Appropriations Committee, but he did not seek re-election. Last year's vice chair, Nick Wagner, was expected to take over this committee, but he lost his re-election bid in House district 68.

Vice Chair: Mark Lofgren was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 91, covering the city of Muscatine and surrounding areas in Muscatine County.

Ranking member: Tyler Olson was first elected in 2006 and just re-elected in House district 65, covering part of Cedar Rapids in Linn County.

Administration and Regulation Appropriations Subcommittee Chair: Ralph Watts was first elected in 2002 and just re-elected in House district 19, covering part of Dallas County and a small area in northern Polk County.

Administration & Regulation Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member: Dan Kelley was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 29, covering most of Jasper County, including Newton.

Other Administration & Regulation Appropriations Subcommittee members: Tedd Gassman (R), Jason Schultz (R), Quentin Stanerson (R), Guy Vander Linden (R), Bruce Hunter (D), Joe Riding (D), Art Staed (D)

Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee Chair: Jack Drake was first elected in 1992 and just re-elected in House district 21, covering all of Union and Adams Counties and parts of Cass and Pottawattamie Counties.

Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member: Frank Wood was just elected to the Iowa House for the first time in House district 92, covering parts of Scott County. He served one term in the Iowa Senate from 2005 through 2008. Last year Dan Muhlbauer was the ranking member on this subcommittee.

Other Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee members: Pat Grassley (R), Lee Hein (R), Sandy Salmon (R), Bruce Bearinger (D), Scott Ourth (D), Patti Ruff (D)

Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee Chair: Dave Deyoe was first elected in 2006 and just re-elected in House district 49, covering parts of Story and Hardin Counties. Last year Jason Schultz chaired this appropriations subcommittee.

Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member: Kirsten Running-Marquardt won a 2009 special election and was just re-elected in House district 69, covering part of Cedar Rapids as well as parts of southwestern Linn County. Last year Chris Hall was the ranking member on this subcommittee.

Other Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee members: Greg Forristall (R), Mary Ann Hanusa (R), Larry Sheets (R), Chuck Isenhart (D), Anesa Kajtazovic (D), Bob Kressig (D)

Education Appropriations Subcommittee Chair: Cecil Dolecheck was first elected in 1996 and just re-elected in House district 24, covering Ringgold, Taylor and Page Counties and part of Montgomery County.

Education Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member: Cindy Winckler was first elected in 2002 and just re-elected in House district 90, covering part of Davenport in Scott County.

Other Education Appropriations Subcommittee members: Josh Byrnes (R), Jake Highfill (R), Ron Jorgensen (R), Curt Hanson (D), Daniel Lundby (D), Sharon Steckman (D)

Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee Chair: Dave Heaton was first elected in 1994 and just re-elected in House district 84, covering Henry County and parts of Lee, Washington and Jefferson Counties.

Health & Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member: Lisa Heddens was first elected in 2002 and just re-elected in House district 46, covering part of Ames and Story County.

Other Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee members: Rob Bacon (R), Dean Fisher (R), Linda Miller (R), John Forbes (D), Sally Stutsman (D), Beth Wessel-Kroeschell (D)

Justice Systems Appropriations Subcommittee Chair: Gary Worthan was first elected in 2006 and just re-elected in House district 11, covering all of Buena Vista and Sac Counties.

Justice Systems Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member: Todd Taylor was first elected in a 1995 and just re-elected in House district 70, covering part of Cedar Rapids in Linn County.

Other Justice Systems Appropriations Subcommittee members: Julian Garrett (R), Chip Baltimore (R), Mark Brandenburg (R), Megan Hess (R), Marti Anderson (D), David Dawson (D), Todd Prichard (D)

Transportation, Infrastructure and Capitals Appropriations Subcommittee Chair: Dan Huseman was first elected in 1994 and just re-elected in House district 3, covering O'Brien and Cherokee Counties and parts of Sioux and Plymouth.

Transportation, Infrastructure and Capitals Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member: Dennis Cohoon was first elected to the Iowa House in 1986 and just re-elected in House district 87, covering Burlington and part of eastern Des Moines County.

Other Transportation, Infrastructure and Capitals Appropriations Subcommittee members: Dwayne Alons (R), John Landon (R), Brian Moore (R), Nancy Dunkel (D), Dave Jacoby (D), Jim Lykam (D)

Other Appropriations Committee members: Dean Fisher (R), Julian Garrett (R), Jake Highfill (R), Walt Rogers (R), Bruce Bearinger (D), Nancy Dunkel (D), Chris Hall (D), Anesa Kajtazovic (D), Pat Murphy (D), Kirsten Running-Marquardt (D), Todd Taylor (D)

Commerce

Chair: Peter Cownie was first elected in 2008 and just re-elected in House district 42, covering parts of Des Moines and West Des Moines. Last year Chuck Soderberg chaired this committee.

Vice Chair: Mark Brandenburg was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 15, covering Carter Lake and part of Council Bluffs in Pottawattamie County. Last year Chip Baltimore was the vice chair of this committee.

Ranking member: Chris Hall was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 13, covering part of Sioux City and eastern Woodbury County. Last year Brian Quirk was ranking member of this committee, but he just resigned his House seat after winning re-election in House district 52.

Other members: Chip Baltimore (R), Dean Fisher (R), Pat Grassley (R), John Landon (R), Dawn Pettengill (R), Tom Sands (R), Jeff Smith (R), Chuck Soderberg (R), Rob Taylor (R), Ralph Watts (R), Guy Vander Linden (R), David Dawson (D), John Forbes (D), Dave Jacoby (D), Anesa Kajtazovic (D), Bob Kressig (D), Jim Lykam (D), Jo Oldson (D), Tyler Olson (D)

Economic Growth

Chair: Mary Ann Hanusa was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 16, covering part of Council Bluffs. Last year Pat Grassley chaired this committee, and Hanusa served as vice chair.

Vice Chair: Bobby Kaufmann was elected for the first time in 2012 from district 73, covering Cedar County, part of Johnson County, and one town in Muscatine County. He is the son of longtime State Representative Jeff Kaufmann, who retired last year after serving as House speaker pro tem

Ranking member: Roger Thomas was first elected to the Iowa House in 1996 and just re-elected in House district 55, covering parts of Winneshiek, Fayette and Clayton Counties.

Other members: Dwayne Alons (R), Chip Baltimore (R), Dave Deyoe (R), Ron Jorgensen (R), Mark Lofgren (R), Brian Moore (R), Walt Rogers (R), Jason Schultz (R), Larry Sheets (R), Rob Taylor (R), Bruce Bearinger (D), Nancy Dunkel (D), Mary Gaskill (D), Lisa Heddens (D), Dave Jacoby (D), Helen Miller (D), Scott Ourth (D), Frank Wood (D)

Education

Chair: Ron Jorgensen was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 6, covering parts of Sioux City and Woodbury County. Last year Greg Forristall chaired this committee. He publicly criticized a bill that would have restricted early school opening dates, which House Speaker Paulsen supported.

Vice Chair: Quentin Stanerson was just elected for the first time in 2012 from House district 95, covering parts of Linn and Buchanan counties.

Ranking member: Sharon Steckman was first elected in 2008 and just re-elected in House district 53, covering part of Cerro Gordo County, including Mason City.

Other members: Josh Byrnes (R), Cecil Dolecheck (R), Joel Fry (R), Julian Garrett (R), Tedd Gassman (R), Mary Ann Hanusa (R), Megan Hess (R), Kevin Koester (R), Linda Miller (R), Walt Rogers (R), Sandy Salmon (R), Ako Abdul-Samad (D), Dennis Cohoon (D), Ruth Ann Gaines (D), Curt Hanson (D), Mary Mascher (D), Patti Ruff (D), Art Staed (D), Cindy Winckler (D), Frank Wood (D)

Environmental Protection

Chair: Lee Hein was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 96, covering all of Delaware County and part of Jones County. Last year Steve Olson (just named House speaker pro tem) chaired this committee.

Vice Chair: Rob Taylor was just elected for the first time in 2012 in House district 44, covering parts of the Des Moines suburbs in Dallas County. Last year Bob Hager was vice chair of this committee, but he lost his re-election bid in House district 56.

Ranking member: Chuck Isenhart was first elected in 2008 and just re-elected in House district 100, covering part of Dubuque.

Other members: Clel Baudler (R), Dave Deyoe (R), Tedd Gassman (R), Megan Hess (R), Jarad Klein (R), David Maxwell (R), Jason Schultz (R), Larry Sheets (R), Jeff Smith (R), Chuck Soderberg (R), Marti Anderson (D), Deborah Berry (D), Dan Kelley (D), Vicki Lensing (D), Daniel Lundby (D), Mark Smith (D), Sharon Steckman (D), Phyllis Thede (D), Beth Wessel-Kroeschell (D)

Ethics

Chair: Jeff Smith (see above) is the new chair of this committee, as well as an assistant majority leader. Last year Kevin Koester chaired this committee.

Vice Chair: Tom Shaw was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected from House district 10, covering Pocahontas, Humboldt, and Calhoun Counties as well as part of Webster County. Last year Scott Raecker was vice chair of this committee, but he retired.

Ranking member: Phyllis Thede was first elected in 2008 and just re-elected in House district 93, covering parts of Davenport and Bettendorf in Scott County.

Other members: Dave Heaton (R), Tyler Olson (D), Mark Smith (D)

Government Oversight

Chair: Kevin Koester was first elected in 2008 and just re-elected in House district 38, covering a large part of northeast Polk County. Last year Chris Hagenow, now majority whip, chaired this committee.

Vice Chair: Greg Heartsill was just elected for the first time in 2012 in House district 28, covering parts of Marion, Jasper, and Lucas Counties. Last year Chip Baltimore was the vice chair of this committee.

Ranking member: Ruth Ann Gaines was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 32, covering part of Des Moines. Last year Janet Petersen was ranking member of this committee, but she left the Iowa House to run for the Iowa Senate.

Other members: Clel Baudler (R), Peter Cownie (R), Dawn Pettengill (R), Vicki Lensing (D), Pat Murphy (D), Phyllis Thede (D)

Human Resources

Chair: Linda Miller was first elected in 2006 and just re-elected in House district 94, covering part of Bettendorf in Scott County.

Vice Chair: Rob Bacon was just elected to the Iowa House for the first time from House district 48, covering Hamilton County and parts of Webster, Boone, and Story Counties. He previously served two years in the Iowa Senate. Last year Joel Fry was the vice chair of this committee.

Ranking member: Beth Wessel-Kroeschell was first elected in 2004 and just re-elected in House district 45, covering part of Ames in Story County.

Other members: Mark Costello (R), Greg Forristall (R), Joel Fry (R), Julian Garrett (R), Dave Heaton (R), Megan Hess (R), Kevin Koester (R), John Landon (R), Mark Lofgren (R), Rob Taylor (R), Ako Abdul-Samad (D), Marti Anderson (D), David Dawson (D), Lisa Heddens (D), Bruce Hunter (D), Pat Murphy (D), Mark Smith (D), Sally Stutsman (D)

International Relations

Chair: Mark Lofgren (see above)

Ranking member: Deborah Berry was first elected in 2002 and just re-elected in House district 62, covering part of Waterloo in Black Hawk County.

Other members: Jack Drake (R), John Landon (R), Walt Rogers (R), Dan Kelley (D), Mary Mascher (D)

Judiciary

Chair: Chip Baltimore was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 47, covering most of Boone County and all of Greene County. Last year Rich Anderson chaired this committee, but he retired.

Vice Chair: Megan Hess was just elected for the first time in 2012 in House district 2, covering Palo Alto and Clay Counties and part of Dickinson County. Last year Chip Baltimore was vice chair of this committee.

Ranking member: Mary Wolfe was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 98, covering part of Clinton County, including the city of Clinton.

Other members: Dwayne Alons (R), Mark Brandenburg (R), Julian Garrett (R), Tedd Gassman (R), Chris Hagenow (R), Greg Heartsill (R), Dave Heaton (R), Bobby Kaufmann (R), Matt Windschitl (R), Gary Worthan (R), Marti Anderson (D), David Dawson (D), Vicki Lensing (D), Jo Oldson (D), Rick Olson (D), Tyler Olson (D), Mark Smith (D), Beth Wessel-Kroeschell (D)

Labor

Chair: Greg Forristall was first elected in 2006 and just re-elected in House district 22, covering most of Pottawattamie County outside Council Bluffs. Last year Lance Horbach chaired this committee, but he retired.

Vice Chair: Larry Sheets was just elected for the first time in House district 80, covering Monroe and Appanoose Counties and parts of Mahaska and Wapello Counties. Last year Jarad Klein was the vice chair of this committee.

Ranking member: Bruce Hunter was first elected in a 2003 special election and just re-elected in House district 34, covering downtown Des Moines and part of the south side.

Other members: Mark Costello (R), Joel Fry (R), Mary Ann Hanusa (R), Ron Jorgensen (R), Jarad Klein (R), Mark Lofgren (R), Jason Schultz (R), Ralph Watts (R), Deborah Berry (D), Jerry Kearns (D), Mary Mascher (D), Pat Murphy (D), Kirsten Running-Marquardt (D), Todd Taylor (D)

Local Government

Chair: Jason Schultz was first elected in 2008 and just re-elected in House district 18, covering all of Shelby County and parts of Crawford and Harrison Counties. Last year Nick Wagner chaired this committee, but he lost his re-election bid in House district 68.

Vice Chair: Greg Heartsill (see above). Last year Jeff Smith was vice chair of this committee.

Ranking member: Art Staed was just elected to House district 66 in Cedar Rapids, defeating Republican incumbent Renee Schulte. He previously served one term in the House (2007-2008). Last year John Wittneben was ranking member of this committee, but he lost his re-election bid in House district 7.

Other members: Cecil Dolecheck (R), Dean Fisher (R), Tedd Gassman (R), Mary Ann Hanusa (R), Jake Highfill (R), Henry Rayhons (R), Larry Sheets (R), Quentin Stanerson (R), Matt Windschitl (R), John Forbes (D), Mary Gaskill (D), Bob Kressig (D), Daniel Lundby (D), Joe Riding (D), Kirsten Running-Marquardt (D), Phyllis Thede (D), Frank Wood (D)

Natural Resources

Chair: Henry Rayhons was first elected to the Iowa House in 1996 and just re-elected in House district 8, covering Wright and Hancock Counties and part of Kossuth County.

Vice Chair: Dean Fisher was just elected for the first time in 2012 in House district 72, covering Tama County and parts of Marshall and Black Hawk Counties. Last year Jeff Smith was the vice chair of this committee.

Ranking member: Curt Hanson was first elected in a 2009 special election and just re-elected in House district 82, covering Davis and Van Buren Counties and most of Jefferson County.

Other members: Rob Bacon (R), Clel Baudler (R), Josh Byrnes (R), Cecil Dolecheck (R), Jake Highfill (R), Dan Huseman (R), David Maxwell (R), Sandy Salmon (R), Tom Shaw (R), Jeff Smith (R), Chris Hall (D), Daniel Lundby (D), Jim Lykam (D), Helen Miller (D), Scott Ourth (D), Patti Ruff (D), Phyllis Thede (D), Roger Thomas (D)

Public Safety

Chair: Clel Baudler was first elected in 1998 and just re-elected in House district 20, covering all of Guthrie and Adair Counties and parts of Cass and Dallas Counties.

Vice Chair: Tom Shaw (see above)

Ranking member: Bob Kressig was first elected in 2004 and just re-elected in House district 59, covering most of Cedar Falls and some rural areas in Black Hawk County.

Other members: Mark Brandenburg (R), Joel Fry (R), Greg Heartsill (R), Dan Huseman (R), Jarad Klein (R), Steve Olson (R), Henry Rayhons (R), Sandy Salmon (R), Tom Sands (R), Gary Worthan (R), Ako Abdul-Samad (D), Deborah Berry (D), David Dawson (D), Ruth Ann Gaines (D), Dan Muhlbauer (D), Rick Olson (D), Mary Wolfe (D)

State Government

Chair: Guy Vander Linden was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 79, covering most of Mahaska County and the Pella area of Marion County. Last year Peter Cownie chaired this committee.

Vice Chair: Jake Highfill was just elected for the first time in 2012 in House district 39, covering suburban and rural areas in Polk County. He defeated House Majority Whip Erik Helland in the Republican primary. Last year Guy Vander Linden was vice chair of this committee.

Ranking member: Vicki Lensing was first elected in 2000 and just re-elected in House district 85, covering part of Iowa City in Johnson County.

Other members: Rob Bacon (R), Mark Costello (R), Jack Drake (R), Pat Grassley (R), Chris Hagenow (R), Lee Hein (R), Kevin Koester (R), Linda Miller (R), Dawn Pettengill (R), Quentin Stanerson (R), Ralph Watts (R), Dennis Cohoon (D), Bruce Hunter (D), Chuck Isenhart (D), Anesa Kajtazovic (D), Mary Mascher (D), Sharon Steckman (D), Todd Taylor (D), Todd Prichard (D), Cindy Winckler (D)

Transportation

Chair: Josh Byrnes was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 51, covering Worth, Mitchell, and Howard Counties, and part of Winneshiek. Last year Dave Tjepkes chaired this committee, but he retired.

Vice Chair: Brian Moore was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 58, covering Jackson County and parts of Jones and Dubuque Counties. Last year Glen Massie was vice chair of this committee, but he retired.

Ranking member: Jim Lykam was first elected in 2002 and just re-elected in House district 89, covering part of Davenport in Scott County.

Other members: Greg Forristall (R), Greg Heartsill (R), Dan Huseman (R), Ron Jorgensen (R), Bobby Kaufmann (R), John Landon (R), Steve Olson (R), Dawn Pettengill (R), Henry Rayhons (R), Walt Rogers (R), Dennis Cohoon (D), John Forbes (D), Helen Miller (D), Pat Murphy (D), Rick Olson (D), Joe Riding (D), Sally Stutsman (D), Mary Wolfe (D)

Veterans Affairs

Chair: Dwayne Alons was first elected in 1998 and just re-elected in House district 4, covering most of Sioux County. Although he is one of the longest-serving Iowa House Republicans, Alons was shut out of the committee chairmanships in 2011 and 2012. Paulsen didn't even make him a vice chair of any committee before now. Last year Royd Chambers chaired the Veterans Affairs Committee, but he retired.

Vice Chair: Sandy Salmon was just elected for the first time in 2012 in House district 63, covering Bremer County and parts of Black Hawk County. Last year Guy Vander Linden was the vice chair of this committee.

Ranking member: Jerry Kearns was first elected in 2008 and just re-elected in House district 83, covering part of Lee County including Keokuk and Fort Madison.

Other members: Rob Bacon (R), Mark Brandenburg (R), Mark Costello (R), Linda Miller (R), Tom Shaw (R), Quentin Stanerson (R), Matt Windschitl (R), Gary Worthan (R), Ruth Ann Gaines (D), Dave Jacoby (D), Dan Muhlbauer (D), Art Staed (D), Roger Thomas (D)

Ways and Means

Chair: Tom Sands was first elected in 2002 and just re-elected in House district 88, covering all of Louisa County and large parts of Des Moines and Muscatine Counties.

Vice Chair: John Landon was just elected for the first time in 2012 in House district 37, covering Ankeny and other parts of northern Polk County. Last year Josh Byrnes was the vice chair of this committee.

Ranking member: Jo Oldson was first elected in 2002 and just re-elected in House district 41, covering part of Des Moines. Last year Dave Jacoby was ranking member on this committee.

Other members: Chip Baltimore (R), Josh Byrnes (R), Peter Cownie (R), Greg Forristall (R), Pat Grassley (R), Chris Hagenow (R), Lee Hein (R), David Maxwell (R), Brian Moore (R), Quentin Stanerson (R), Guy Vander Linden (R), Matt Windschitl (R), John Forbes (D), Mary Gaskill (D), Chuck Isenhart (D), Jerry Kearns (D), Dan Kelley, Dan Muhlbauer (D), Joe Riding (D), Sally Stutsman (D), Roger Thomas (D), Todd Prichard (D)

Administrative Rules Review

Five Iowa House and five Iowa Senate members serve on this committee.

Chair: Dawn Pettengill was first elected in 2004 (as a Democrat) and switched to the Republican caucus in 2007. She was just re-elected in House district 75, covering Benton County and part of Iowa County.

Other Iowa House members: State Representative Jeff Smith (R), State Representative Dave Jacoby (D), State Representative Rick Olson (D), State Representative Guy Vander Linden (R)

Full list of Iowa House Democratic leaders, ranking members

desmoinesdem — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 14:57:29 GMT

Yesterday the Iowa House Democrats announced ranking members for all the standing and appropriations committees for the 2013 legislative session. Below I've posted the full list of House minority leaders and ranking members. Where relevant, I've noted changes since last year. House Democrats will start the session with 46 caucus members, because State Representative Brian Quirk just resigned his seat.

House Republicans named all the committee chairs earlier this week.
Iowa House Democratic leadership team

Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was first elected in 2002 and just re-elected in House district 33, covering parts of the southeast side of Des Moines. He served as majority leader during the 2007 through 2010 legislative sessions.

Assistant minority leaders: Ako Abdul-Samad was first elected in 2006 and just re-elected in House district 35, covering central and north-side neighborhoods in Des Moines.

Mary Mascher was first elected in 1994 and just re-elected in House district 86, covering parts of Iowa City.

Mark Smith was first elected in 2000 and just re-elected in House district 71, covering northeastern Marshall County, including Marshalltown.

Standing committees

Administrative Rules Review

Dave Jacoby and Rick Olson will serve on this committee, which includes five Iowa House members and five Iowa Senate members. Jacoby was first elected in 2002 and just re-elected in House district 74, covering Coralville and North Liberty in Johnson County. Olson was first elected in 2004 and just re-elected in House district 31, covering parts of the east side of Des Moines.

Administration and Rules

Dan Muhlbauer was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 12, covering Carroll and Audubon Counties and part of Crawford County. Last year Andrew Wenthe was ranking member on this committee, but he retired.

Agriculture

Helen Miller was first elected in 2002 and just re-elected in House district 9, covering part of Webster County, including Fort Dodge.

Appropriations

Tyler Olson was first elected in 2006 and just re-elected in House district 65, covering part of Cedar Rapids in Linn County.

Administration and Regulation Appropriations Subcommittee: Dan Kelley was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 29, covering most of Jasper County, including Newton.

Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee: Frank Wood was just elected to the Iowa House for the first time in House district 92, covering parts of Scott County. He served one term in the Iowa Senate from 2005 through 2008. Last year Dan Muhlbauer was the ranking member on this subcommittee.

Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee: Kirsten Running-Marquardt won a 2009 special election and was just re-elected in House district 69, covering part of Cedar Rapids as well as parts of southwestern Linn County. Last year Chris Hall was the ranking member on this subcommittee.

Education Appropriations Subcommittee: Cindy Winckler was first elected in 2002 and just re-elected in House district 90, covering part of Davenport in Scott County.

Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee: Lisa Heddens was first elected in 2002 and just re-elected in House district 46, covering part of Ames and Story County.

Justice System Appropriations Subcommittee: Todd Taylor was first elected in a 1995 and just re-elected in House district 70, covering part of Cedar Rapids in Linn County.

Transportation, Infrastructure, and Capitals Appropriations: Dennis Cohoon was first elected to the Iowa House in 1986 and just re-elected in House district 87, covering Burlington and part of eastern Des Moines County.

Commerce

Chris Hall was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 13, covering part of Sioux City and eastern Woodbury County. Last year Brian Quirk was ranking member of this committee, but he just resigned his House seat this week.

Economic Growth

Roger Thomas was first elected to the Iowa House in 1996 and just re-elected in House district 55, covering parts of Winneshiek, Fayette and Clayton Counties.

Education

Sharon Steckman was first elected in 2008 and just re-elected in House district 53, covering part of Cerro Gordo County, including Mason City.

Environmental Protection

Chuck Isenhart was first elected in 2008 and just re-elected in House district 100, covering part of Dubuque.

Ethics

Phyllis Thede was first elected in 2008 and just re-elected in House district 93, covering parts of Davenport and Bettendorf in Scott County.

Government Oversight

Ruth Ann Gaines was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 32, covering part of Des Moines. Last year Janet Petersen was ranking member of this committee, but she left the Iowa House to run for the Iowa Senate.

Human Resources

Beth Wessel-Kroeschell was first elected in 2004 and just re-elected in House district 45, covering part of Ames in Story County.

Judiciary

Mary Wolfe was first elected in 2010 and just re-elected in House district 98, covering part of Clinton County, including the city of Clinton.

Labor

Bruce Hunter was first elected in a 2003 special election and just re-elected in House district 34, covering downtown Des Moines and part of the south side.

Local Government

Art Staed was just elected to House district 66 in Cedar Rapids, defeating Republican incumbent Renee Schulte. He previously served one term in the House (2007-2008). Last year John Wittneben was ranking member of this committee, but he lost his re-election bid in House district 7.

Natural Resources

Curt Hanson was first elected in a 2009 special election and just re-elected in House district 82, covering Davis and Van Buren Counties and most of Jefferson County.

Public Safety

Bob Kressig was first elected in 2004 and just re-elected in House district 59, covering most of Cedar Falls and some rural areas in Black Hawk County.

State Government

Vicki Lensing was first elected in 2000 and just re-elected in House district 85, covering part of Iowa City in Johnson County.

Transportation

Jim Lykam was first elected in 2002 and just re-elected in House district 89, covering part of Davenport in Scott County.

Veterans Affairs

Jerry Kearns was first elected in 2008 and just re-elected in House district 83, covering part of Lee County including Keokuk and Fort Madison.

Ways and Means

Jo Oldson was first elected in 2002 and just re-elected in House district 41, covering part of Des Moines. Last year Dave Jacoby was ranking member on this committee.

New Iowa House and Senate will include more women

desmoinesdem — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 17:12:41 GMT

Americans elected record numbers of women to Congress on Tuesday. Beginning in January, 20 women will serve in the U.S. Senate, and 78 women will serve in the U.S. House. During the past two years, seventeen U.S. senators and 73 U.S. representatives were women.

Although Iowans continued our streak of not sending women to Congress, we did elect some new women to the state legislature, producing a slight gain in the total number of female lawmakers.
Since 2011, the Iowa Senate has included eight women and 42 men. Three women were not up for re-election this year: Republicans Nancy Boettger and Sandy Greiner, and Democrat Amanda Ragan.

Four female incumbents were re-elected on Tuesday: Republican Joni Ernst and Democrats Liz Mathis, Mary Jo Wilhelm, and Pam Jochum.

Democrats Janet Petersen and Rita Hart won open-seat Senate races, bringing the number of women who'll serve in the upper chamber next year to ~~nine~~. CORRECTION: I omitted Amy Sinclair, a Republican who won an open seat. That makes ten women in the upper chamber.

Senator Pat Ward passed away last month. A special election to fill her seat will take place on December 11. Republicans are unlikely to nominate a woman to run against Democrat Desmund Adams. UPDATE: Charles Schneider is the GOP candidate in Senate district 22, so there is no chance of electing another woman to the Senate this cycle.

Since 2011, the Iowa House has included 24 women and 76 men. Three retired before this year's election: Republicans Kim Pearson and Betty De Boef, and Democrat Janet Petersen (to run for the state Senate).

Two Republican women lost their re-election bids: Annette Sweeney was defeated in a GOP primary, and Renee Schulte lost on Tuesday.

That leaves 19 women who were re-elected to the Iowa House: Democrats Deborah Berry, Ruth Ann Gaines, Mary Gaskill, Lisa Heddens, Anesa Kajtazovic, Vicki Lensing, Mary Mascher, Helen Miller, Jo Oldson, Kirsten Running-Marquardt, Sharon Steckman, Phyllis Thede, Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, Cindy Winckler, and Mary Wolfe, and Republicans Mary Ann Hanusa, Linda Miller, Dawn Pettengill, and Linda Upmeyer.

Five women won open-seat Iowa House races on Tuesday: Democrats Marti Anderson, Nancy Dunkel, and Sally Stutsman, and Republicans Megan Hess and Sandy Salmon.

Patti Ruff defeated a Republican incumbent, which makes 25 women elected to the next Iowa House.

To sum up, the next Iowa House will have 53 Republicans (47 men, six women) and 47 Democrats (28 men, 19 women).

For now I am assuming Susan Judkins will fall just short against Republican incumbent Chris Hagenow in House district 43. If a recount changes the outcome of that race, we'll have 26 women in the Iowa House next year. UPDATE: After counting absentee and provisional ballots, Hagenow leads by 22 votes. That margin is likely to hold, but I expect a recount after the results are certified next week.

Iowa is decades away from anything like gender parity in our state legislature, but we are taking baby steps in the right direction.

First look at Democratic prospects for Iowa House gains

desmoinesdem — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:15:00 GMT

The redistricting process and several Republican retirements have created many pickup opportunities for Iowa House Democrats. The devastating 2010 election left them nowhere to go but up in the lower chamber, where Republicans currently enjoy a 60 to 40 majority. Relatively few sitting House Democrats represent vulnerable districts.

Speaking to activists at the Polk County Democratic convention on March 10, I heard lots of optimism about the House races. After the jump I've posted some early thoughts on the seats up for grabs.
Of the 40 current Iowa House Democrats, two opted to retire from the legislature. Kurt Swaim and Andrew Wenthe were paired with fellow Democratic incumbents Curt Hanson and Roger Thomas, respectively. Two other Democratic representatives, Janet Petersen and Nate Willems, decided to run for the Iowa Senate rather than seek re-election to the House.

That leaves 36 Iowa House Democrats seeking re-election. Of those, 15 do not have a Republican opponent and are therefore virtually assured of winning another term: Rick Olson, Kevin McCarthy, Brian Quirk, Sharon Steckman, Deborah Berry, Tyler Olson, Kirsten Running-Marquardt, Todd Taylor, Dave Jacoby, Jerry Kearns, Vicki Lensing, Mary Mascher, Cindy Winckler, Mary Wolfe, and Chuck Isenhart.

I must point out that at this stage in 2010, State Representatives John Beard and Tom Schueller didn't have Republican opponents either, yet both ended up losing in November. I don't expect any of the currently unchallenged House Democrats to meet the same fate.

Another 14 Democratic incumbents have Republican competition but shouldn't have any trouble winning re-election in their strongly Democratic districts: Helen Miller, Pat Murphy, Jim Lykam, Dennis Cohoon, Mary Gaskill, Mark Smith, Anesa Kajtazovic, Lisa Heddens, Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, Jo Oldson, Ako Abdul-Samad, Bruce Hunter, Ruth Ann Gaines, and Dan Kelley. Disclaimer: several Democrats thought to be "safe" lost in 2010, and more could fall if 2012 turns out to be another horrible year for Democrats generally.

The last seven Democratic House incumbents face potentially difficult re-election battles, either because of the partisan lean of their district, because they are relatively new to politics, or because they have drawn a particularly strong opponent.

John Wittneben in the new district 7. He won an open seat by a few dozen votes in 2010, and his new district no longer has a strong Democratic voter registration advantage. Two Republicans filed to challenge him: Mark Frakes and Tedd Gassman.

Dan Muhlbauer is another first-term Democrat, having won an open-seat race against an unbelievably weak Republican candidate. Muhlbauer's new district is a tiny bit more Democratic, but if Republican candidate Barney Bornhoft has the faintest clue, he should be a stronger opponent than the man Muhlbauer beat in 2010.

Chris Hall also won an open seat in 2010. He is the only House Democrat who will face a sitting House Republican in the general election. First-term GOP State Representative Jeremy Taylor decided to run here after the new map placed his house outside of his current district. He proved himself to be a strong campaigner by almost beating a Democratic incumbent in 2008 and winning an open seat in 2010.

Roger Thomas has more experience in the House, but the new district 55 has a GOP voter registration advantage, unlike the seat where Thomas was previously elected. Three Republicans filed to challenge him: Michael Klimesh, Marshall Nessa, and Dustin Noble.

Bob Kressig has won re-election by narrow margins several times. The winner of the GOP primary between James Kenyon and Howard Lyon will face Kressig in the new district 59.

Curt Hanson won a 2009 special election and his 2010 re-election in a Republican-leaning district, so he stands a decent chance of overcoming the voter registration disadvantage in the new district 82. Two Republicans have filed for this seat: James Johnson and Jeff Shipley.

Phyllis Thede knocked off a GOP incumbent in 2008 and survived the 2010 wave in a Democratic-leaning seat. Her new district 93 is more evenly divided in terms of voter registration. The good news is that she doesn't appear to have drawn a particularly strong candidate in Mark Nelson.

Depending on how many of those seven incumbents hang on, Democrats will have between 29 and 36 current House members returning in 2013.

One Democratic pick-up is a lock: Republicans aren't fielding a candidate in the new House district 57, where Steve Lukan is retiring. Nancy Dunkel is the only Democrat on the ballot.

The new House district 36 should be an easy hold for the winner of the Democratic primary between Marti Anderson, Cara Kennedy-Ode, and William Rock. Janet Petersen left this district open when she decided to run for Senate district 19.

That leaves House Democrats with 31 to 38 seats--a long way from the 51 they need to win back the majority.

The optimism I heard at the convention stems from the many strong candidates Democrats are fielding in Republican-held districts.

In general, it's easier for a political party to pick up an open seat than to defeat an incumbent from the other side. The following 13 districts with no incumbent seem potentially winnable for Democrats:

* district 14, left empty under the redistricting plan. Democrats have a voter registration advantage here; their unsuccessful 2010 candidate David Dawson will face Republican Greg Grupp.

* district 26, where Republican Glen Massie opted not to seek re-election. Massie's 2010 Democratic opponent, Scott Ourth, faces the winner of the GOP primary between Ruth Randleman and Steve McCoy.

* district 28, where Republican Rich Arnold is retiring. Democrat Megan Day Suhr will face the winner of the GOP primary between Len Gosselink and Greg Heartsill (my money's on Heartsill to be the general election candidate).

* district 30, where Republican Kim Pearson opted not to seek re-election. Altoona City Council member Joe Riding is the Democratic candidate; Republicans have a primary between Jim Carley and Carol Miller.

* district 40, where Republican House Appropriations Committee Chair Scott Raecker opted not to seek re-election. Urbandale City Council member John Forbes is the Democratic candidate; he'll face business owner and veteran Mike Brown.

* district 63, left empty under the redistricting plan. Former Democratic State Senator Bill Heckroth faces Sandy Salmon here.

* district 64, where Republican Dan Rasmussen retired. Two candidates from Oelwein are on the ballot: Democratic City Council member Bruce Bearinger and Republican business owner Jim Givant. The party registration numbers lean Democratic.

* district 72, where Republican Lance Horbach retired. The voter registration numbers lean to the GOP. Dean Fisher is the only Republican on the ballot here; a Democratic primary looms between Christina Blackcloud-Garcia and Nathan Wrage.

* district 73, where House Speaker Pro Tem Jeff Kaufmann is retiring. His son, Bobby Kaufmann, is the only Republican on the ballot. He'll have name recognition going for him, but clearly he won't be nearly as tough an opponent as his father would be. Democrats have a primary here between David Johnson and Dick Schwab.

* district 76, left empty after redistricting. Grinnell City Council member Rachel Bly will face the winner of a Republican primary between David Maxwell and Larry Wilson (my money's on Wilson, a Poweshiek County supervisor).

* district 77, left empty after redistricting. The voter registration numbers give the advantage to Democrat Sally Stutsman over Republican Steve Sherman.

* district 80, left empty after redistricting. Joe Judge, the son of former Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge, is the Democratic candidate here. His GOP opponent will be Larry Sheets.

* district 95, where Democrat Nate Willems is running for the Senate instead of for a third term in the House. Two teachers will face off here: Republican Quentin Stanerson and Democrat Kristin Keast.

Obviously, Democrats aren't going to sweep all of those House races, but even winning half of them would represent a major step forward.

There are at least 12 districts Democrats can credibly play for despite the fact that Republican incumbents are seeking re-election. (I'm not saying lightning couldn't strike in some other Republican-held district, but the other Democratic challengers will face long odds given the partisan lean.)

* district 15, covering Carter Lake and the western part of Council Bluffs; first-term GOP Representative Mark Brandenburg moved into this district. The Democratic candidate is George Yaple.

* district 38, where Ankeny Republican Kevin Koester, who was elected from a solidly Republican district, has to seek re-election in an evenly divided seat. John Phoenix is the Democratic candidate here (Koester also has a primary challenger).

* district 43, where Republican Chris Hagenow will be favored but Democrat Susan Judkins has a strong resume.

* district 47, where Democrat Donovan Olson is seeking a rematch with Chip Baltimore, who defeated him by a narrow margin in 2010.

* district 56, where Patti Ruff is running against first-term Republican Bob Hager.

* district 58, where former State Representative Tom Schueller is seeking a rematch with surprise 2010 winner Brian Moore.

* district 60, now represented by first-term Republican Walt Rogers. Bob Greenwood is the Democratic challenger in this Waterloo/Cedar Falls district.

* district 66, where Democrat Art Staed is challenging the Republican who beat him in 2008, Renee Schulte. The voter registration numbers lean Democratic, but Schulte has proved herself to be a strong campaigner.

* district 68, where Daniel Lundby, the son of the late Republican State Senator Mary Lundby, will be a big underdog against two-term Republican Nick Wagner.

* district 88, where House Ways and Means Committee Chair Tom Sands will be heavily favored against Democrat Sara Sedlacek.

* district 91, where 2010 winner Mark Lofgren is up against Democrat John Dabeet.

* district 92, where 2010 GOP winner Ross Paustian (an unsuccessful House candidate in 2008) is up against former State Senator Frank Wood.

Again, Democrats are not going to sweep these races, but having so many GOP-held seats in play will be helpful. Every dollar House Republican leaders spend defending their own incumbents is a dollar they can't spend targeting the vulnerable House Democrats.

It's also worth noting that eleven sitting House Republicans face primary challengers. As a result, many Republicans in safe seats will have to spend money on their own re-election campaigns, rather than in districts Democrats are targeting.

I don't see the House changing hands in 2013, but with good campaigning and GOTV, Democrats should be able to climb most of the way out of their 60-40 hole.

Any comments about the Iowa House races are welcome in this thread.

Iowa Supreme Court strikes down Branstad line-item vetoes

desmoinesdem — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:17:45 GMT

The Iowa Supreme Court ruled unanimously today that Governor Terry Branstad impermissibly used his line-item veto to strike language about Iowa Workforce Development field offices without vetoing the money allocated to fund those offices.

UPDATE: Added Branstad's reaction below as well as statements from Iowa House and Senate Democrats.
Branstad announced the line-item vetoes in July, and Iowa Workforce Development moved forward with closing offices in 36 cities during the second half of 2011. Five plaintiffs filed the lawsuit in August: Danny Homan, head of the largest public employee union in Iowa, Democratic State Senators Bill Dotzler and Daryl Beall, and Democratic State Representatives Bruce Hunter, Dave Jacoby, and Kirsten Running-Marquardt. A district court judge ruled in December that two of the disputed line-item vetoes were unconstitutional. The Iowa Supreme Court heard the governor's appeal last month.

The Des Moines Register posted the full text of today's ruling here (pdf). Excerpt from the decision by Justice Thomas Waterman (p.3):

This is not an easy case. The legislature failed to use language in section 15(3) expressly conditioning the $8.66 million appropriation on the restrictions against closing staffed field offices. Nonetheless, we conclude the definition of "field office" in section 15(5) qualifies or restricts the $8.66 million appropriation in section 15(3)(b) "for the operation of field offices." Accordingly, the Governor could not veto section 15(5) without vetoing the accompanying appropriation in section 15(3). We further conclude the Governor impermissibly item vetoed the restriction in section 20 on use of IWD appropriations for the national certificate program.
Simply stated, the legislature appropriated funds to IWD with strings attached, and our constitution does not permit the Governor to cut the strings and spend the money differently.

The district court upheld one of Branstad's disputed line-item vetoes, saying the provision to which it applied was a "rider" rather than a budget item. The Supreme Court disagreed, saying the provision barring the use of funds for the National Career Readiness Certificate Program was neither overly broad nor a "rider subject to item veto." (pages 16 and 17)

The plaintiffs had asked the court to declare the appropriations bill law "as if the Governor had not exercised the item vetoes which were herein determined to be void." Branstad's attorneys argued that "the proper remedy for an invalid veto of a condition on an appropriation is to invalidate the entire item containing the appropriation." The district court judge agreed with the plaintiffs, but the Iowa Supreme Court declared the governor "correct on this point." The ruling explains the court-ordered remedy on pages 18 through 20.

We hold that, when the Governor impermissibly item vetoes a condition on an appropriation during the pocket veto period, the appropriation item fails to become law. This result is mandated by our constitutional requirement that enactments do not become law without the approval of both elected branches except when a legislative supermajority overrides a vet. Here, the Governor did not approve the IWD appropriations with the conditions. Yet, the legislature did not pass the appropriations without the conditions. Thus, the IWD appropriations without the conditions could not become law because the approval of both elected branches was lacking.

So, the court declared that the disputed sections of Senate File 517 did not become law. In other words, the plaintiffs can't demand that the $8.66 million be used to reopen the field offices--which wouldn't be practical anyway, since the funding was designed to last through the current fiscal year, ending on June 30.

The ruling won't revive the Iowa Workforce Development field offices, but it may deter the governor from trying to veto similar conditions in future appropriations bills without also vetoing the money. Democratic candidates in many competitive legislative districts are likely to keep criticizing the Branstad administration's decision to replace 36 staffed offices with hundreds of computer terminals. The governor has defended the policy as a success that makes government services more accessible to unemployed Iowans.

Branstad appointed four of the seven Iowa Supreme Court justices: Chief Justice Mark Cady in 1998 and Justices Thomas Waterman, Ed Mansfield, and Bruce Zager in 2011. The author of today's ruling donated $7,500 to Branstad's 2010 gubernatorial campaign.

UPDATE: The ruling has been posted on the Iowa Supreme Court's website.

SECOND UPDATE: Radio Iowa's O.Kay Henderson reports,

Branstad spoke with reporters a couple of hours after the ruling was issued.
"This decision has far-reaching implications," Branstad said.
Branstad's aides say the governor may order more than 200 layoffs in the Workforce Development agency, close the few regional Workforce Development offices that are still operating and shut down the on-line services the agency's been providing to unemployed Iowans.
"The decision is complex and it has implications that need to be reviewed," Branstad said during that midday interview in Northwood, Iowa. "We want to do the very best thing in terms of providing the best opportunity for people to have access to job opportunities. We've been working very hard to get more access to people."

THIRD UPDATE: First press release issued from Branstad's office:

Homan lawsuit decision risks closure of all Workforce Development Offices; 200+ layoffs now possible; Court's decision does not erode the scope of the Governor's item veto power under the Constitution
March 16, 2012
(DES MOINES) - The Branstad-Reynolds administration today responded to the Iowa Supreme Court decision in Homan vs. Branstad.
"We disagree with the Iowa Supreme Court's ruling from a legal and policy perspective, but we respect their decision and will abide by it," said Branstad attorney Dick Sapp. "We are pleased the Iowa Supreme Court's decision did not erode the scope of the governor's item-veto power under the Constitution to control spending and serve Iowans who need jobs."
Gov. Branstad's program for Iowa Workforce Development has proven to be enormously successful. Gov. Branstad's actions have led to:
• Expanded hours, making Iowa's workforce development services available in the evenings and on Saturdays, which was previously not available;
• The Virtual Access Sites have increased the services offered to unemployed Iowans searching for work in Iowa;
• Multiple Workforce Development sites now exist in all 99 counties, providing rural Iowans with convenient access that did not previously exist;
• Nearly 100,000 services have been used since the launch of the governor's Virtual Access Points;
• Iowa Workforce Development is adding 10-20 new sites all across Iowa every week, and currently has 641 sites with more than 2,000 desktops;
• Iowa's unemployment rate continues to edge lower, and now stands at 5.4% in January, nearly three percentage points lower than the national 8.3% average.
Now, as a result of Danny Homan's lawsuit, there is no funding to keep open these vital services for Iowa's unemployed following this decision.
The irony of today's Supreme Court decision is that it strikes down a number of appropriations within the Workforce Development department - including funding for all Workforce Development offices, the workers compensation division, the labor division, and the unemployment reserve fund.
"What started as an attempt by Danny Homan to prevent the implementation of a new, streamlined service delivery system that has proven to serve Iowans even better has now, as a result of Homan's lawsuit, put at risk all of the services our state provides to unemployed Iowans and hundreds of state workers' jobs," said the governor's spokesman, Tim Albrecht.
"The governor is very concerned that these services would no longer be available to those Iowans who need it most," said Albrecht. "Our unemployment rate is going down as a result our successful workforce efforts - Danny Homan's lawsuit would increase the unemployment rate and put more Iowans out of work. The governor will continue working for Iowa's unemployed and workers, and will work diligently to deal with the aftermath of Danny Homan's reckless lawsuit."

Later, the governor's office released this statement:

Governor files motion with Supreme Court to prevent layoffs, keep offices open and continue the delivery of critical workforce services
March 16, 2012
(DES MOINES) - Gov. Branstad this afternoon filed a motion with the Iowa Supreme Court to temporarily stay their decision and thus prevent layoffs of all Workforce Development employees and to continue the delivery of critical workforce services to Iowa's workers and the unemployed.
Today's Iowa Supreme decision in Homan vs. Branstad has struck down a number of appropriations within the Workforce Development department - including funding for all Workforce Development offices, the workers compensation division, the labor division, and the unemployment reserve fund.
"Those who brought the lawsuit, with this result, eliminated funding for our Workforce Development services," said Branstad spokesman Tim Albrecht. "The governor's action today to stay the decision from this reckless lawsuit is intended to prevent layoffs and maintain these needed services for Iowa's workers and unemployed."
Further, Gov. Branstad is committed to working with the Legislature to find a solution that restores funding and maintains Iowans' access to these vital services.
Gov. Branstad's program for Iowa Workforce Development has proven to be enormously successful. Gov. Branstad's actions have led to:
• Expanded hours, making Iowa's workforce development services available in the evenings and on Saturdays, which was previously not available;
• The Virtual Access Points have increased the services offered to unemployed Iowans searching for work in Iowa;
• Multiple Workforce Development sites now exist in all 99 counties, providing rural Iowans with convenient access that did not previously exist;
• Nearly 100,000 services have been used since the launch of the governor's Virtual Access Points;
• Iowa Workforce Development is adding 10-20 new sites all across Iowa every week, and currently has 641 sites with more than 2,000 desktops;
• Iowa's unemployment rate continues to edge lower, and now stands at 5.4% in January, nearly three percentage points lower than the national 8.3% average.

I've never heard of staying a Supreme Court decision.

Statement from the Iowa House Democrats:

DEMOCRATS: HELP IOWANS GET BACK TO WORK
Des Moines, Iowa - After the Iowa Supreme Court unanimously ruled today that Governor Terry Branstad illegally shut down 36 job workforce centers across Iowa, Democrats said the Legislature and Governor should work together to reopen the offices and help Iowans get back to work.
"Iowans win with the court decision today. We're ready to move forward to help underemployed and unemployed Iowans find work. While we're disappointed the Governor took this route, it's time for us to work together to help businesses find skilled workers and Iowans find a good-paying job," said Rep. Dave Jacoby, D-Coralville, who was a plaintiff in the lawsuit challenging the veto.
"Our system of checks and balances with co-equal branches of government are central to our democracy and the Governor clearly overstepped his authority. What's important now is to work together to make sure Iowans who need to upgrade their skills or find a job can get the support they need," said Rep. Kirsten Running-Marquardt, D-Cedar Rapids.
"The future of our state is dependent on a highly skilled workforce because the jobs of tomorrow require some training or education beyond high school. The ruling today is an opportunity for Governor Branstad to work with us and redouble our efforts to build a skilled workforce," said Rep. Bruce Hunter, D-Des Moines.
During the 2011 legislative session, Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature worked together to ensure workforce development field offices were adequately funded and language was included in Senate File 517 directing Iowa Workforce Development to keep their current offices open. Governor Branstad ignored the bi-partisan work of the Legislature and vetoed funding for the centers and requirements that they remain open. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled the veto was unconstitutional today.

Statement from the Iowa Senate Democrats:

'This is a huge victory for Iowans hoping to find a job'
Senators pledge to work with Governor to reopen all offices
DES MOINES - The unanimous decision by the Iowa Supreme Court to overturn Governor Branstad's veto of a bipartisan effort to keep dozens of local workforce offices is a victory for tens of thousands of Iowans looking for a job, two key legislators said today.
Senator Bill Dotzler of Waterloo and Senator Daryl Beall of Fort Dodge, both plaintiffs on the lawsuit, pledged to work with the Governor to immediately reopen all workforce offices that were illegally closed.
"This is a huge victory for Iowans hoping to find a job," said Dotzler, the chair of the Senate Economic Development Budget Subcommittee.
"It was a mistake to close dozens of local workforce offices during a severe economic recession and when returning soldiers are looking for work," said Beall, chair of the Senate Veterans Committee. "Let's work together to fix that mistake."
Senate File 517 included specific funding to keep open dozens of local workforce offices that help unemployed Iowans find work. The legislation was approved with overwhelming, bipartisan support during the 2011 regular session. The state workforce offices help Iowans search for jobs, prepare for interviews, improve their skills and help businesses find qualified employees.

It's not going to be a "huge victory" if more Workforce Development services shut down. But key members of the House Appropriations Committee said they are willing to help find the funding needed (presumably through a supplemental appropriation).

"I'm ready to meet anytime, anywhere to make sure underemployed and unemployed Iowans have the resources they need to find a good-paying job," state Rep. Tyler Olson, D-Cedar Rapids, ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, said in a statement. "Since the governor's illegal actions have invalidated $20 million we approved for our skilled work force needs last year, we should work together to take quick action on behalf of the 90,000 Iowans still looking for work."
Rep. Scott Raecker, R-Urbandale, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, issued a statement through the House Republicans.
"With the announcement of the Supreme Court decision today, we will carefully review the opinion and work with the governor's office and our colleagues in the Senate to identify necessary next steps as it relates to the appropriations process and work force development," he said.

FINAL UPDATE: Branstad discussed supplemental funding for Iowa Workforce Development during his March 19 press conference:

"You can't recreate the past and it doesn't make any sense to try to recreate the past," Branstad said. "Many of these leases have, you know, expired and, in fact, we have a better system which is more efficient and providing better services and more access points."
Workforce Development officials set up an on-line system with "access points" in public libraries, community colleges, National Guard armories and other public sites. Workforce Development counselors are also available by phone on nights and on Saturdays to help out-of-work Iowans who're searching for a job. Still, some Democrats have said they want to reopen at least some of the 36 regional Workforce Development offices. Branstad's not ready to indicate whether that's something he'd approve as part of the emergency fix-it package for the agency.
"I'm not going to try to go into the details of that," Branstad told reporters this morning. "I'm just saying that the present system that we put in place is better and more efficient, has more access points, and it's available evenings and weekends and I don't want to see us go backwards, but I do want to work with the legislature to make sure that we have something that's more efficient and economical and that administratively can be managed with the resources provided."

Iowa Supreme Court hears arguments in Branstad line-item veto case

desmoinesdem — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:56:41 GMT

The Iowa Supreme Court held an unusual evening session on February 21 to hear oral arguments in Governor Terry Branstad's appeal of a district court ruling that declared two of his line-item vetoes illegal.
Danny Homan, president of the AFSCME labor union's chapter in Iowa, and five Democrats in the Iowa legislature filed the appeal last August. Iowa Workforce Development proceeded with closing 36 field offices during the summer and fall of 2011. District Court Judge Brad McCall ruled in December that Branstad acted improperly when he vetoed language defining an Iowa Workforce Development "field office" and language stating, "the department shall not reduce the number of field offices below the number of field offices being operated as of January 1, 2009." Bleeding Heartland summarized the key points in his decision here.

PDF files of briefs filed by both sides are available on the Iowa Supreme Court's website: click here for Branstad's appellant brief, here for the response from attorneys representing the plaintiffs, and here for the reply by Branstad's attorneys.

The governor's attorneys argue that Iowa's constitution gives the governor broad line-item veto authority.

Article III, Section 16 of the Iowa Constitution provides that the "governor may approve appropriation bills in whole or in part, and may disapprove any item of an appropriation bill." (emphasis added). Unlike Virginia, there is no prohibition on vetoing items that are interrelated with others. And unlike Minnesota, the veto is not limited to items that appropriate money. If a provision is an "item," it may be stricken.

Branstad's appeal relies heavily on the 1971 case Turner v. Iowa State Highway Commission.

Like here, several legislators disagreed with Governor Ray's veto. And like here, they asked the courts to intervene in the political dispute. The legislators argued that the office-closure provision was a "condition" on the Highway Commission appropriation and therefore not itself an "item" under the Iowa Constitution. Id. at 148-49. If Governor Ray disagreed with the office-closure provision-the legislators appeared to argue-he had to veto the Highway Commission appropriation as well.Id.
Not so, said this Court in a unanimous opinion. "The legislature may have intended to make [the office-closure provision] a condition, limitation or proviso on the expenditure of funds," but it failed to draft the bill that way. Id. at 153. The office-closure provision did not contain any conditional or limitation "language" or "phraseology." Id.at150. As such, it was a separate "item" subject to veto. Id.
Thus, the "judicial message" to the legislature was this: "[I]f it expects judicial intervention to be available when the Governor attempts to excise limitations or qualifications on appropriations through an item veto, the legislature must provide the court with clear language establishing the necessary legal foundation." Brent R. Appel, Item Veto Litigation in Iowa: Marking the Boundaries Between Legislative and Executive Power, 41 Drake L. Rev. 1,19 (1992) (emphasis added) (hereinafter, "Appel"). In other words, if the legislature wants to condition or limit an appropriation, it must "expressly" say so. Id. at 20.

Branstad's attorneys argue further that

If the legislature wants to create a condition, it can do so simply by expressly (1) identifying the appropriation and (2) stating how that appropriation is limited or conditioned.
The office-closure provision does neither. It states:
The department shall not reduce the number of field offices below the number of field offices being operated as of January 1,2009.

(App. 16). There is no mention of an appropriation and thus no express limitation or condition on an appropriation. Under Turner, this policy provision is a separate item subject to veto. [...]
From the beginning, there has been no question what this case is really about: The closure of Workforce Development field offices. Plaintiffs disagree with it, but they do not have the numbers in the General Assembly to override the Governor's veto, or the legal authority to prevent it. The office-closure provision does not expressly limit or condition an appropriation, and is thus a separate item.

Attorneys representing the plaintiffs responded,

The item veto power hinges on the definition of "item." In Turner v. Iowa State Highway Comm 'n, this Court acknowledged that the governor may constitutionally item veto nearly any item in an appropriation bill regardless of it being a monetary allocation. 186 N.W.2d 141, 149 (Iowa
1971). Consequently, as stated by this Court in Rants, "[t]his broad definition of an item requires a difficult calculation to ensure a proper balance between the executive and legislative branches." 684 N.W.2d at 205. In effort to ensure that balance, this Court has held that "the Governor may not selectively strike words and phrasesfrom 'conditions inextricably linked to an appropriation,' and, on the other hand, the legislature may not block [an] item veto by attaching 'unrelated riders' to an appropriation." Id. (quoting Welsh v. Branstad, 470 N.W.2d 644, 649 (Iowa 1991)). This court defined "condition" and "rider" in Colton v. Branstad, 372 N.W.2d 184, 189, 191 (Iowa 1985). A condition is "a provision in a bill that limits the use to which an appropriation may be put", while a rider is "an unrelated substantive piece of legislation incorporated in the appropriation bill." Id [...]
In defending his improper veto, Appellant continues to rely on Turner, the first item veto case decided in Iowa. Turner v. Iowa State Highway Comm., 186 N.W.2d 141 (Iowa 1971). His heavy reliance ignores the Iowa cases that have come since, the cases that have continued to shape the item veto discussion. As shown in his district court brief, oral argument, and again in his appellant brief, Appellant fails to acknowledge the difference between Turner and the case at hand. Under Welden, a condition may be item vetoed only if the accompanying appropriated money is also vetoed. Welden v. Ray, 229 N.W.2d 706 (Iowa 1975).

District Court Judge McCall ruled one of Branstad's disputed line-item vetoes constitutional. That language language attempted to prevent Iowa Workforce Development from using funds for the National Career Readiness Certificate program. The plaintiffs are asking the Iowa Supreme Court to overturn that portion of the district court ruling, while Branstad is seeking to have that portion affirmed.

Dar Danielson covered last night's oral arguments for Radio Iowa.

Richard Sapp presented the governor's case and told the justices that the veto was legal because the governor created an alternative to the "brick and mortar" field offices. He says the definition of what constituted a field office was not clearly laid out by the legislature in the bill, and said a definition has been the test since the first challenge of the item veto.
"Since 1971 the legislature has been on notice of what it must write if it intends to make something a condition," Sapp said. [...]
Justice Thomas Waterman asked Hedberg about the purpose of the item veto. "The intent of the framers of the item veto amendment was to give the governor more control over the budget than he'd have without it?," Waterman asked Hedberg, who replied yes. "And wouldn't you undermine that if you construed the item veto power so narrowly that he couldn't strike out a policy provision that would tie his hands on ways to save money, " Waterman asked.
Hedberg replied, "The item veto as I understand it was to prevent pork barrel politics is that fair enough? But I think in this case the governor vetoed the barrel and kept the pork for himself, that's the problem. And I think that's why you have got to veto the money. Because now you can take that $8.6-million and use it, distort it."

The Iowa Supreme Court will rule on the case later this year. Even if the justices uphold the lower-court ruling, it's hard to see Iowa Workforce Development reopening any of the 36 shuttered offices. The language Branstad may have improperly vetoed would have kept the offices open only through the 2012 fiscal year, which ends on June 30.

Branstad appointed four of the seven current Iowa Supreme Court justices. He named Chief Justice Mark Cady to the court in 1998, and he named Thomas Waterman, Ed Mansfield, and Bruce Zager last year.

UPDATE: From Jeff Eckhoff's story in the Des Moines Register:

"Since 1971, the Legislature has been aware of what it needs to write," Sapp said. "The question is why they didn't do that in this case."
Justice David Wiggins, sitting before a courtroom packed with legislators, seemed to jokingly dismiss Sapp's argument that any straying from the court's 1971 decision in a similar case would require judges to mysteriously divine the intent of politicians.
"We're here all the time trying to figure out what the Legislature said," Wiggins responded. "That's why we exist."
AFSCME attorney Mark Hedberg argued that the limiting language in the bill was limiting enough.
Sections stricken by Branstad included definitions requiring that "field offices" have employees, rather than provide mere electronic access, and a sentence that Workforce Development "shall not reduce the number of field offices below the number of field offices being operated as of Jan. 1, 2009."
The tie to Jan. 1, 2009, comes two sentences after the bill's section setting aside $8.67 million for field offices. The meaning is obvious, Hedberg argued: "If we're going to give you $8.6 million, here's how we want it spent."
However, Chief Justice Mark Cady noted that the paragraph was missing more blatant "provided that" language that would have placed a clearer condition on the money: "Shouldn't we have a standard requiring the Legislature to use that type of language if it's available?"

Who's who in the Iowa House for 2012

desmoinesdem — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:46:35 GMT

Although the 60 Republicans and 40 Democrats in the Iowa House haven't changed since last year, I thought it was worth updating this post, because some committee assignments have changed, and House Democrats reshuffled their ranking members somewhat.

Majority and minority leadership teams are after the jump, along with all members of standing House committees. All 100 House districts are on the ballot every two years, so I've noted the new district numbers for state representatives seeking re-election in 2012, as well as which House members have said they will retire after this year's legislative session.
Iowa House Republican leadership team

Speaker Kraig Paulsen (bio) was first elected in 2002 from district 35, covering suburban and rural areas in Linn County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 67.

Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer (bio) was first elected in 2002 from district 12, covering Franklin County and part of Cerro Gordo and Hancock. Redistricting put her in the new House district 8, but she is moving to the Clear Lake area to seek re-election in the new House district 54 instead. District 54 covers all of Franklin County and parts of Cerro Gordo and Butler Counties.

Speaker Pro Tem Jeff Kaufmann (bio) was first elected in 2004 from district 79, covering Cedar County and parts of Johnson and Muscatine. He is up for re-election in the new House district 73, covering all of Cedar County, a larger area in Johnson County and a tiny portion of Muscatine County.

Majority Whip Erik Helland (bio) was first elected in 2008 in House district 69, covering suburban and rural areas in Polk County. He is up for re-election in the new district 39, covering a smaller area in the northwest Polk County suburbs.

Assistant majority leaders: Matt Windschitl (bio was first elected in 2006 from district 56, covering Harrison County, most of Monona and part of Pottawattamie. He is up for re-election in the new district 17, covering all of Ida and Monona Counties and parts of Harrison and Woodbury Counties.

Renee Schulte (bio) was first elected in 2008 from district 37, covering part of Cedar Rapids in Linn County. She is up for re-election in the new House district 66, covering a similar area. Her likely opponent is Art Staed, the Democratic incumbent Schulte defeated in 2008.

Dave Deyoe (bio) was first elected in 2006 from district 10, covering most of Story County outside Ames and part of Hamilton County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 49, covering parts of Story and Hardin Counties.

Steve Lukan (bio) was first elected in 2002 from district 32, covering parts of Dubuque and Delaware counties. He decided not to seek re-election after the redistricting plan put him in Democratic-leaning House district 57.

Iowa House Democratic leadership team

Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (bio) was first elected in 2002 from district 67, covering the southeast side of Des Moines. He served as House majority leader from 2007 through 2010 alongside House Speaker Pat Murphy. He is up for re-election in the new House district 33, also centered on the southeast side of Des Moines.

Assistant Minority Leaders: Ako Abdul-Samad (bio) was first elected in 2006 from district 66, covering much of central Des Moines in Polk County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 35, covering central and north-side neighborhoods in Des Moines.

Mary Mascher (bio) was first elected in 1994 from district 77, covering part of Iowa City in Johnson County. She is up for re-election in the new House district 86, covering a similar area.

Kirsten Running-Marquardt is the newest member of the House Democratic leadership team, replacing Sharon Steckman as assistant leader in November 2011. Running-Marquardt won a 2009 special election in district 33, covering part of Cedar Rapids. She is up for re-election in the new House district 69, covering part of Cedar Rapids as well as small towns and rural areas in southwestern Linn County.

Mark Smith (bio) was first elected in 2000 from district 43, covering northeastern Marshall County, including Marshalltown. He is up for re-election in the new House district 71, covering a similar area.

Rural Caucus Chair: Andrew Wenthe (bio) was first elected in 2006 from district 18, covering parts of Fayette, Bremer and Black Hawk Counties. He decided not to run for re-election in 2012 after the new map put him with fellow Democrat Roger Thomas in the new House district 55.

Rural Caucus Vice-Chair: Dan Muhlbauer (bio) was first elected in 2010 from district 51, covering Carroll County and parts of Sac and Crawford Counties. He is up for re-election in the new House district 12, covering all of Carroll and Audubon Counties and parts of Crawford.

Iowa House Standing Committees

Administration and Rules

Chair: Renee Schulte (see bio above)

Vice Chair: Dave Deyoe (see bio above)

Ranking member: Andrew Wenthe (see bio above)

Other members: Erik Helland (R), Jeff Kaufmann (R), Steve Lukan (R), Kraig Paulsen (R), Matt Windschitl (R), Linda Upmeyer (R), Andrew Abdul-Samad (D), Dennis Cohoon (D), Mary Mascher (D), Kevin McCarthy (D), Mark Smith (D)

Agriculture

Chair: Annette Sweeney (bio) was first elected in 2008 from district 44, covering Hardin County and most of Marshall outside Marshalltown. She is running for re-election in the new House district 50 and will face fellow incumbent Pat Grassley in the GOP primary.

Vice Chair: Lee Hein (bio) was first elected in 2010 from district 31, covering Jones County and parts of Dubuque County. He decided to move so that he could run for re-election in the new House district 96, covering all of Delaware County and part of Jones. (The redistricting plan paired Hein with another Republican incumbent in the new district 58.)

Ranking member: Helen Miller (bio) was first elected in 2002 from district 49, covering part of Webster County, including Fort Dodge. She is up for re-election in the new House district 9, covering a similar area.

Other members: Dwayne Alons (R), Clel Baudler (R), Betty DeBoef (R), Dave Deyoe (R), Cecil Dolecheck (R), Jack Drake (R), Dan Huseman (R), Brian Moore (R), Steve Olson (R), Ross Paustian (R), Dan Rasmussen (R), Tom Shaw (R), Curt Hanson (D), Chuck Isenhart (D), Dan Kelley (D), Dan Muhlbauer (D), Brian Quirk (D), Kurt Swaim (D), Roger Thomas (D), Andrew Wenthe (D)

Appropriations

Chair: Scott Raecker (bio) was first elected in 1998. During the last decade he represented district 63, covering most of Urbandale in Polk County. He is up for re-election in the new district 40, covering a similar area.

Vice Chair: Nick Wagner (bio) was first elected in 2008 from district 36, covering Marion and some rural areas of Linn County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 68, covering a similar area.

Ranking member: Tyler Olson (bio) was first elected in 2006 from district 38, covering part of Cedar Rapids in Linn County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 65, covering a similar area.

Administration and Regulation Appropriations Subcommittee Chair: Ralph Watts (bio) was first elected in 2002 from district 47, covering most of Dallas County and a small part of Boone County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 19, covering part of Dallas County and a small area in northern Polk County.

Administration & Regulation Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member: Dan Kelley (bio) was first elected in 2010 from district 41, covering most of Jasper County, including Newton. He is up for re-election in the new House district 29, covering a similar area.

Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee Chair: Jack Drake (bio) was first elected in 1992 from district 57, covering Shelby County and parts of Cass and Pottawattamie Counties. He is up for re-election in the new House district 21, covering all of Union and Adams Counties and parts of Cass and Pottawattamie Counties.

Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member: Dan Muhlbauer (see bio above)

Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee Chair: Jason Schultz (bio) was first elected in 2008 from district 55, covering Ida County and parts of Woodbury, Crawford and Monona. He is up for re-election in the new House district 18, covering all of Shelby County and parts of Crawford and Harrison Counties.

Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member: Chris Hall (bio) was first elected in 2010 from district 2, covering the northeast part of Sioux City in Woodbury County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 13, covering a similar area in Sioux City and part of rural Woodbury County.

Education Appropriations Subcommittee Chair: Cecil Dolecheck (bio) was first elected in 1996 from district 96, covering Montgomery, Adams, Taylor and Ringgold Counties and part of Union County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 24, covering Ringgold, Taylor and Page Counties and part of Montgomery County.

Education Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member: Cindy Winckler (bio) was first elected in 2002 from district 86, covering part of Davenport in Scott County. She is up for re-election in the new House district 90, covering a similar area.

Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee Chair: Dave Heaton (bio) was first elected in 1994 from district 91, covering Henry County and part of Lee County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 84, covering Henry County and parts of Lee, Washington and Jefferson Counties.

Health & Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member: Lisa Heddens (bio) was first elected in 2002 from district 46, covering part of Story County, including the north side of Ames, and a small area in Boone County. The redistricting plan put her into the new House district 48, but Heddens decided to move into the new House district 46, covering part of Ames and Story County.

Justice Systems Appropriations Subcommittee Chair: Gary Worthan (bio) was first elected in 2006 in district 52, covering Buena Vista County and part of Sac County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 11, covering all of Buena Vista and Sac Counties.

Justice Systems Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member: Todd Taylor (bio) was first elected in a 1995 special election from House district 34, covering part of Cedar Rapids in Linn County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 70, covering a similar area.

Transportation, Infrastructure and Capitals Appropriations Subcommittee Chair: Dan Huseman (bio) was first elected in 1994 in House district 53, covering Cherokee county and parts of Plymouth and Woodbury Counties. He is up for re-election in the new House district 3, covering O'Brien and Cherokee Counties and parts of Sioux and Plymouth.

Transportation, Infrastructure and Capitals Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member: Dennis Cohoon (bio) was first elected to the Iowa House in 1986. For the last decade he has represented district 88, covering Burlington and part of eastern Des Moines County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 87, covering a similar area.

Other Appropriations Committee members: Julian Garrett (R), Chris Hagenow (R), Steve Lukan (R), Walt Rogers (R), Renee Schulte (R), Mary Gaskill (D), Chris Hall (D), Pat Murphy (D), Kirsten Running-Marquardt (D), Andrew Wenthe (D)

Commerce

Chair: Chuck Soderberg (bio) was first elected in 2004 from district 3, covering parts of Plymouth and Sioux Counties. He is up for re-election in the new House district 5, covering most of Plymouth and part of Woodbury Counties.

Vice Chair: Chip Baltimore (bio) was first elected in 2010 from district 48, covering most of Boone County and part of Dallas County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 47, covering most of Boone County and all of Greene County.

Ranking member: Brian Quirk (bio) was first elected in 2000 from district 15, covering Chickasaw and Howard Counties and part of Winneshiek County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 52, covering all of Chickasaw and Floyd Counties and a small part of Cerro Gordo.

Other members: Mark Brandenburg (R), Joel Fry (R), Pat Grassley (R), Lance Horbach (R), Stew Iverson (R), Ross Paustian (R), Dawn Pettengill (R), Tom Shaw (R), Jeff Smith (R), Nick Wagner (R), Ralph Watts (R), Matt Windschitl (R), Dave Jacoby (D), Anesa Kajtazovic (D), Bob Kressig (D), Jim Lykam (D), Dan Muhlbauer (D), Jo Oldson (D), Kurt Swaim (D)

Economic Growth/Rebuild Iowa

Chair: Pat Grassley (bio) was first elected in 2006 from district 17, covering Butler County and part of Bremer. He is up for re-election in the new House district 50, where he has been paired with fellow Republican Annette Sweeney.

Vice Chair: Mary Ann Hanusa (bio) was first elected in 2010 from district 99, covering part of Council Bluffs. She is up for re-election in the new House district 16, also covering part of Council Bluffs.

Ranking member: Roger Thomas (bio) was first elected to the Iowa House in 1996. For the past decade he represented district 24, covering Clayton County and parts of Delaware and Fayette. He is up for re-election in the new House district 55, covering parts of Winneshiek, Fayette and Clayton Counties.

Other members: Rich Anderson (R), Chip Baltimore (R), Josh Byrnes (R), Betty DeBoef (R), Bob Hager (R), Mark Lofgren (R), Steve Lukan (R), Dan Rasmussen (R), Jeff Smith (R), Jason Schultz (R), Chuck Soderberg (R), Chris Hall (D), Lisa Heddens (D), Dave Jacoby (D), Helen Miller (D), Kirsten Running-Marquardt (D), Sharon Steckman (D), John Wittneben (D)

Education

Chair: Greg Forristall (bio) was first elected in 2006 from district 98, covering parts of Pottawattamie and Mills Counties. He is up for re-election in the new House district 22, covering most of Pottawattamie County outside Council Bluffs.

Vice Chair: Jeremy Taylor (bio) was first elected in 2010 from district 1, covering the western part of Sioux City in Woodbury County. He is up for re-election in the new district 13, covering the eastern part of Sioux City and some rural areas in Woodbury County.

Ranking member: Sharon Steckman (bio) was first elected in 2008 from district 13, covering part of Cerro Gordo County, including Mason City. She is up for re-election in the new House district 53, covering a similar area.

Other members: Josh Byrnes (R), Royd Chambers (R), Peter Cownie (R), Cecil Dolecheck (R), Mary Ann Hanusa (R), Ron Jorgensen (R), Kevin Koester (R), Mark Lofgren (R), Linda Miller (R), Kim Pearson (R), Renee Schulte (R), Annette Sweeney (R), Ako Abdul-Samad (D), Dennis Cohoon (D), Ruth Ann Gaines (D), Curt Hanson (D), Dan Kelley (D), Mary Mascher (D), Cindy Winckler (D)

Environmental Protection

Chair: Steve Olson (bio) was first elected in 2002 from district 83, including parts of Scott and Clinton counties. He is up for re-election in the new House district 97, covering a large area of Clinton County.

Vice Chair: Bob Hager (bio) was first elected in 2010 from district 16, covering Allamakee and part of Winneshiek County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 56, covering Allamakee and most of Clayton County.

Ranking member: Chuck Isenhart (bio) was first elected in 2008 in district 27, covering part of Dubuque. He is up for re-election in the new House district 100, covering a similar area.

Other members: Josh Byrnes (R), Betty DeBoef (R), Dave Deyoe (R), Cecil Dolecheck (R), Lee Hein (R), Jarad Klein (R), Brian Moore (R), Ross Paustian (R), Tom Sands (R), Jason Schultz (R), Chuck Soderberg (R), Dan Kelley (D), Vicki Lensing (D), Mark Smith (D), Sharon Steckman (D), Phyllis Thede (D), Beth Wessel-Kroeschell (D), Cindy Winckler (D)

Ethics

Chair: Kevin Koester (bio) was first elected in 2008 from district 70, covering Ankeny in Polk County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 38, covering a large part of northeast Polk County.

Vice Chair: Scott Raecker (see bio above)

Ranking member: Phyllis Thede (bio), first elected in 2008 from district 81, covering part of Bettendorf and Davenport in Scott County. She is up for re-election in the new House district 93, covering less of Davenport and a larger area of Bettendorf.

Other members: James Van Engelenhoven (R), Dan Kelley (D), Mark Smith (D)

Government Oversight

Chair: Chris Hagenow (bio) was first elected in 2008 from district 59, covering some of the western Des Moines suburbs in Polk County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 43, covering a similar area.

Vice Chair: Chip Baltimore (see bio above)

Ranking member: Janet Petersen (bio) was first elected in 2000 from district 64, covering part of the west side of Des Moines in Polk County. She decided to run for the new Senate district 18 in 2012 instead of seeking another term in the House.

Other members: Clel Baudler (R), Kim Pearson (R), Dawn Pettengill (R), David Tjepkes (R), Ruth Ann Gaines (D), Bob Kressig (D)

Human Resources

Chair: Linda Miller (bio) was first elected in 2006 from district 82, covering part of Bettendorf in Scott County. She is up for re-election in the new House district 94, covering a similar area.

Vice Chair: Joel Fry (bio) was first elected in 2010 from district 95, covering Union, Clarke and Decatur Counties. He is up for re-election in the new House district 27, covering Clarke, Decatur, and Wayne Counties, and part of Lucas County.

Ranking member: Beth Wessel-Kroeschell (bio) was first elected in 2004 from district 45, covering most of Ames in Story County. She is up for re-election in the new House district 45, covering a similar area.

Other members: Richard Anderson (R), Mark Brandenburg (R), Julian Garrett (R), Dave Heaton (R), Stew Iverson (R), Ron Jorgensen (R), Kevin Koester (R), Mark Lofgren (R), Glen Massie (R), Renee Schulte (R), Ako Abdul-Samad (D), Lisa Heddens (D), Bruce Hunter (D), Mary Mascher (D), Janet Petersen (D), Mark Smith (D), Cindy Winckler (D), Mary Wolfe (D)

Judiciary

Chair: Rich Anderson (bio) was first elected in 2004 from district 97, covering Page and Fremont Counties and much of Mills County. He decided not to run for re-election in 2012.

Vice Chair: Chip Baltimore (see bio above)

During the 2011 legislative session, Kim Pearson was the vice chair of this committee, but she and House Republican leaders had a lot of friction. Pearson is not seeking re-election in the new House district 30 in 2012.

Ranking member: Mary Wolfe (bio) was first elected in 2010 in district 26, covering part of Clinton County, including the city of Clinton. She is up for re-election in the new House district 98, covering a similar area.

Other members: Dwayne Alons (R), Julian Garrett (R), Chris Hagenow (R), Dave Heaton (R), Jeff Kaufmann (R), Glen Massie (R), Kim Pearson (R), Walt Rogers (R), Jeremy Taylor (R), David Tjepkes (R), Ruth Ann Gaines (D), Vicki Lensing (D), Jo Oldson (D), Rick Olson (D), Tyler Olson (D), Mark Smith (D), Kurt Swaim (D), Beth Wessel-Kroeschell (D)

Labor

Chair: Lance Horbach (bio) was first elected in 1998 from district 40, covering Grundy County and most of Tama. He has decided not to seek re-election in 2012, leaving the new House district 72 open.

Vice Chair: Jarad Klein (bio) was first elected in 2010 from district 89, covering Washington County and parts of Johnson and Jefferson Counties. He is up for re-election in the new House district 78, covering all of Keokuk County and most of Washington County.

Ranking member: Bruce Hunter (bio) was first elected in 2003 (special election) from district 62, covering part of the south side of Des Moines in Polk County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 34, covering downtown Des Moines and part of the south side.

Other members: Mark Brandenburg (R), Dave Deyoe (R), Greg Forristall (R), Mary Ann Hanusa (R), Ron Jorgensen (R), Linda Miller (R), Brian Moore (R), Jason Schultz (R), Ralph Watts (R), Jerry Kearns (D), Pat Murphy (D), Kirsten Running-Marquardt (D), Todd Taylor (D), Nate Willems (D)

Local Government

Chair: Nick Wagner (see bio above)

Vice Chair: Jeff Smith (bio) was first elected in 2010 to district 6, covering all of Dickinson County and part of Clay County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 1, covering all of Lyon and Osceola Counties and part of Dickinson.

Ranking member: John Wittneben (bio) was first elected in 2010 from district 7, covering Palo Alto and Emmet Counties and part of Kossuth County. He is up for re-election in the new district 7, covering all of Emmet and Winnebago Counties and part of Kossuth County.

Other members: Rich Arnold (R), Chip Baltimore (R), Bob Hager (R), Erik Helland (R), Lance Horbach (R), Jarad Klein (R), Kim Pearson (R), Henry Rayhons (R), David Tjepkes (R), James Van Engelenhoven (R), Deborah Berry (D), Ruth Ann Gaines (D), Mary Gaskill (D), Anesa Kajtazovic (D), Jerry Kearns (D), Bob Kressig (D), Kirsten Running-Marquardt (D), Phyllis Thede (D)

Natural Resources

Chair: Henry Rayhons (bio) was first elected to the Iowa House in 1996. For the past decade he represented district 11, covering Winnebago and Worth Counties and part of Hancock County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 8, covering Wright and Hancock Counties and part of Kossuth County.

Vice Chair: Jeff Smith (see bio above)

Ranking member: Curt Hanson (bio) was first elected in the 2009 special election from district 90, covering Van Buren County, most of Jefferson and part of Wapello County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 82, covering Davis and Van Buren Counties and most of Jefferson County.

Other members: Rich Arnold (R), Clel Baudler (R), Joel Fry (R), Bob Hager (R), Mark Lofgren (R), Steve Lukan (R), Dan Rasmussen (R), Annette Sweeney (R), James Van Engelenhoven (R), Guy Vander Linden (R), Mary Gaskill (D), Chris Hall (D), Dan Kelley (D), Jim Lykam (D), Helen Miller (D), Sharon Steckman (D), Phyllis Thede (D), John Wittneben (D)

Public Safety

Chair: Clel Baudler (bio) was first elected in 1998 from district 58, covering Guthrie, Audubon and Adair Counties and part of Cass County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 20, covering all of Guthrie and Adair Counties and parts of Cass and Dallas Counties.

Vice Chair: Tom Shaw (bio) was first elected in 2010 from district 8, covering Pocahontas and Humboldt Counties and part of Kossuth County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 10, covering Humboldt, Pocahontas and Calhoun Counties and part of Webster County.

Ranking member: Bob Kressig (bio) was first elected in 2004 from district 19, covering most of Cedar Falls and some rural areas in Black Hawk County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 59, covering a similar area.

Other members: Dwayne Alons (R), Mark Brandenburg (R), Joel Fry (R), Chris Hagenow (R), Jarad Klein (R), Steve Olson (R), Henry Rayhons (R), Tom Sands (R), David Tjepkes (R), Matt Windschitl (R), Gary Worthan (R), Ako Abdul-Samad (D), Deborah Berry (D), Ruth Ann Gaines (D), Dan Muhlbauer (D), Rick Olson (D), Kurt Swaim (D), Mary Wolfe (D)

State Government

Chair: Peter Cownie (bio) was first elected in 2008 from district 60, covering part of West Des Moines. He is up for re-election in the new House district 42, covering parts of Des Moines and West Des Moines.

Vice Chair: Guy Vander Linden (bio) was first elected in 2010 from district 75, covering parts of Mahaska and Poweshiek Counties. He is up for re-election in the new House district 79, covering most of Mahaska County and the Pella area of Marion County.

Ranking member: Vicki Lensing (bio) was first elected in 2000 from district 78, covering part of Iowa City in Johnson County. She is up for re-election in the new House district 85, covering a similar area.

Other members: Jack Drake (R), Lee Hein (R), Erik Helland (R), Stew Iverson (R), Ron Jorgensen (R), Jeff Kaufmann (R), Kevin Koester (R), Glen Massie (R), Dawn Pettengill (R), Scott Raecker (R), Walt Rogers (R), Renee Schulte (R), Mary Gaskill (D), Bruce Hunter (D), Chuck Isenhart (D), Anesa Kajtazovic (D), Mary Mascher (D), Brian Quirk (D), Todd Taylor (D), Andrew Wenthe (D)

Transportation

Chair: David Tjepkes (bio) was first elected in 2002 from district 50, covering Calhoun and Greene Counties and part of Webster County. He decided not to seek re-election in 2012 after the redistricting plan paired him with fellow Republican Tom Shaw in the new House district 10.

Vice Chair: Glen Massie (bio) was first elected in 2010 in district 74, covering most of Warren County. He has not confirmed whether he will seek re-election in the new House district 26, also covering most of Warren County.

Ranking member: Jim Lykam (bio) was first elected in 2002 from district 85, covering part of Davenport in Scott County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 89, covering a similar area.

Other members: Rich Arnold (R), Julian Garrett (R), Dan Huseman (R), Stew Iverson (R), Kim Pearson (R), Dan Rasmussen (R), Walt Rogers (R), James Van Engelenhoven (R), Ralph Watts (R), Matt Windschitl (R), Gary Worthan (R), Dennis Cohoon (D), Chris Hall (D), Curt Hanson (D), Pat Murphy (D), Janet Petersen (D), Andrew Wenthe (D), Mary Wolfe (D)

Veterans Affairs

Chair: Royd Chambers (bio), first elected in 2002 from district 5, covering Osceola and O'Brien Counties and parts of Clay and Sioux Counties. He has decided to retire in 2012; the redistricting plan paired him with fellow Republican Dan Huseman in the new House district 3.

Vice Chair: Guy Vander Linden (see bio above)

Ranking member: Jerry Kearns (bio) was first elected in 2008 from district 92, covering part of Lee County including Keokuk and Fort Madison. He is up for re-election in the new House district 83, covering a similar area.

Other members: Dwayne Alons (R), Mary Ann Hanusa (R), Steve Lukan (R), Henry Rayhons (R), Tom Shaw (R), Annette Sweeney (R), Jeremy Taylor (R), Deborah Berry (D), Lisa Heddens (D), Dan Muhlbauer (D), Roger Thomas (D), John Wittneben (D)

Ways and Means

Chair: Tom Sands (bio) was first elected in 2002 from district 87, covering Louisa County and part of Des Moines County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 88, covering all of Louisa County and large parts of Des Moines and Muscatine Counties.

Vice Chair: Josh Byrnes (bio) was first elected in 2010 in district 14, covering Mitchell County and parts of Floyd and Cerro Gordo. He is up for re-election in the new House district 51, covering Worth, Mitchell, and Howard Counties, and part of Winneshiek.

Ranking member: Dave Jacoby (bio) was first elected in 2002 from district 30, covering Coralville and North Liberty in Johnson County. He is up for re-election in the new House district 74, covering a similar area.

Other members: Peter Cownie (R), Betty DeBoef (R), Greg Forristall (R), Pat Grassley (R), Lee Hein (R), Erik Helland (R), Jeff Kaufmann (R), Brian Moore (R), Ross Paustian (R), Dawn Pettengill (R), Chuck Soderberg (R), Jeremy Taylor (R), Guy Vander Linden (R), Chuck Isenhart (D), Anesa Kajtazovic (D), Jerry Kearns (D), Dan Muhlbauer (D), Jo Oldson (D), Janet Petersen (D), Brian Quirk (D), Roger Thomas (D), Nate Willems (D)

Administrative Rules Review

Five Iowa House and five Iowa Senate members serve on this committee.

Chair: Democratic State Senator Wally Horn

Vice Chair: Dawn Pettengill (bio) was first elected in 2004 as a Democrat in district 39, covering Benton County and part of Iowa County. She switched to the Republican caucus in 2007. She is up for re-election in the new House district 75, covering a similar area. During the 2011 legislative session, Pettengill chaired the Administrative Rules Review Committee.

Other members: Senator Merlin Bartz (R), Senator Tom Courtney (D), Senator Jack Kibbie (D), Senator James Seymour (R), State Representative Dave Heaton (R), State Representative Jo Oldson (D), State Representative Rick Olson (D), State Representative Guy Vander Linden (R)

District court finds Branstad line-item veto unconstitutional

desmoinesdem — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:50:31 GMT

Polk County District Court Judge Brad McCall has upheld a legal challenge to Governor Terry Branstad's veto of language intended to keep Iowa Workforce Development offices open across the state. Excerpts from the court ruling and background on the controversy are after the jump.
Background: Iowa Workforce Development officials announced plans early this year to close most of the agency's 55 field offices around the state. The state budget for fiscal year 2012 included $3 million in funding designated for keeping all Iowa Workforce Development field offices open, but Branstad used his line-item veto power to reject that language in July. Democratic state legislators and the president of AFSCME in Iowa filed a lawsuit in August, claiming that the governor cannot veto language on the Iowa Workforce Development offices without vetoing the appropriation as well.

Judge McCall found that two of the challenged line-item vetoes exceeded the governor's authority. The full 16-page ruling is here (pdf). On pages 2 through 5, the judge noted the difference between "riders" attached to appropriations bills, which the governor may veto, as opposed to "conditions" attached to appropriations, which can be vetoed only if the governor also vetoes the relevant appropriation.

Pages 6 through 9 of the ruling deal with the core issue in this lawsuit. Judge McCall found that the language Branstad vetoed ("the department shall not reduce the number of field offices below the number of field offices being operated as of January 1, 2009") was "inseparably connected" to an appropriation of $8,660,480, which Branstad did not veto.

Had the legislature not placed this limitation on the number of field offices it was financing, it may have allocated less money for their operation. "The Governor [can] not let the appropriation stand yet nullify the condition upon which the legislators gave their consent to the expenditure."32
This affirmative qualification on the appropriated funds could not be vetoed by the Governor without a veto of the corresponding appropriation. Accordingly, Governor Branstad's attempted item vetoes of Division I, Section 15, paragraph 3(c), and of Division IV, Section 61, paragraph 3(c), were improper and ineffective.

Judge McCall also rejected Branstad's item veto of language defining "field office" for Iowa Workforce Development. Lawmakers required that a field office employ a staff person and excluded from the definition "a workforce development center maintained by electronic means."

Read in the context in which they were enacted, the legislative limitations embodied in the definitions contained in the vetoed provisions were clearly intended by the legislature to apply directly to the funds appropriated "for the operation of field offices". With the use of the phrase "in this section" the legislature evinced an intent to place restrictions on the use of the appropriations it made earlier in the section. Moreover, if the definitions contained in Section 15, paragraph 5, were vetoed, eliminating any statutory definition for a "field office", the appropriation contained in Section 15, paragraph 3 "for the operation of field offices" would be meaningless. [...]
In the context in which they were included in SF 517 the definitions for "field office" and "workforce development center" constituted qualifications and limitations on the use of the funds specifically appropriated "for the operation of field offices". To allow those definitions to be stricken would empower the governor to "distort, frustrate or defeat the legislative purpose. . . He would thereby create new law, and this power is vested in the Legislature and not in the Governor." 39
Because he failed to veto the $8,660,480 appropriation conditioned by the definitions in Division I and the $4,330,240 appropriation conditioned by the definitions in Division IV, Governor Branstad's item vetoes of Division I, Section 15, paragraph 5 and Division IV, Section 61, paragraph 5, were ineffective.

Finally, Judge McCall supported Branstad's position regarding a line-item veto of language seeking to prevent Iowa Workforce Development from using funds for the National Career Readiness Certificate program.

Unlike the two vetoed limitations discussed above, which were specifically limited and tied only to the appropriation "for the operation of field offices", the restriction on the use of appropriations contained in Section 20 is linked to all of the different and unrelated appropriations made to the Department of Workforce Development. Thus, while it is not related to many of the appropriations to which it is attached, if it is a "condition" and not a separate item the Governor would be forced to veto all of the unrelated appropriations to legitimately veto this restriction. The concept of an "item" in an appropriation bill must be interpreted to avoid such a result.45
Although this provision places explicit qualifications and limitations on the use of the appropriated funds, it is overly broad in the appropriated funds to which it is attached. It therefore must be considered to be a rider, and not an item, for item veto analysis purposes. Accordingly, Governor Branstad's item vetoes of Division I, Section 20 and of Division IV, Section 66, were effective and should be upheld.

Branstad's office released the following statement today:

"We respectfully disagree with the decision of the District Court. Historically, item veto cases are eventually decided by the Iowa Supreme Court. This is the first step. The item veto is a power given to the governor by our constitution to control spending in appropriation bills. We are studying the ruling and considering next steps."

State Representatives Dave Jacoby, Kirsten Running-Marquardt, and Bruce Hunter, who were co-plaintiffs in the lawsuit, released this statement:

"Governor Branstad clearly overstepped his authority when he shut down 36 local centers where Iowans go to find a job and we are pleased the court agreed with us. Unfortunately, thousands of Iowans looking for good-paying jobs are still suffering from Governor Branstad's reckless actions. I hope the Governor takes this ruling to heart and, instead of proclaiming himself to be the 'sheriff', is now willing to work with us to strengthen the middle class and put Iowans back to work."

I assume the governor will appeal this ruling, since Iowa Workforce Development has already shut down 36 of the field offices, and Branstad has highly praised the transition to a wider network of computer terminals for unemployed Iowans to access services online.

Even if higher courts uphold Judge McCall's decision, the process will take months. It is hard to imagine Iowa Workforce Development reopening the shuttered field offices.

Whatever the outcome of this litigation, today's court ruling will provide an additional talking point for Democrats who have bashed the Branstad administration's actions in this area. Many potentially competitive Iowa House and Senate districts include communities that have lost Iowa Workforce Development field offices this year.

P.S. McCall's decision relies heavily on prior court rulings regarding the item veto power. It's a good example of why a Republican bill that would have barred judges from using judicial precedent or case law "as a basis for rulings" was one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard from an Iowa legislator. Incidentally, the state representative who introduced that bill, Jason Schultz, may face a former Iowa Workforce Development field office employee in the 2012 general election.

UPDATE: Iowa Senate Democrats welcomed the court ruling with this statement:

DES MOINES (Dec. 8, 2011) - A court decision today overturning Governor Branstad's veto of a bipartisan effort to keep dozens of local workforce offices open is a victory for tens of thousands of Iowans still looking for a job, two key legislators said today.
"This is a huge victory for Iowans hoping to find a job," said State Senator Bill Dotzler of Waterloo, a plaintiff on the lawsuit.
"As Iowans were attempting to recover from the worst national recession since World War II, the Governor's decision to close dozens of local workforce offices could not have come at a worse time," said State Senator Daryl Beall of Fort Dodge, a plaintiff on the lawsuit. "The Governor has the authority to line-item veto legislation, but he can't then keep the money. This is a political and policy issue that affects the lives of Iowans, but it's also a constitutional issue. The Court ruled that the Governor's veto was unconstitutional."
Senate File 517 included specific funding to keep open dozens of local workforce offices that help unemployed Iowans find work. The legislation was approved with overwhelming, bipartisan support during the 2011 regular session. The state workforce offices help Iowans search for jobs, prepare for interviews, improve their skills and help businesses find qualified employees.
Dotzler and Beall pledged to work with the Governor to expedite the reopening of the workforce offices that were illegally closed.

AFSCME Council 61 President Danny Homan called on the Branstad administration to reopen the offices immediately, but the governor's communications director Tim Albrecht confirmed that the offices will remain closed pending appeal of Judge McCall's decision.

Democrats sue over Branstad veto on Iowa Workforce Development offices

desmoinesdem — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:29:21 GMT

Four Democratic state legislators and the leader of Iowa's largest public employee union filed a lawsuit yesterday challenging Governor Terry Branstad's line-item veto of a provision barring Iowa Workforce Development from closing 36 of its 55 field offices around the state.

UPDATE: Further details are at the end of this post.
Iowa Workforce Development announced plans six months ago to close most of its field offices. Instead, the agency will set up hundreds of "locally enhanced access points" at locations such as public libraries, community and private colleges, county courthouses and Veterans Affairs offices. Iowa Senate Democrats strongly opposed the reorganization, and plans nearly derailed Teresa Wahlert's confirmation as director of Iowa Workforce Development. Many Iowa House Republicans also opposed the office closures, which affected cities and towns in their districts.

In late June, the Iowa House and Senate approved an economic development appropriations bill including funds and language designed to keep all 55 Workforce Development field offices open through the end of the 2012 fiscal year (June 30, 2012). Branstad vetoed that language, saying it "would prohibit Iowa Workforce Development from putting forth an enhanced delivery system that broadens access to Iowans across the state in fiscal year 2012." However, Branstad did not veto the $3 million that legislators allocated to cover operating costs for the field offices.

Iowa House and Senate Democrats sought unsuccessfully to call a special legislative session to override Branstad's veto. Republican lawmakers blocked that effort.

Five plaintiffs filed suit yesterday in Polk County District Court: Danny Homan, president of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Iowa Council 61; State Senator Bill Dotzler of Waterloo; State Representative Bruce Hunter of Des Moines; State Representative Dave Jacoby of Coralville; and State Representative Kirsten Running-Marquardt of Cedar Rapids. They are represented by a prominent labor attorney, Mark Hedberg. Dotzler was the Iowa Senate's most vocal critic of plans to close the workforce development offices. Jacoby is the ranking member of the Iowa House Ways and Means Committee and serves on the State Workforce Development Board. He has expressed concern over the office-closing plan and the process by which it was adopted. Hunter is the ranking Democrat on the Iowa House Labor Committee.

The lawsuit asserts that the governor exceeded his authority by blocking language on keeping the Iowa Workforce Development offices open but not the $3 million appropriation for that purpose. (NOTE: See update at the bottom of this post.) Excerpt from the court filing:

11. Defendant Governor purported to exercise a line-item veto as to certain provisions of [Senate File] 517 as indicated by this brackets and initialed portions set forth in Exhibit A, and as described in his veto message delivered to the Iowa Secretary fo State of July 27, 2011, a copy of which is attached hereto and marked as Exhibit B.
12. As demonstrated by its content, SF 517 is an appropriations bill, in each instance the provisions vetoed, as indicated by the Defendant Governor's strike brackets and initials, constitute conditions or restrictions on the appropriations made in SF 517. None of the appropriations that were conditioned and restricted by the vetoed provisions, however, were vetoed.
13. Since the appropriations that were to be conditions and restricted by these vetoed provisions were not vetoed, the Defendant Governor's exercise of his item veto power is in violations of limits that were recognized by the Iowa Supreme Court in Rants v Vilsack, 684 N.W.2d 198, 206-207 {Iowa 2004}. [...]
15. Since the Defendant Governor's attempted use of Gubernatorial Item Veto powers, as set out in the Iowa Constitution, to strike from SF 517 language that, in each instance, clearly constituted a condition and/or restrictinos on the various items of appropriations involved, and thus beyond the Governor's Constitutional powers and authority that he had sworn to uphold, a fact of which he knew or reasonably should have known, these purported item vetoes were ineffective, null and void. Accordingly, SF 517 became law as passed, enrolled and submitted to the Governor on June 30, 2011, by the Eighty-Fourth General Assembly, including the provisions the Governor attempted to strike from the bill by improperly using the item veto provisions of the Iowa Constitution.

Speaking to the Des Moines Register, Branstad's communications director Tim Albrecht characterized the lawsuit as "political chest-thumping and political posturing from Danny Homan [...] The governor has full authority to carry out this action." Speaking of political posturing, Homan made a good point in an AFSCME press release on August 22. Speaking about what kind of ammunition Iowans can use to hunt doves, Branstad told reporters, "We need to respect the intent of the legislature and an issue of this magnitude should be decided by the legislature." Yet Homan noted that Branstad ignored bipartisan legislative intent to keep Iowa Workforce Development field offices open.

The plaintiffs have asked the court to expedite hearings on this case. Iowa Workforce Development has already laid off staff and closed some offices, with others closing by the end of December. At the end of this post I've listed all 36 field offices on the chopping block.

The plaintiffs cite a 2004 case Republican Iowa House Speaker Chris Rants filed against Democratic Governor Tom Vilsack. That lawsuit stemmed from an economic development bill, which created the Iowa Values Fund. Vilsack vetoed language cutting income taxes and changing business regulations. Rants maintained that the governor's line-item veto power extended only to appropriations bills, not policy measures. In a unanimous ruling, the Iowa Supreme Court struck down the entire bill because of Vilsack's "unconstitutional action."

The current lawsuit clearly relates to an appropriations bill, but the plaintiffs belief the Rants v Vilsack precedent applies because Branstad vetoed policy language in that bill.

Share any relevant thoughts in this thread.

The 36 Iowa Workforce Development offices to be closed are located in the following cities and towns: Algona, Ames, Atlantic, Boone, Centerville, Charles City, Cherokee, Clarinda, Clinton, Denison, Emmetsburg, Estherville, Fairfield, Glenwood, Harlan, Humboldt, Iowa Falls, Keokuk, Manchester, Maquoketa, Mt. Pleasant, Muscatine, New Hampton, Newton, Oelwein, Orange City, Osceola, Oskaloosa, Pella, Perry, Pocahontas, Red Oak, Shenandoah, Storm Lake, Washington and Waverly. The 16 remaining "regional one-stop offices" will be located in Burlington, Carroll, Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Creston, Davenport, Decorah, Des Moines, Dubuque, Fort Dodge, Marshalltown, Mason City, Ottumwa, Sioux City, Spencer and Waterloo. Three satellite locations with reduced Iowa Workforce Development services will stay open in Fort Madison, Iowa City and Webster City.

UPDATE: Forgot to add that no matter what happens with the Iowa Workforce Development offices, I think it would be valuable for Iowa courts to determine whether the governor can veto language restricting the use of an appropriation without vetoing the appropriation itself. This may not be the last time Branstad seeks to redirect funding with strings attached. Democratic State Senator Jack Hatch has said that when next year's budget bills are drafted, he plans to be more specific about how state agencies can spend money. That's because the Department of Inspections and Appeals declined to hire additional nursing home inspectors for the current budget year. Legislators allocated $650,000 for that purpose but didn't spell it out in the health and human services appropriations bill for fiscal year 2012.

UPDATE: Christina Crippes reports for the Burlington Hawk Eye:

IWD spokeswoman Kerry Koonce said the department does not comment on pending litigation, but both the Mount Pleasant and Keokuk offices are scheduled for closure on Aug. 31.
In fact, those two offices essentially already have been shuttered in advance of the target date. [...]
"It is my understanding that there has been a noticeable increase in the amount of persons at the Fort Madison office," Fife-LaFrenz said. "Currently, there is no (workforce training) class being offered in Fort Madison. It defeats the reason that we worked so hard to get an office to stay open in Lee County."
Fife-LaFrenz said she did not know whether classes would begin to be offered or if Lee County residents would have to continue to drive to the Burlington office for training. [...]
There are access points in Lee County at the Keokuk, Fort Madison, Donnellson, West Point and Montrose libraries, as well as at God's Way Christian Center, 1629 Des Moines St. in Keokuk. More sites are expected to go online soon, including at Southeastern Community College southern campus in Keokuk.
"The (federally funded) Workforce Investment Act will have a presence in Keokuk at the SCC campus in the enrollment services office, for those individuals looking for assistance with job training," said Iowa Works Region 16 Director Deb Dowell.
She said the job training staff will not be able to assist with the computer access points, which will be located outside the SCC enrollment services office.
In Henry County, computer access point services will continue to be offered at the Fellowship Cup, 203 N. Jefferson St., in Mount Pleasant, and at the Salem library. More sites also are expected to go online soon, including at the SCC center in Mount Pleasant and at the Iowa Wesleyan campus.

SECOND UPDATE: Branstad told reporters on August 29 that he's "very confident" of winning the lawsuit.

"I think we're in a very strong position in terms of winning," Branstad says. "...The constitution clearly says the governor has authority to veto items in appropriations bills."
But Senator Bill Dotzler, a Democrat from Waterloo who is part of the lawsuit, says Branstad didn't veto all the money for operating those 37 offices, just a fraction of it.
"I don't think he knows exactly what he vetoed," Dotzler said. "I mean, he did veto $3.5 million, but it takes about $15 (million) to keep all those offices open."
Dotzler says Branstad needs to tell Iowans what he plans to do with the rest of the money legislators set aside to run those satellite Workforce Development offices.
"By the governor vetoing the $3.5 million, he did make it much more difficult to keep all the offices open," Dotzler says. "but he didn't veto the whole appropriation."

The original news stories about this lawsuit suggested that Branstad vetoed plans for using that $3.5 million but not the appropriation itself. If he did veto the money connected to language on keeping all the field offices open, he's probably on stronger legal ground.

Branstad clears path for Iowa Workforce Development office closings

desmoinesdem — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:53:19 GMT

Iowa Workforce Development officials can move ahead with closing 37 36 of the agency's 55 field offices around Iowa, thanks to a line-item veto by Governor Terry Branstad. State lawmakers included language in the economic development appropriations bill to require Iowa Workforce Development to maintain its current number of field offices through the 2012 fiscal year. However, Branstad rejected that provision yesterday:

"This item would prohibit Iowa Workforce Development from putting forth an enhanced delivery system that broadens access to Iowans across the state in fiscal year 2012," Branstad said. "In order to develop a sustainable delivery system in light of continually fluctuating federal funding, the department must put forth a system that embraces the use of technology while providing enhanced benefits through maximum efficiencies."
Branstad said Iowa Workforce Development has more than 190 "virtual access point workstations" in over 60 new locations throughout the state to increase access to these critica services. He says Iowans are already using the expanded hours of operation, six days a week.
"At my direction, IWD will have hundreds of additional virtual access points by the end of fiscal year 2012," he said.

I doubt many unemployed Iowans would consider a computer terminal "enhanced" access, compared to an office staffed by a real person explaining the available services.

Controversy over shutting down these offices nearly derailed the Iowa Senate confirmation of Teresa Wahlert. Opposition from lawmakers of both parties didn't persuade her, although two of the 39 field offices originally targeted will be spared. Iowa Workforce Development started closing some of its field offices even before legislators had adopted a final budget. In early July, the agency laid off 13 employees as part of the planned reorganization. Iowa Workforce Development Communications Coordinator Katie Hommer communications director was unable to tell me today when the agency will finish shutting down the offices slated for closure. She said staff are still going through the signed budget, which they only just received.

Hommer also did not know whether enough funds were provided for the agency to keep open its New Iowan Centers, which offer specialized services for recent immigrants. Those centers are currently located in Muscatine, Ottumwa, Marshalltown, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa City, Des Moines, Sioux City, Storm Lake, Council Bluffs, Mason City and Denison.

On a related note, Branstad's love for streamlining government doesn't extend to the U.S. Postal Service, which may close as many as 178 Iowa post offices. The downsizing is part of a plan to eliminate 3,700 of nearly 32,000 post offices nationwide. Branstad has repeatedly criticized plans to eliminate rural Iowa post offices, and yesterday he told Radio Iowa that the postal service is not using "common sense." He wants the independent federal agency to explore alternatives to closing offices that small-town residents rely on.

Conservatives talk a good game about running government like a business, but a private business with declining revenues could never afford to operate retail outlets in as many locations as the U.S. Postal Service. The independent agency gets almost all of its revenues from postal fees (not federal budget allocations). As Americans send fewer paper letters and documents, postal service revenues have declined.

Branstad and his wife own 12 Iowa buildings that are leased to the U.S. Postal Service. So far only one of those, in Lohrville, is on the list of post offices to be closed.

UPDATE: Iowa House and Senate Democrats will reach out to Republicans to convene a special legislative session "with the sole purpose of overriding Governor Branstad's line-item vetoes of legislation prohibiting the closure of the [Iowa Workforce Development] offices." Details are in a press release I've posted after the jump. That document lists all the towns that would lose Iowa Workforce Development offices, as well as the county unemployment rate in each area.

SECOND UPDATE: Sounds like Republicans are not game for a special session to deal with this narrow issue. I've added Iowa Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley's statement below.

THIRD UPDATE: Only 36 field offices will be closed, because federal funding came through to keep the Webster City office open. The closure of the Electrolux factory has been a particular hardship for Iowans in the local area. After the jump I've posted an Iowa Workforce Development press release, which lists all the cities and towns that will have the "regional integrated one-stop offices," as well as all the localities that will lose their field offices.

Meanwhile, Iowa House and Senate Democrats formally called for a special session on July 29. Republicans are not interested. Expect these office closures to become a campaign issue in a bunch of statehouse races next year. The Golden Dome Blog found a video of Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds praising a "phenomenal" and "user friendly" workforce development office during last year's gubernatorial campaign.

Democratic State Representative Dave Jacoby serves on the Iowa Workforce Development Board and is angry that board didn't get to weigh in on whether these field offices should be closed.

Iowa Legislature News Release
July 28, 2011
Senator Mike Gronstal: 515-205-1004
Representative Kevin McCarthy: 515-360-8241
Legislators consider special session on Workforce Offices
DES MOINES - Legislators are considering further steps to keep Workforce Development field offices open, including the possibility of a special session with the sole purpose of overriding Governor Branstad's line-item vetoes of legislation prohibiting the closure of the offices. Democrats plan to reach out to their Republican colleagues starting today to consider the possibility for the special session.
"We passed overwhelmingly bipartisan legislation to save the Workforce Offices," said Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal. "With more than 100,000 Iowans out of work, this is no time to close offices that assist those searching for jobs, preparing for interviews and improving their skills, while also helping businesses find qualified employees."
"We should continue to make sure Iowans and communities have the resources they need to get back on their feet and recover from the national economic recession," said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. "That's the job we were sent to the Statehouse to do."
Governor Branstad line-item vetoed language in Senate File 517 that required the state to maintain the current number of Workforce Development field offices. In his veto message, the Governor said he intends to proceed with his plan to close at least 36 Workforce Offices around the state and replace them with library kiosks.
"Most of the offices Governor Branstad wants to close are in rural areas," said Representative Roger Thomas, ranking member of the House Economic Development Committee. "Many of them are in communities with the highest unemployment rates that are most in need of job-assistance resources."
"Governor Branstad is basically telling Iowans struggling to find work that they should 'go to the library and look online,'" said Senator Dotzler, chair of the Senate Economic Development Budget Subcommittee. "I worked as a machine operator for years, and I'm telling you that when an entire community is facing layoffs, it's not that easy."
"At the local Workforce Office, an expert will help you come up with an individualized strategy for getting back on your feet, whether it's enrolling in a certificate program at a community college, writing a resume or learning how to interview for a job," said Representative Kirsten Running Marquardt, ranking member of the House Economic Development Budget Subcommittee. "This is about jobs."
"Normally we would wait until the next legislative session in January to respond to the Governor's veto, but with more than 100,000 Iowans out of work, this is an urgent situation," explained Senator Steve Sodders, chair of the Senate Economic Development Budget Committee. "The Governor is ready to break leases and shut the doors on these offices. We need to discuss what we can do to prevent that."
In addition, Representative Dave Jacoby, a member of the Workforce Development Board, plans to reach out today to his Republican colleagues on the board to support the call for a special session.
Article III, section 2, of the Constitution of the State of Iowa provides that members of the legislature may convene a special session if two-thirds of each house signs a petition. A veto override also requires support from two-thirds of each chamber.
A table of the Workforce Offices that Governor Branstad hopes to close and the unemployment rates in each area is below.
Office Location
County
June Unemployment (%)
Algona
Kossuth
4.6
Ames
Story
5.4
Atlantic
Cass
6.0
Boone
Boone
5.4
Centerville
Appanoose
7.2
Charles City
Floyd
6.4
Cherokee
Cherokee
5.1
Clarinda
Page
5.8
Clinton
Clinton
6.7
Denison
Crawford
4.8
Emmetsburg
Palo Alto
4.8
Estherville
Emmet
6.7
Fairfield
Jefferson
7.2
Fort Madison or Keokuk
Lee
8.8
Glenwood
Mills
4.3
Harlan
Shelby
4.4
Humboldt
Humboldt
5.6
Iowa Falls
Hardin
6.2
Manchester
Delaware
5.3
Maquoketa
Jackson
7.1
Mount Pleasant
Henry
7.6
Muscatine
Muscatine
6.5
New Hampton
Chickasaw
6.3
Newton
Jasper
7.8
Oelwein
Fayette
6.5
Orange City
Sioux
4.3
Osceola
Clarke
7.2
Oskaloosa
Mahaska
6.6
Pella
Marion
5.9
Perry
Dallas
5.4
Pocahontas
Pocahontas
4.7
Red Oak
Montgomery
6.8
Shenandoah
Page
5.8
Storm Lake
Buena Vista
5.3
Washington
Washington
5.2
Waverly
Bremer
4.8
Note: July unemployment numbers are not yet available.

Statement from Iowa Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley, July 28:

DES MOINES - Senate Republican Leader Paul McKinley (R-Chariton) today responded to Senate Democrats calls for a special session by saying that if they want an expensive special session, the agenda must include substantial action to help bring more jobs to Iowa instead of continuing their obstruction of pro-jobs legislation:
"Senate Democrats spent the last six months during the third longest session in history obstructing badly needed jobs legislation and pro-growth policies and suddenly now want an expensive special session?
If a special session were to occur, the agenda will have to include passing comprehensive property tax reform for all classes of property, rule and regulatory reform to remove some of the onerous barriers job creators are facing and putting in place the kinds of real education reforms that are needed give our kids the tools they need to succeed in this competitive global economy."

Iowa Workforce Development news release, July 29:

Iowa Workforce Development Implements Enhanced Delivery System
DES MOINES - Iowa Workforce Development announced the revised workforce delivery system based on the new model of Local Access Points and Regional Integrated Centers on Friday.
"Multiple factors require Iowa to develop a new workforce system that is sustainable for the long term," stated director Teresa Wahlert. "By ensuring that more Iowans have an opportunity for services in their own communities, we can provide services faster and more efficiently to more Iowans on a timely basis."
Iowa's current system has 55 field offices. The new, enhanced system will provide 16 regional integrated one-stop offices in Burlington, Carroll, Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Creston, Davenport, Decorah, Des Moines, Dubuque, Fort Dodge, Marshalltown, Mason City, Ottumwa, Sioux City, Spencer and Waterloo. Additionally, there will be three satellite locations in Fort Madison, Iowa City and Webster City, and hundreds of locally enhanced access points through armories, private colleges, community action agencies, community colleges, County Veterans Affairs Offices, courthouses, public libraries and others. Currently, more than 60 access point locations are operational with over 190 workstations. This enhanced system will have greater availability to the public with evening and weekend hours, something not available in the current delivery model. Additionally, IWD will continue to enhance technology based services throughout the new system for the benefit of all clients. The workforce system will transition throughout late 2011 in two phases to ensure a process that meets the needs of training and set-up for each locally enhanced access point.
Offices transitioning in Phase One include: Algona, Atlantic, Boone, Centerville, Charles City, Cherokee, Clarinda, Denison, Emmetsburg, Estherville, Fairfield, Glenwood, Harlan, Humboldt, Iowa Falls, Keokuk, Manchester, Maquoketa, Mt. Pleasant, New Hampton, Oelwein, Orange City, Osceola, Oskaloosa, Pella, Perry, Pocahontas, Red Oak, Shenandoah, Washington and Waverly.
Offices transitioning in Phase Two include: Ames, Clinton, Muscatine, Newton and Storm Lake.
The Department expects the transition will be completed by December 31, 2011 and will affect 70-95 employees across the state.
Iowa Workforce Development and partners, provide comprehensive workforce services within the integrated IowaWORKS offices. 24/7 access to employment services, unemployment filings, job postings and more is available at www.iowaworkforce.org

Iowa House passes big government abortion ban

desmoinesdem — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 18:52:07 GMT

The abortion issue magically transforms conservatives from people who want to keep bureaucrats from getting between you and your doctor into people eager to let the government limit pregnant women's medical care. The Iowa House demonstrated that contradiction again yesterday, as representatives approved a ban on most abortions after 20 weeks gestation.

House File 657 is modeled on a Nebraska statute with the intent of stopping Omaha physician Leroy Carhart from opening an abortion clinic in Iowa. State representatives voted 60 to 39 to send the bill to the Senate. The yes votes included 56 Republicans and four Democrats: Dan Muhlbauer (district 51), Brian Quirk (district 15), Kurt Swaim (district 94) and Roger Thomas (district 24). Three first-term Republicans--Kim Pearson (district 42), Glen Massie (district 74) and Tom Shaw (district 8)--voted no, along with the rest of the House Democratic caucus. Those Republicans have argued against the bill because it would ban less than 1 percent of abortions in Iowa; their opposition forced House Republican leaders to pull the bill out of the House Human Resources Committee and send it to Government Oversight instead.

Excerpts from yesterday's arguments for and against House File 657 are after the jump, along with thoughts about the bill's prospects in the Iowa Senate.
Various news accounts described the "emotional" floor debate over House File 657. Reading the comments from many Republicans, I'm struck by how they refused to acknowledge the kind of circumstances that lead women to seek an abortion after 20 weeks. Representative Walt Rogers, a supporter of the bill, described how he turned against legal abortion after feeling baby kicks: "It was the coolest moment in my life to feel my child inside my wife's stomach." Good for you, Mr. Rogers, but why should your "cool moment" give you power to make life and death choices for other adults?

First-term Republican Representative Mary Ann Hanusa floor-managed House File 657. She is from Council Bluffs, where Carhart's clinic would be located. Speaking on the House floor yesterday, she argued that "protecting the well being of a 20-week-old unborn child and shielding it from the agony and painful death of an abortion" should be as important a topic as other bills the House as debated, related to the care of animals. Hanusa also told her colleages,

"There is a substantial and growing body of medical and scientific evidence that unborn babies at 20 weeks can feel intense pain when they are aborted. ...Medical studies show that these unborn children recoil from painful stimulation as you and I might and that this dramatically increases their release of stress hormones."
Hanusa said Iowans' sense of decency and compassion and our common humanity dictate that we as a state protect these vulnerable individuals. She said the bill does have an exception for the life of the mother.
"This is a bill about saving babies," said Rep. Dawn Pettengill, R-Mount Auburn. "When you have a 20-week-old baby, it is able to live and it should not be taken in the way it has to be taken when you do an abortion at that age."
Pettengill later broke down in tears as she graphically described the different procedures used for late-term abortions. "These are living people," she said.

I am not aware of any fetuses surviving at 20 weeks gestation. It is rare for fetuses to survive even at 22 or 23 weeks. But more to the point, Pettengill does not recognize that women do not seek abortions that late in pregnancy without compelling reasons related to the health of the mother or baby.

In her opening remarks, Democratic State Representative Beth Wessel-Kroeschell described what the Nebraska law put one pregnant woman through:

Make no doubt about it, HF 657 puts our daughter's lives and health at risk. This bill is an extreme measure which is being sold to us as a way to keep a Nebraska physician out of Iowa. If keeping this dr. out of Iowa is necessary, there are ways to do that without risking the lives of our daughters. Using this bill for that means is equivalent to using a sledgehammer to kill a fly.
Women terminate pregnancies for many reasons. Although we may disagree with them on why, most Iowans agree that those decisions should be left up to a woman, her family, doctor, and faith advisors.
It puts our daughters at risk when a much wanted pregnancy goes wrong. We will illustrate this for Iowan's during today's debate.
A Nebraska woman, Danielle Deaver was excited about her pregnancy and planning for her second child. She had experienced numerous miscarriages but felt confident about her current pregnancy because she is the mother of a healthy 2 year old. Through no fault of her own, tragedy happened: her water broke at 22 weeks. Desperate to continue the pregnancy her dr. put her on 24 hour bedrest hoping her body would replenish the amniotic fluid that protects babies and allows them to thrive in their mother's uterus. Common practice in obstetrics has been that once a pregnant woman's water breaks, she will deliver the baby within 24 hours to avoid life threatening infections.
Prayers, medicine and her sheer will did not replace Danielle's amniotic fluid. As a mother, I can't imagine how awful it must feel to realize that you can no longer protect your much anticipated pregnancy. Danielle had lost the ability to protect her unborn child and her uterus was instead crushing and suffocating the baby. Now her fetus is in distress.
Knowing that there was no hope that her pregnancy could continue to viability and knowing the baby would not survive, Danielle and her husband Robb asked to have labor induced to prevent infection and preserve their fertility. As the happy parents of a 2 year old, they wanted another chance; they knew that Danielle was at risk of infection which could not only risk her ability to have another pregnancy but could also kill her.
Based on the Nebraska 20 week ban (a bill that is very similar to HF 657) which went into effect one month earlier, three attorneys advised the Deaver medical team that they would risk losing their license, going to prison and various lawsuits if they induced Danielle's labor. Their hands were tied and they could not use best medical practices.
Dannielle Deaver went home and waited for a life threatening infection in either her or her baby. Her life was in danger. She went home and waited for her life to be put at "immediate danger." Finally, 8 days later, she went into labor and watched her baby die.
I feel strongly, that a family who is in this situation should not have their decisions made by politicians. It should be the family's decision.
I may not always agree with all the decisions that Iowans make for their family, but I respect that they have the right to make them. I respect that every family is different. I respect that every pregnancy is unique. I oppose this bill not only because it does not allow for an exception for rape and incest, or real exception for the health and life of a woman, but I oppose this bill because it is extreme.
HF 657 takes away a couple's decision making powers regarding the first days and months of parenting and put it in the hands of the government. We can all feel for this couple, struggling to make the decision that is best for their circumstances. And because each situation is different, we must protect a family's ability to make decisions in consultation with those they trust.
Families are allowed to make many health care and life and death decisions for children. Does this bill indicate that government will move toward making these decisions for parents?
Danielle and Robb Deaver deserved to make the decision for the child they had hoped for and loved even if it were not the decision you or I may have made.

A friend of mine once faced a choice similar to Danielle Deaver's. At a routine 20-week ultrasound, she learned that the baby she was carrying had no chance of life outside the womb because of major anomalies, including missing vital organs. Because of her religious beliefs, she decided to continue the pregnancy for as long as possible. During the subsequent month before the fetus died, my friend developed health problems related to excessive amniotic fluid. Her blood pressure skyrocketed, and her doctor warned she was at risk for a stroke. She eventually delivered a stillborn baby, after which her health issues subsided. She told me after the experience that she didn't regret her choice, but she would never want the government to make that choice for others.

Under House File 657, it would probably take a stroke before a woman in my friend's condition would be deemed to have a "medical emergency" justifying an abortion. Representative Mary Mascher was among the House Democrats who pointed out that the bill would endanger women with health complications that did not immediately threaten their lives. Representative Sharon Steckman developed this argument well in her speech yesterday, which is worth reading in full:

Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen of the House
After reading this bill I have some major concerns about the health and safety of a woman who might be affected by this law. In fact, I think it's clear that this bill will actually put our sisters and daughters at very grave risk.
A woman facing the decision to terminate a pregnancy after 20 weeks is most likely to also be facing a serious health complication.........this legislation only causes more concerns for her health and safety.
The bill states that it will be illegal to terminate a pregnancy unless, in the physician's medical judgment, the pregnant woman has a condition which is deemed a medical emergency. That sounds good - until we look closer.
My first concern is on page 4, lines 23-26 we find the definition of "medical emergency", I quote, "a condition which, in reasonable medical judgment, so complicates the medical condition of a pregnant woman as to necessitate the immediate abortion of the human pregnancy to avert the woman's death".........further down, lines 27 and 28 it states, "a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function."
In other words, a woman could have a condition which will ultimately kill her, but if it isn't killing her RIGHT NOW, she has to wait until she's on death's door.
How does that protect the health and safety of a woman? It doesn't.
The definition of medical emergency talks about termination only being allowed if it is "immediately necessary." How would we measure this immediate danger of death....... Days, months, hours?
For example, if a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, and needs chemotherapy or radiation treatment to begin as soon as possible...would she be able to terminate that pregnancy in order to start treatment immediately under this bill?
Or would she have to be in Hospice before it would be considered "immediate danger"? I can't imagine a woman having to make a heart breaking decision such as this.....and also have to sort out what this bill means.
Let's assume that we know a woman who for sure would fit under the exception in this bill - say that she has some other "immediate danger", and is much closer to death. This woman is losing blood from a uterine rupture and will die soon if she does not get help.
Here is my second concern....
I know Rep. Hagenow is from the Des Moines area....
His constituents in immediate danger would have a short trip to Iowa Methodist Medical Center, right in DesMoines.
How fortunate, your constituents health and safety could be immediately taken care of ........mine would not be so lucky....I represent Mason City....Des Moines is the closest hospital in this situation.....2 hours.................yet the distance is not the only problem.....
And here is another problem I have with this bill. The other problem is called EMTALA...a federal law that says you cannot transport anyone in an emergency unless they have first been stabilized.
So first in Mason City we must stabilize the patient, but to do that we must terminate the pregnancy, but we can't do that unless we have the poor woman at a certain hospital which is two hours away, but we can't get her to the hospital unless she is stabilized.........This is a major problem with this bill.
A federal law requires stabilization, while a state law prohibits taking action to stabilize her. How will this turn out? Probably fatally for some woman in an emergency situation.
On page 1 , lines 24 and 25 it states, "The state has a legitimate interest from the outset of pregnancy in protecting the health of the woman."
How are we accomplishing that goal in this bill?
While we may disagree, Rep. Hagenow, about the reasons a woman may choose to end a pregnancy, I would hope we could agree that protecting a woman's health and safety at all times is paramount. This bill hopelessly fails to meet that standard.
On a day when we are so focused on maps, this bill is creating a death map for women across Iowa.
I strongly encourage my colleagues to vote no. This is not about politics anymore - this is about the health and safety of our sisters and daughters. Thank you.

A family I know faced a choice like what Steckman describes. The mother received a cancer diagnosis after the 20-week mark in her second pregnancy. She rejected medical advice to have an abortion, opting to wait a couple of months until labor could be safely induced before starting cancer treatment. The baby was born at seven months gestation and thrived. A few years down the road, his father was a widower raising two young children. There's no guarantee the mother would have survived if she had begun cancer treatment sooner, of course. But the Iowa House majority would force every woman to take that risk.

Many Democrats mentioned losses in their own family as they argued against House File 657:

Rep. Janet Petersen, D-Des Moines, a mother of three who once had a stillborn child, choked up in tears as she spoke on the House floor about her personal experience of a pregnancy that did not go as planned.
"This bill forces a mom to carry a baby to term even when the baby will not survive," Petersen said. "Moms who have to say goodbye to a baby know the heartache of phantom kicking, dealing with their milk coming in and enduring a painful labor without a live baby to hold when it's over. Supporting this bill adds another cruel punishment to what is already an overwhelming and ongoing experience of heartache."

Representative Ruth Ann Gaines urged legislators to vote no even though she adopted a child with developmental disabilities, whose birth mother considered abortion. She too saw House File 657 as threatening women's lives. Sharing her own family's perspective, Representative Helen Miller

told of how one of her daughters who was pregnant with triplets was advised by doctors to abort one of the children because of a medical situation. She didn't and all three children died.
"Here's what my daughter lives with everyday," Miller said. "She wonders if she had done something and followed her doctor's advice and reduced pregnancy to two, could she have saved two of those children."

Later in the debate, Wessel-Kroeschell warned that the bill would deter obstetricians from wanting to practice in Iowa, because as Representative Mary Wolfe noted, an obstetrician could be charged with a class C felony for inducing an abortion with the intent of saving a woman's life.

Meanwhile, Representative Kirsten Running-Marquardt noted that it's ironic Republicans want to reduce sex education funding if their goal is to have fewer abortions induced. State Representative Anesa Kajtazovic

questioned why the body is debating an issue that has affected so few families compared to other maternity issues. Kajtazovic said just six abortions were performed in the state last year after 20 weeks of pregnancy, compared 700 Iowa families that have experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth in the past year.
"What's sad is that we have members in this body politicizing what is such a personal and difficult decision that a woman is faced with sometimes in her pregnancy," Kajtazovic said.

Several men in the House Democratic caucus spoke against House File 657, including Representative Tyler Olson and Representative Chris Hall. Mark Smith, who has extensive experience as a social worker, expressed concern that suicide is not considered a medical emergency under the bill. He added,

"The key here is who makes the decision. Is it the woman who faces threats to her life or severe fetal anomalies or is it those in the room today who may be guessing at the unique circumstances that Iowa women face?" Smith asked. "As I reviewed my faith and my belief system, the decision on who should make this difficult and painful decision should be the woman. ... I don't believe that these are decisions that should be made by gray-haired legislators like myself."

None of those arguments changed a single vote yesterday, and House File 657 now goes to the Senate. Bills coming out of the Government Oversight Committee are not subject to today's second "funnel" deadline, so it will be considered at some point.

If House File 657 comes to a floor vote in the Senate, it will pass. None of the 24 Senate Republicans are pro-choice, while several of the 26 Democrats are anti-choice. Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal is probably not going to keep it off the floor if it clears a Senate committee. He's in an awkward position, because although he is pro-choice, Carhart's abortion clinic would be located in his district, where many residents do not support legal abortion at any stage of pregnancy. Gronstal is already the Republicans' top target in the 2012 Iowa Senate elections.

The best chance for keeping this bill off Governor Terry Branstad's desk is to stop it from coming out of the Senate Human Resources Committee, where it will probably be referred. Eight Democrats and five Republicans serve on that committee, meaning that two Democrats would have to vote for the bill to send it out. Senate Human Resources Committee Chair Amanda Ragan is strongly pro-choice.

Share any relevant thoughts in this thread.

UPDATE: Craig Robinson goes after the GOP dissenters at The Iowa Republican blog:

For months, Pearson, Massie, and Shaw have taken every opportunity to speak out about their opposition to the late term abortion ban. They have sent numerous press releases, repeatedly defended their position on the radio, and done interviews with reporters, yet when it came time to debate the bill, the three didn't utter a word on the floor of the House.
Some pro-life advocates hold these three freshmen legislators in high regard for their principled stand. While I have been a vocal critic of their opposition to the bill, I do find it admirable that they want to outlaw all abortions in the state. That is why I think it is unacceptable and disappointing that the three of them sat in the House Chamber like bumps on a log while ever liberal woman in the chamber took to the microphone to speak out against the bill.
I understand that the three were not going to support the bill, but that doesn't mean that they couldn't advocate for their position or speak on behalf of life in general. Frankly, I find it cowardly that Rep. Pearson felt the need to confront me at a coffee shop about my position on the bill, but can't say a single word when its debated in the house. Meanwhile, Rep. Walt Rodgers and Rep. Dawn Pettengill were the only two Republicans besides Rep. Mary Ann Hanusa, who managed the bill, to provide a pro-life viewpoint.
There are a number of people who think that Pearson, Massie, and Shaw have shown leadership for holding firm on their position. A real leader would have engaged in last night's debate. While it is true that that the debate was about a late term abortion ban, the debate, which the media watched and reported on extensively, was all about the abortion in general. Had they weighed in a productive and respectful way, not only would they have gained the respect of their Republican colleagues, they also would have helped their cause of passing a personhood bill.

Robinson also criticized the socially conservative group The FAMiLY Leader, which didn't cheer passage of House File 657:

In an email entitled "Disappointment at the Capitol," Chuck Hurley and Danny Carroll of The Family Leader revealed that the House had planned to debate an amendment to House File 656, a bill dealing with waivers from abortion notification requirements for pregnant minors, saying that the life of each human begins at conception. But House Republican leaders determined that the amendment would not be germane.
"So after two attempts, the House Republicans have failed to advance a bill to protect life at conception," Hurley and Carroll asked. "Is it not reasonable to ask why? How can such a large majority of Republicans - 60 out of 100 - fail to advance a policy that most, if not all, say they support?"

LATE UPDATE: The bill was not referred to the Senate Human Resources Committee. It went to the Senate Government Oversight Committee and stalled there. Committee Chairman Tom Courtney said in April that it was too late in the legislative session to adequately review the bill this year, and he would prefer to take it up in 2012. Council Bluffs Mayor Tom Hanafan, a Democrat, urged the Senate to act on the bill before adjourning to prevent his city from becoming "home to a clinic that specializes in later term abortions." Senate Majority Leader Gronstal said he would not block the bill from coming to a vote and would let the normal committee process work.

A scandal waiting to happen

desmoinesdem — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:03:27 GMT

Governor Terry Branstad's plan to transform the Iowa Department of Economic Development into a public-private partnership won approval from the Iowa House this week. House File 590 would create an Iowa Partnership for Economic Progress, with three separate boards supervising various aspects of economic development work. Supporters say they have worked to make Branstad's preferred model more transparent, but its convoluted structure invites the kind of abuses seen in other states where private entities have control over economic development incentives.

More details on House File 590 and its path through the Iowa House are after the jump.
From Jason Clayworth's report for the Des Moines Register:

Under the bill, a partnership board would act as an advisory body within state government. It would have a seven-member board led by the governor or lieutenant governor and filled with business leaders.
The Economic Development Authority, which would be a separate group, would have a nine-member board to oversee awarding business incentives and do work that is currently done by the state's economic development department.
A third board would oversee the nonprofit corporation. The authority could hire the nonprofit corporation to perform economic consulting services. The nonprofit corporation would raise and distribute money from private sources to further economic development.
The reorganization would also place five of the authority's top jobs under the review of its board. The board, rather than lawmakers, would set their salaries.
Additionally, the economic director would longer be appointed by the governor and would instead be hired by the authority's board.
Various versions of the bill have been under discussion for weeks. State leaders have amended the plan to increase transparency and require an annual independent audit of the nonprofit corporation.

That organization seems a bit confusing, even with the added "transparency" elements. The bill history for House File 590 shows that Iowa House members did pass quite a few amendments before approving the bill on March 28. For instance, one amendment that was approved calls for setting "annual numerical goals for the authority pertaining to the creation of jobs in the state. If such goals are not met an explanation of the reasons shall be provided to the general assembly."

Another amendment approved unanimously forbids the "corporation from engaging in favoritism and pay-to-play tactics for companies doing business with the corporation."

Nice words, but talk is cheap. The House voted down an amendment offered by Democratic Representative Chuck Isenhart, which would have put teeth behind the alleged desire to prevent potential favoritism:

The authority and the corporation shall not provide financial assistance, enter into contracts, or otherwise provide benefits to a person or entity that has made an independent expenditure in a campaign or that has contributed more than seven hundred fifty dollars to a person who made an independent expenditure as defined in section 68A.404, subsection1, in any year during the previous five calendar years.
The authority and the corporation shall not provide financial assistance, enter into contracts, or otherwise provide benefits to a person or entity if that person or a principal executive, director, or person with a direct financial interest in the entity, has made contributions to a political candidate or candidate's committee exceeding thresholds established by rule.

House Democrats also were not able to win approval for Kirsten Running-Marquardt's amendment, which sought to focus economic development efforts on small businesses. Democratic Representative Helen Miller's amendment seeking to require more balance on the authority's 15-member board (in terms of political party affiliation, age and type of occupations) failed on a party-line vote.

Bleeding Heartland has sometimes criticized economic development bodies like the Iowa Values Fund for being glorified corporate welfare. This week backers claimed future economic development efforts will be different:

The proposed nonprofit gives the state the infrastructure needed to create a seed fund to assist startup companies, [state economic development director Debi] Durham and Robert Riley, a Des Moines businessman, said in a meeting with Des Moines Register reporters and editors.
"Economic development should be 80 percent based on innovation," said Riley, a member of the Iowa Innovation Council. "Your father's Oldsmobile of going out and bribing companies is not a sustainable system."

I would love to think that the Iowa Partnership for Economic Progress will put 80 percent of its resources behind "innovation" rather than bribing already-established companies, but I'll have to see it to believe it. Looking at the lobbyist declarations for House File 590, we see a long list of large companies backing this bill, including Wellmark, Monsanto, Rockwell Collins, Hy-Vee, Deere & Company, MidAmerican, and the Principal Financial Group. I doubt they would be enthusiastic about reorganizing state incentives to focus on start-ups.

Many organizations representing business interests have lobbyists registered in favor of House File 590 too; examples include the Greater Des Moines Partnership, the National Federation of Independent Business, the Cedar Rapids Chamber of Commerce, the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, Professional Developers of Iowa, and the Iowa Taxpayers Association. The only lobbyists registered against the bill represent various labor unions, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, and the Iowa Environmental Council.

Regarding the partnership's future transparency, here's some unintentional comedy from Branstad's point person on the issue:

Debi Durham, director of the state's economic department, told Register editors and reporters Monday that she is open to making public the donors to the nonprofit arm.
The bill additionally includes a section on conflicts of interests that requires the authority's employees to disclose in writing direct or indirect interests in contracts the group is considering.

Publishing the list of donors to the nonprofit is the bare minimum of what needs to happen to protect the public interest. In other states boards have steered economic development funds toward individuals and corporations that have donated to other "good causes."

Disclosing the donors alone won't prevent similar abuses, because it's too easy to conceal conflicts of interest. For instance, a business owner or CEO seeking economic development funds could have friends or relatives (with a different surname) make donations to the non-profit. The board giving out grants could be aware of the ties, while an investigative reporter combing through the donor list would remain in the dark.

The final vote on House File 590 was 66 to 33. All House Republicans present except for first-term conservatives Tom Shaw (district 8) and Kim Pearson (district 42) voted yes. Nine Democrats joined them: Chris Hall (district 2), Lisa Heddens (district 46), Dave Jacoby (district 30), Jim Lykam (district 85), Brian Quirk (district 15), Kirsten Running-Marquardt (district 33), Sharon Steckman (district 13), Roger Thomas (district 24), and John Wittneben (district 7). The rest of the House Democratic caucus voted against this bill.

My guess is that House File 590 will make it through the Iowa Senate, perhaps with further amendments and accountability measures. During the next month, big fights loom with the Branstad administration and House Republicans over education funding and other budget issues. I don't think a narrowly-divided Senate will go to the mat to stop Branstad from putting his stamp on economic development.

If House File 590 becomes law, Iowa media will need to keep a close watch on how the Partnership for Economic Progress does business.

LATE UPDATE: At an Iowa Senate subcommittee hearing on April 7, Debi Durham made a concession to transparency advocates:

Gov. Terry Branstad's economic development chief said Thursday that private donations made to a new state job-creation entity would be publicly disclosed.
Debi Durham, director of the state Department of Economic Development, said she hoped the position change would facilitate legislative approval of Branstad's plan to revamp the current state Department of Economic Development into a public-private partnership. [...]
"We've conceded that we're going to list all the donors publicly for the corporation, and that we've cleared this whole conflict of interest and this pay to play," Durham said Thursday. "We will now disclose all the donors to the corporation, which is something we have not conceded in the past." [...]
At Thursday's subcommittee meeting Durham proposed adding seven ex-officio members to PEP's nine-member board of directors and she said she would be open to a suggestion of having one board member come from the ranks of labor organizations.

The same article mentions other proposals to revise House File 590.

[Senate Economic Growth Committee Chair] Sen. Steve Sodders, D-State Center, said he would prefer that the governor appoint the agency director to a six-year term subject to Senate confirmation rather than having the governor pick the board members - who would have to be confirmed by the Senate - and then allowing the board to select the director. He also said he would like to see the Grow Iowa Values Fund stay as it is, while Durham said she expected the state would still need an incentive program regardless of what policymakers chose to call it.

Iowa Democratic women's group announces 2011 award winners

desmoinesdem — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:31:15 GMT

The Democratic Activist Women's Network, which seeks to support, recruit and elect pro-choice Democratic women in Iowa, has announced the honorees for its second annual Women's Appreciation Day event.

Award winners include Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge (Special Recognition Award); State Representative Kirsten Running-Marquardt (State Elected Official Award) Representative Anesa Kajtazovic (Rising Star Award); Johnson County Recorder Kim Painter (Local Elected Official Award); Margo McNabb (Activist Award); Maggie Rawland (Lifetime Achievement Award).
During the reception, DAWN's List will also honor Marcia Nichols for her dedication and immeasurable contribution to the advancement of democratic progressive values.
Guest speaker at the reception will be Iowa Democratic Party Chair, Sue Dvorsky.

Judge served in the Iowa Senate and as secretary of agriculture before being elected lieutenant governor. Running-Marquardt won a special election in Iowa House district 33 in late 2009 and was re-elected in 2010. Kajtazovic is both the youngest woman and the first Bosnian immigrant elected to the Iowa legislature, having won the November election in House district 21. Among Iowa's county recorders, Painter has been an outspoken supporter of marriage equality. McNabb has been active in the Story County Democratic Party and is in the state Science and Technology Fair's Hall of Fame. Rawland is a retired teacher and a longtime activist supporting the peace movement and education funding. Nichols is the legislative director for AFSCME in Iowa.

The DAWN's List event will take place on March 7, beginning at 6:30 pm, at Forte (615 3rd Street, Des Moines). Tickets are $20, and you can RSVP either at the DAWN's List website or by e-mailing event AT dawnslist.org.

Who's who in the Iowa House for 2011 (revised)

desmoinesdem — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 14:51:10 GMT

When the 84th General Assembly convenes on January 10, the Iowa House will have 60 Republicans and 40 Democrats. House Republicans selected leaders and committee chairs last month, and Democrats finished choosing leaders and ranking committee members in the past two weeks.

All Iowa House leaders, committee chairs and ranking members can be found after the jump. I've included a link to a short biography for each state representative, as well as the year the person was first elected to the Iowa House and the district he or she represents.
Republicans (60 state representatives)

Leadership team

Speaker Kraig Paulsen (bio), first elected in 2002 from district 35, covering suburban and rural areas in Linn County

Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer (bio), first elected in 2002 from district 12, covering Franklin County and part of Cerro Gordo and Hancock

Speaker Pro Tem Jeff Kaufmann (bio), first elected in 2004 from district 79, covering Cedar County and parts of Johnson and Muscatine

Majority Whip Erik Helland (bio), first elected in 2008 in House district 69, covering suburban and rural areas in Polk County

Assistant majority leaders: Matt Windschitl (bio), first elected in 2006 from district 56, covering Harrison County, most of Monona and part of Pottawattamie

Renee Schulte (bio), first elected in 2008 from district 37, covering part of Cedar Rapids in Linn County

Dave Deyoe (bio), first elected in 2006 from district 10, covering most of Story County outside Ames and part of Hamilton

Steve Lukan (bio), first elected in 2002 from district 32, covering parts of Dubuque and Delaware counties

House committee chairs

Appropriations Committee: Scott Raecker (bio) first elected in 1998 from district 63, covering most of Urbandale in Polk County

Administration and Regulation Appropriations Subcommittee: Ralph Watts (bio), first elected in 2002 from district 47, covering most of Dallas County and a small part of Boone

Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee: Jack Drake (bio), first elected in 1992 from district 57, covering Shelby County and parts of Cass and Pottawattamie

Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee: Jason Schultz (bio), first elected in 2008 from district 55, covering Ida County and parts of Woodbury, Crawford and Monona

Education Appropriations Subcommittee: Cecil Dolecheck (bio), first elected in 1996 from district 96, covering Montgomery, Adams, Taylor and Ringgold counties and part of Union

Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee: Dave Heaton (bio), first elected in 1994 from district 91, covering Henry County and part of Lee

Justice Systems Appropriations Subcommittee: Gary Worthan (bio), first elected in 2006 in district 52, covering Buena Vista County and part of Sac

Transportation, Infrastructure and Capitals Appropriations Subcommittee: Dan Huseman (bio), first elected in 1994 in House district 53, covering Cherokee county and parts of Plymouth and Woodbury

Agriculture Committee: Annette Sweeney (bio), first elected in 2008 from district 44, covering Hardin County and most of Marshall outside Marshalltown

Commerce Committee: Chuck Soderberg (bio), first elected in 2004 from district 3, covering parts of Plymouth and Sioux Counties

Economic Growth/Rebuild Iowa Committee: Pat Grassley (bio), first elected in 2006 from district 17, covering Butler County and part of Bremer

Labor Committee: Lance Horbach (bio), first elected in 1998 from district 40, covering Grundy County and most of Tama

State Government Committee: Peter Cownie (bio), first elected in 2008 from district 60, covering part of West Des Moines

Transportation Committee: David Tjepkes (bio), first elected in 2002 from district 50, covering Calhoun and Greene Counties and part of Webster

Ways and Means Committee: Tom Sands (bio), first elected in 2002 from district 87, covering Louisa County and part of Des Moines County

Government Oversight Committee: Chris Hagenow (bio), first elected in 2008 from district 59, covering some of the western Des Moines suburbs in Polk County

Judiciary Committee: Rich Anderson (bio), first elected in 2004 from district 97, covering Page and Fremont Counties and much of Mills

Education Committee: Greg Forristall (bio), first elected in 2006 from district 98, covering parts of Pottawattamie and Mills Counties

Administration and Rules: Renee Schulte (bio), first elected in 2008 from district 37, covering part of Cedar Rapids in Linn County

Environmental Protection: Steve Olson (bio), first elected in 2002 from district 83, including parts of Scott and Clinton counties

Ethics: Kevin Koester (bio), first elected in 2008 from district 70, covering Ankeny in Polk County

Human Resources: Linda Miller (bio), first elected in 2006 from district 82, covering part of Bettendorf in Scott County

Local Government: Nick Wagner (bio), first elected in 2008 from district 36, covering Marion and some rural areas of Linn County

Natural Resources: Henry Rayhons (bio), first elected in 1996 from district 11, covering Winnebago and Worth Counties and part of Hancock

Public Safety: Clel Baudler (bio), first elected in 1998 from district 58, covering Guthrie, Audubon and Adair Counties and part of Cass

Veterans Affairs: Royd Chambers (bio), first elected in 2002 from district 5, covering Osceola and O'Brien Counties and parts of Clay and Sioux

Administrative Rules Review: Dawn Pettengill, (bio), first elected in 2004 as a Democrat before switching parties in 2007; represents district 39, covering Benton County and part of Iowa

Note on experience: seven committee chairs were elected to the House for the first time in 2008; four were elected for the first time in 2006. Some of those legislators had plenty of relevant work experience prior to running for office, but others are only in their 20s or early 30s.

Of the 60 incoming House Republicans, 34 are either on Paulsen's leadership team or will chair a committee or appropriations subcommittee. Another 22 were just elected for the very first time. These four relatively experienced state representatives were left behind:

Dwayne Alons (bio), first elected in 1998 from district 4, covering Lyon County and most of Sioux. Bleeding Heartland readers may recall Alons' remarkably ill-informed views on climate change.

Rich Arnold (bio), first elected in 1994 from district 72, covering Monroe and Lucas Counties and parts of Mahaska and Marion

Betty De Boef (bio), first elected in 2000 from district 76, covering Keokuk County and parts of Iowa, Poweshiek and Tama

Jim Van Engelenhoven (bio), first elected in 1998 from district 71, covering most of Marion Couty and a little bit of Jasper

Democrats (40 state representatives)

Leadership team

Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (bio), first elected in 2002 from district 67, covering the southeast side of Des Moines. He served as House majority leader for the last four years alongside House Speaker Pat Murphy.

Assistant Minority Leaders:

Ako Abdul-Samad (bio), first elected in 2006 from district 66, covering much of central Des Moines in Polk County

Mark Smith (bio), first elected in 2000 from district 43, covering northeastern Marshall County, including Marshalltown

Sharon Steckman (bio), first elected in 2008 from district 13, covering part of Cerro Gordo County, including Mason City

Mary Mascher (bio), first elected in 1994 from district 77, covering part of Iowa City in Johnson County

On December 19, House Democrats voted to create a Rural Caucus "that will focus on giving Iowa's rural economy a boost by focusing on rural job creation, meeting Iowa's rural infrastructure needs, and guaranteeing adequate resources for rural schools."

Rural Caucus Chair: Andrew Wenthe (bio), first elected in 2006 from district 18, covering parts of Fayette, Bremer and Black Hawk Counties

Rural Caucus Vice-Chair: Dan Muhlbauer (bio), first elected in 2010 from district 51, covering Carroll County and parts of Sac and Crawford

Ranking committee members

Appropriations: Tyler Olson (bio), first elected in 2006 from district 38, covering part of Cedar Rapids in Linn County

Administration & Regulation Appropriations Subcommittee: Mary Gaskill (bio), first elected in 2002 from district 93, covering part of Wapello County, including Ottumwa

Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee: Chris Hall (bio), first elected in 2010 from district 2, covering the northeast part of Sioux City in Woodbury County

Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee: Kirsten Running-Marquardt (bio), first elected in 2009 (special election) from district 33, covering part of Cedar Rapids in Linn County

Education Appropriations Subcommittee: Cindy Winckler (bio), first elected in 2002 from district 86, covering part of Davenport in Scott County

Health & Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee: Lisa Heddens (bio), first elected in 2002 from district 46, covering part of Story County, including the north side of Ames, and a small area in Boone County

Justice Systems Appropriations Subcommittee: Todd Taylor (bio), first elected in a 1995 special election from House district 34, covering part of Cedar Rapids in Linn County

Agriculture: Helen Miller (bio), first elected in 2002 from district 49, covering part of Webster County, including Fort Dodge

Commerce: Brian Quirk (bio), first elected in 2000 from district 15, covering Chickasaw and Howard Counties and part of Winneshiek

Economic Growth/Rebuild Iowa: Roger Thomas (bio), first elected in 1996 from district 24, covering Clayton County and parts of Delaware and Fayette

Education: Nate Willems (bio), first elected in 2008 from district 29, covering parts of Linn and Johnson Counties

Environmental Protection: Phyllis Thede (bio), first elected in 2008 from district 81, covering part of Davenport in Scott County

Ethics: Dan Kelley (bio), first elected in 2010 from district 41, covering most of Jasper County, including Newton

Government Oversight: Janet Petersen (bio), first elected in 2000 from district 64, covering part of the west side of Des Moines in Polk County

Human Resources: Beth Wessel-Kroeschell (bio), first elected in 2004 from district 45, covering most of Ames in Story County

Judiciary: Kurt Swaim (bio), first elected in 2002 from district 94, covering Appanoose, Davis and Wayne Counties

Labor: Bruce Hunter (bio), first elected in 2003 (special election) from district 62, covering part of the south side of Des Moines in Polk County

Local Government: John Wittneben (bio), first elected in 2010 from district 7, covering Palo Alto and Emmet Counties and part of Kossuth

Natural Resources: Curt Hanson (bio), first elected in 2009 (special election) from district 90, covering Van Buren County, most of Jefferson and part of Wapello

Public Safety: Bob Kressig (bio), first elected in 2004 from district 19, covering most of Cedar Falls and some rural areas in Black Hawk County

State Government: Vicki Lensing (bio), first elected in 2000 from district 78, covering part of Iowa City in Johnson County

Transportation: Jim Lykam (bio), first elected in 2002 from district 85, covering part of Davenport in Scott County

Veterans Affairs: Jerry Kearns (bio), first elected in 2008 from district 92, covering part of Lee County including Keokuk and Fort Madison

Ways & Means: Dave Jacoby (bio), first elected in 2002 from district 30, covering Coralville and North Liberty in Johnson County

Year in review: Iowa politics in 2009 (part 2)

desmoinesdem — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:13:59 GMT

Following up on my review of news from the first half of last year, I've posted links to Bleeding Heartland's coverage of Iowa politics from July through December 2009 after the jump.

Hot topics on this blog during the second half of the year included the governor's race, the special election in Iowa House district 90, candidates announcing plans to run for the state legislature next year, the growing number of Republicans ready to challenge Representative Leonard Boswell, state budget constraints, and a scandal involving the tax credit for film-making.
July 2009

I reviewed some of the important laws that went into effect on July 1.

I encouraged Bleeding Heartland readers to get to know Bob Krause, the first Democrat to announce plans to challenge Chuck Grassley in 2010.

Debate raged over whether Governor Culver should call the legislature into special session to amend the fiscal year 2009 budget. Culver said he was "very confident" the budget was balanced.

A video of Chuck Grassley went viral after he told a questioner at a town-hall meeting to "go work for the federal government" if he wanted a health insurance plan like the one Grassley enjoys.

Iowa's smoking rate declined during the first year after the public smoking ban went into effect.

The Iowa Farm Bureau expressed confidence that the climate change bill would die in the Senate. It seems that they were right.

The Iowa Attorney General's office advised the Iowa Department of Public Health that a married lesbian who gives birth cannot list her spouse on the child's birth certificate.

After Christian Fong declared his candidacy for governor, I was struck by the way he borrowed from Barack Obama's playbook. I still wonder whether Fong could have gotten any traction in the GOP primary if Terry Branstad had stayed out of the governor's race.

The parent company of a firm that allegedly exploited mentally disabled workers claimed not to be subject to Iowa labor laws.

Chet Culver hired John Frew to be his new chief of staff and brought on Teresa Vilmain as a senior consultant to his re-election campaign. Meanwhile, a poll commissioned by The Iowa Republican blog found that Culver had decent approval and favorability ratings.

Iowa fully utilized federal stimulus funds aimed at extending unemployment benefits thanks to some steps taken during the 2009 legislative session.

The Government Accountability Office examined how 16 states were handling federal stimulus funds. Iowa got good marks for its "foundation of safeguards to help ensure the funds are being spent in the way that they were intended and to minimize the fraud, waste and abuse."

The Des Moines Register reported on a Mount Vernon grocer's lawsuit against the industry's top two wholesalers, charging they had conspired to keep food prices artificially high.

A Dubuque assisted living center exploited a loophole in order to evade government regulations for care of the elderly.

Bill Northey confirmed that he will not run for governor in 2010, but will run for re-election as Iowa secretary of agriculture.

Health Care for America Now and the Iowa Citizen Action Network created a "job application" for Iowans wanting to take Chuck Grassley's advice to "go work for the federal government" if they want good health insurance coverage.

A poll commissioned by The Iowa Republican blog showed Bob Vander Plaats with a commanding lead over other Republicans running for governor.

Strong investor interest and Iowa's high credit rating drove down the interest rate for the I-JOBS bonds, reducing future repayment costs.

The Des Moines rumor mill said Terry Branstad was thinking about getting back into politics, but I was still skeptical.

A report named State Representative Kerry Burt among a group of parents who didn't pay tuition fees to the University of Northern Iowa's Malcolm Price Laboratory School.

John Whitaker resigned as state representative in Iowa House district 90 in order to take a position with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

A bunch of teenagers got busted for underage drinking at the home of Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Marsha Ternus.

Christian Fong found a politically-correct Republican way to advocate discrimination against same-sex couples while sounding respectful and inclusive.

Governor Culver set September 1 as the date for the special election in Iowa House district 90.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation started looking into allegations that State Representative Kerry Burt failed to pay $37,000 in tuition costs for his children.

State Representative Rod Roberts joined the Republican race for governor.

I compared Chet Culver's and Terry Branstad's records on state budgets and flood recovery. I still think a central event in Branstad's tenure as governor was his 1994 Republican primary battle against then Congressman Fred Grandy.

The Iowa Board of Pharmacy refused to reclassify marijuana as a medication doctors can prescribe, but voted to hold public hearings on the issue.

Democrats and Republicans selected candidates for the special election in Iowa House district 90.

CNBC named Iowa the fourth best state for doing business.

The I-JOBS board awarded the first grants for infrastructure projects amid controversy over how many jobs would be created.

Representatives Bruce Braley, Dave Loebsack and Leonard Boswell helped negotiate new language in the House health care reform bill to change Medicare reimbursements.

Central Iowa business Republicans continued to search for a new candidate to enter the gubernatorial race.

Governor Culver rode a train through eastern Iowa to promote the expansion of passenger rail. Meanwhile, Representative Tom Latham tried but failed to replace $3 billion in high-speed rail funds with more money for roads in a transportation appropriations bill.

The RNC ran radio ads against Leonard Boswell on health care.

The Iowa GOP and Iowa Democratic Party agreed to hold the 2010 caucuses on Saturday, January 23 at 1 pm. I still think the caucus system needs serious reform.

Reports emerged that State Representative Kerry Burt dropped the governor's name in an effort to avoid a drunk-driving arrest.

Paul McKinley complained about Democrats blocking his time-wasting "state sovereignty resolution."

The Iowa Pharmacy Association filed a disclosure report on its February legislative reception five months late.

I dodged a teachable moment when Fred Phelps brought his Westboro Baptist Church clan to protest Jewish sites in central Iowa.

August 2009

Terry Branstad told the Des Moines Register that he was "not ruling out" running for governor in 2010.

The state Environmental Protection Commission considered new rules that would limit public input during the permit approval process for confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs).

Christian Fong announced ten campus coordinators to help attract the youth vote.

The Iowa GOP outsourced the House district 90 special election campaign to Iowans for Tax Relief and the Iowa Family Policy Center.

The National Republican Congressional Committee included Leonard Boswell (IA-03) on its list of 70 Democratic-held districts to be targeted in 2010.

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement discovered numerous late-filing disclosure violations by lobbyist groups during the 2009 legislative session, indicating that the Iowa legislature is unable or unwilling to enforce its own rules.

Iowa Republicans grew increasingly worried that Chuck Grassley might help Democrats pass health care reform, but I knew he wasn't working to improve the bill or its chances of passing.

The Senate confirmed Leach for that position in August.

I concluded that Iowa atheists have amazing power to make other people act like idiots.

I agreed with Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement about the need to stop subsidizing factory farms and overproduction of meat. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack denied the pork industry's request to buy excess pork in August but allocated money for that purpose later in the year.

Chris Rants bashed the Power Fund and missed the point.

Chuck Grassley played the "pull the plug on grandma" card.

Bleeding Heartland user blueback reminded us of the tv ads corporations funded through the Iowa Leadership Council in 2008. The ads targeted several Iowa House Democrats.

Iowa got the highest marks in the Work Loss Data Institute's 2009 state report cards on workers' compensation.

Bleeding Heartland user iowademocrat attended a Tom Harkin health care forum and declared, "Now I understand why war happens."

Leonard Boswell was vague about what he considered essential elements of a health care reform bill.

Republican Stephen Burgmeier's first tv ad in the House district 90 campaign focused on Governor Chet Culver and the I-JOBS state bonding initiative. The ad repeated the usual misleading Republican talking points against the I-JOBS borrowing.

Bleeding Heartland user iowademocrat posted some ideas on how to "defeat the health care forum bullies".

Bleeding Heartland user hei posted a first-person account from one of Representative Dave Loebsack's town-hall meetings.

The Iowa Democratic Party ran a tv ad in House district 90 focusing on how Republican candidate Stephen Burgmeier voted to raise his pay as a county supervisor four times in six years.

Guest poster Senate Guru advocated drafting Bruce Braley to run against Chuck Grassley, an idea I opposed.

Christian Fong promised that if elected governor, he would balance the budget every year without touching Iowa's reserve fund, prompting this post on the purpose of rainy day funds and the danger of cutting spending too deeply during a recession.

As some Senate Democrats floated regional health insurance co-operatives as an alternative to the public option, the New York Times noted that health insurance co-ops had already failed in Iowa.

Paul McKinley didn't even go through the motions of campaigning for governor.

The Republican Party and its candidate Stephen Burgmeier decided to downplay social issues during the special election campaign in House district 90, prompting an angry social conservative to run as a third-party campaign. A second social conservative also joined the race, and the two fringe candidates received more than 200 votes in the special election, which the Democrat won by 107 votes.

Iowa's budget picture continued to look bleak, with spending cuts increasingly likely to keep the current-year budget in balance.

Bob Vander Plaats bizarrely advocated taking Iowa out of the federal government-run Medicare and Medicaid programs.

The Iowa Civil Rights Commission voted unanimously "to formally support the Iowa Supreme Court's decision allowing gay marriage, and to formally oppose any constitutional amendment that would overturn the decision."

State Representative Kerry Burt received a fine and a year of probation after pleading guilty to drunk driving.

Rumors continued to circulate about a high-profile Democrat joining the race against Chuck Grassley.

Bleeding Heartland user iowavoter posted a first-hand account of a Grassley town-hall meeting.

I never did understand why State Senator Jerry Behn joined the Republican race for governor.

Christian Fong started running a statewide radio ad that made false claims about the I-JOBS bonding program as well as an ill-advised promise to "end the use of taxpayer money to fund lobbyists."

Bleeding Heartland user iowademocrat shared a personal story that fuels his commitment to health care reform.

Guest poster dopper0189 cross-posted a diary from Swing State Project on the concept of "Party Brand Index" applied to Iowa.

IowaPolitics.com published a disappointing "he said she said" piece on the story instead of investigating whether the ad's claims were true.

Anonymous hit pieces attacking Terry Branstad from the right popped up on Des Moines windshields and on YouTube.

Francis Thicke praised legislation in Illinois aimed at increasing local food production.

Steve King finally ruled out running for governor in 2010.

I chose not to attend an Organizing for America rally on health care reform.

Bleeding Heartland user iowademocrat, an early Obama supporter, lost patience with the president: "I refuse to work for his version of health care reform when he has no clear goal other than to pass something - anything - that may get through Congress, regardless of content."

Senator Ted Kennedy passed away, and his friend John Culver (former U.S. Senator, father of Chet Culver) made memorable remarks at the funeral.

The special election campaign in Iowa House district 90 heated up. The National Organization for Marriage spent heavily on television ads to help elect the Republican Burgmeier. Interest groups supporting Curt Hanson relied primarily on the ground game.

Fred Hubbell quickly quashed speculation that he might run against Chuck Grassley next year.

September 2009

Curt Hanson's narrow victory in the Iowa House district 90 special election was a pleasant surprise. When will Iowa Republicans learn how to run an absentee ballot drive?

I-JOBS grants were announced for 16 public shelters.

Survey USA found record low approval numbers for Chet Culver and Chuck Grassley.

The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released a report on how quickly states are turning around stimulus road funds, and Iowa scored quite well.

Attempts by marriage equality opponents to spin the House district 90 election as a success amused me.

I never believed the rumors that social conservatives were considering a primary challenge against Chuck Grassley.

The Iowa Policy Project concluded that "the state of working Iowa" is not good.

The year's school board elections brought no big upsets. I gave readers five reasons to vote in school board elections.

I discussed revised House race ratings by Larry Sabato, which put Iowa's second and third Congressional districts in the "likely Democratic" column.

Francis Thicke announced plans to run for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture in 2010 and responded to Republican name-calling.

Environment Iowa estimated that strong energy efficiency policies would create more than 6,000 jobs in Iowa while saving the average family $282 per year.

Chet Culver hired Andrew Roos to run his re-election campaign and Jesse Harris as deputy campaign manager.

Christian Fong claimed Culver hadn't done enough on flood relief, which struck me as odd since Fong (like fellow Republicans) opposed the I-JOBS infrastructure state bonding program. I-JOBS included $45 million in flood recovery funds for Linn County and about $100 million to help rebuild the University of Iowa campus.

Bob Vander Plaats promised not to balance his ticket with a less-conservative running mate.

Several Republican candidates for governor spoke at the Iowa Family Policy Center's fall event, but Terry Branstad was a no-show.

Tom Harkin held his annual steak fry, featuring Senator Al Franken of Minnesota. Harkin promised that health care reform containing a public option would pass by Christmas.

Jan Bauer, Sandy Opstvedt and Michael Kiernan gained new posts at the Democratic National Committee.

The Iowa Department of Transportation was developing new guidelines on passenger transportation. Meanwhile, the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization moved toward adopting a 25-year plan that, if completed, would increase vehicle miles traveled in our region by 33 percent.

I was disturbed by the failure of any prominent Republican to denounce political rhetoric of armed rebellion.

Ed and Lynn Fallon got a radio show on 98.3 FM in Des Moines.

The Des Moines Register's Iowa poll showed Culver's approval rating at 50 percent, down for the year but still in net positive territory. Terry Branstad had higher favorability ratings, but respondents were mixed on whether he should run for governor again.

The same poll indicated that Iowans are not eager to overturn marriage equality.

I was impressed by Dubuque's commitment to being a "sustainable city."

Iowa Department of Economic Development director Mike Tramontina resigned as news broke of major problems with Iowa's state film tax credit. Within days, Governor Culver fired the manager of the Iowa Film Office and named Fred Hubbell interim director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development.

Republican State Representative Kent Sorenson announced that he will challenge State Senator Staci Appel next year instead of running for re-election in House district 74. The campaign in Iowa Senate district 37 will be a race to watch, but I think Appel has a good chance to win re-election. Side note: Appel's husband, Brent Appel, is one of the Iowa Supreme Court justices who struck down our Defense of Marriage Act in the Varnum v Brien case.

Steve King decided same-sex marriage would lead to a "socialist society."

Rasmussen released an Iowa poll showing Chet Culver trailing Terry Branstad by 20 points and Bob Vander Plaats by 4 points.

The film tax credit scandal continued to make the news.

Iowa Democratic Party chair Michael Kiernan prominsed that a high-profile recruit would give Chuck Grassley "the race of his life" in 2010.

President Obama nominated Stephanie Rose and Nick Klinefeldt for the U.S. attorney positions in Iowa's northern and southern districts.

Asked about the Congressional vote he most regrets, Steve King said he couldn't think of any and pivoted to bragging about what he considers his "best vote": against the $1.5 billion aid package for Hurricane Katrina victims.

The growing questions surrounding Strategic Vision made me wonder whether their 2007 Iowa polls were fabricated.

In the wake of the film tax credit fiasco, I discussed some other bad bills that passed the Iowa legislature with little or no opposition.

Bleeding Heartland user American007 went home for Centerville's pancake day and shook Bob Vander Plaats' hand.

October 2009

Bleeding Heartland user BJazz sized up strong Democratic prospects for holding the Iowa Senate and concluded that "marriage equality is here to stay."

Francis Thicke argued that "we need to look beyond corn for biofuels."

Iowa Independent and ProPublica reported on high-end travel Representative Tom Latham enjoyed on the dime of his For America's Republican Majority PAC.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal said legislators see few benefits from the film tax credit.

I remembered Pope John Paul II's visit to Iowa 30 years ago.

With Terry Branstad looking increasingly likely to run for governor, I examined whether he might choose pro-choice former State Representative Libby Jacobs as his running mate.

Francis Thicke, Democratic candidate for Iowa secretary of agriculture, praised U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for becoming a champion for local foods.

Terry Branstad formed an exploratory committee for his gubernatorial campaign, shaking up the Republican field.

The Iowa Democratic Party responded that "some things should stay in the past."

I discussed the most likely lines of attack Branstad will face during the GOP primary.

Governor Culver ordered a 10 percent cut in fiscal year 2010 spending, and more details about the cuts emerged later in the month.

The Draft Branstad PAC, which is really a 527 group, apparently violated election law by advocating for Branstad after he filed paperwork forming an exploratory committee.

I wondered whether Iowa Republicans would seek out Sarah Palin's endorsement next year.

Dubuque conservative businessman Rod Blum announced plans to run against Bruce Braley in Iowa's first Congressional district (D+5).

Reverend Keith Ratliff, the head of the NAACP in Iowa and Nebraska, endorsed Bob Vander Plaats for governor.

I noted that by failing to pass campaign contribution limits during the past three years, Iowa's Democratic leaders enabled what is likely to be huge fundraising by Terry Branstad.

I was saddened to learn that State Representative Mark Kuhn won't seek re-election in Iowa House district 14.

Terry Branstad filed paperwork to explore a gubernatorial campaign and hired Iowa GOP Executive Director Jeff Boeyink as his campaign manager.

The Community Food Security Coalition held its annual conference in Des Moines for the first time ever, which inspired this post advocating that Governor Culver bring back the Iowa Food Policy Council.

On Blog Action Day I linked to a list of Iowa-based non-profit organizations helping to fight global warming.

Research 2000 polled Iowa for Daily Kos and found Chet Culver slightly trailing Terry Branstad but crushing Chris Rants and Bob Vander Plaats. The same poll showed Chuck Grassley barely above 50 percent against Christie Vilsack, Roxanne Conlin, Bob Krause and Tom Fiegen.

Terry Branstad announced plans to "fully explore" a gubernatorial bid and started hiring staff, as Chet Culver launched the first television commercial of his re-election campaign.

The same week that Steve King joined the right-wing crusade against White House "safe schools" official Kevin Jennings, Mike Denklau became the first Democrat to announce plans to run against King in Iowa's fifth Congressional district in 2010.

Christian Fong was the most prominent speaker at a rally of the Iowa Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.

I previewed the case Bob Vander Plaats will make against Terry Branstad in the GOP gubernatorial primary.

Inspired by ads New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine ran against overweight Republican Chris Christie, Bleeding Heartland user American007 pondered whether Chet Culver might be too big to win re-election.

I took another guess at how the likely Republican presidential candidates will do in the 2012 Iowa caucuses.

Roxanne Conlin told the Des Moines Register that "more likely than not" she will run against Senator Chuck Grassley.

State Senator Dennis Black's weak comments to an opponent of same-sex marriage inspired this post urging Iowa Democrats not to cop out when their conservative constituents press them on the issue.

Christie Vilsack ruled out running for U.S. Senate in 2010. She said, "never doubt I am committed to a life of service and to Iowa," leading me to suspect she plans to run for Congress someday when Leonard Boswell retires.

State Senator Brad Zaun and former Iowa GOP chairman Mike Mahaffey confirmed that they were thinking about running against Congressman Leonard Boswell.

I previewed what is likely to be a highly competitive race in Iowa Senate district 9 next year. First-term incumbent Democrat Bill Heckroth will face former Republican State Representative Bill Dix.

The governor announced more details about his mid-year budget cuts.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources formulated new rules on protecting Iowa's highest-quality waters.

State Representative Dick Taylor, a Democrat, announced his resignation, forcing a special election to be scheduled in Iowa House district 33. Later in the month, Democratic and Republican candidates were selected in special nominating conventions.

The Iowa Christian Alliance faced an FEC complaint over contributions allegedly run through West Hill United Methodist Church of Burlington.

November 2009

Democrats in Iowa and nationwide should not resort to sexist insults when mocking Sarah Palin.

I discussed the persistent rumor that Terry Branstad plans to pick insurance company executive Doug Reichardt as a running mate and analyzed what Reichardt might bring to the ticket.

I argued that it's a waste of time for journalists to speculate on whether Steve King will run for president in 2012.

I argued that Iowa Republicans must make their tent bigger in order to regain ground they've lost statewide and in former GOP strongholds like Scott County (Quad Cities area).

Chet Culver's re-election campaign started running a second television commercial, which I thought was quite good.

I reviewed some reactions to the off-year elections in Iowa, Maine, New Jersey and Virginia. In general it was a tough night for Iowa incumbents.

Some Iowa Republican bloggers talked down Brad Zaun for Congress.

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Stephanie Rose and Nick Klinefeldt's nominations for U.S. attorney in Iowa's northern and southern districts.

Iowa Senate minority leader Paul McKinley officially dropped out of the governor's race.

Steve King falsely claimed that the Democrats' proposed health care reform would cancel every private insurance contract in the country. King also missed a House Judiciary Committee hearing in order to participate in Michele Bachmann's Capitol Hill rally against health care reform. In so doing he helped doom several GOP-sponsored amendments to the PATRIOT Act.

The U.S. House narrowly approved a health care reform bill, and Iowa's representatives split on party lines.

Roxanne Conlin started putting together a campaign infrastructure and announced her candidacy for U.S. Senate with a two-minute biographical video.

I posted highlights from the Iowa GOP's big fall fundraiser, featuring an underwhelming debut by candidate Terry Branstad.

Leaders of AFSCME, the largest union representing state employees, reached a tentative deal with Governor Culver on concessions to avoid layoffs. The deal went to a vote of AFSCME members.

The Iowa-based conservative advocacy group American Future Fund asked the Federal Election Commission to overturn state bans on political robocalls.

Republican gubernatorial candidates Chris Rants and Terry Branstad continued to make misleading and hypocritical attacks on the I-JOBS infrastructure bonding initiative.

Republican Ross Paustian announced plans for a rematch against State Representative Elesha Gayman, who defeated him in 2008 in Iowa House district 84.

Iowa got good marks in a report by the Pew Center on the States on state budget problems. You'd never know that from listening to Iowa Republicans, however.

Crisitunity's Swing State Project post about vulnerable Democratic-held House districts suggested to me that the National Republican Congressional Committee is unlikely to invest heavily in Leonard Boswell's GOP opponent next year.

A feature article about Christian Fong got me thinking about ostensibly well-meaning bigotry in the Midwest.

The Des Moines Register's Iowa poll had very bad news for Chet Culver.

The Des Moines Register's Iowa poll indicated that Roxanne Conlin would have an uphill battle against Chuck Grassley.

Democrat Ed O'Neill stepped forward to run in Iowa Senate district 13 after two-term State Senator Roger Stewart announced plans to retire next year.

I viewed the upcoming GOP primary in Iowa's second Congressional district as a sign of the shrinking Republican tent. In a D+7 district long represented by Jim Leach, none of the potential GOP candidates is a social moderate.

Republican hypocrisy regarding the Obama administration's plans to try some terrorism suspects in the U.S. inspired this post.

Former Iowa State wrestling coach Jim Gibbons and State Senator Brad Zaun announced plans to run against Leonard Boswell in Iowa's third Congressional district. I wondered why so many Republicans are interested in this race. Even if a Republican defeats Boswell in 2010, he is likely to be thrown into a 2012 primary against Tom Latham in a redrawn IA-03.

After reading a report from Physicians for Social Responsibility, "Coal's Assault on Human Health," I suggested that it's misguided for some politicians to claim that climate change legislation would be "unfair" to residents of coal-dependent states.

Governor Culver announced more details about the planned review of Iowa's tax credits in the wake of the film tax credit scandal.

The U.S. Senate confirmed Stephanie Rose and Nick Klinefeldt to be the U.S. Attorneys in Iowa's northern and southern districts, respectively.

Several Iowa metro areas improved their rankings in the 2009 Milken Institute/Greenstreet Real Estate Partners Best-Performing Cities Index.

I enjoyed the Iowa Democratic Party's Jefferson-Jackson dinner, where Vice President Joe Biden gave the keynote speech. Before dinner I had a chance to meet Bill Maske, candidate for Iowa's fourth Congressional district. The same night I learned that two Democrats have announced plans to run against Steve King in Iowa's heavily Republican fifth district.

The USDA named five Iowa Farm Service Agency committee members, two of whom have strong ties in the sustainable agriculture community.

Bruce Braley said his constituents overwhelmingly support using the Thomson Correctional Center in Illinois to house some former prisoners from Guantanamo Bay. Iowa Republicans continued to hammer Braley on the issue.

Bob Vander Plaats said Terry Branstad shares responsibility for helping Democrats pass health care reform because he backed Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson in his 2000 campaign for U.S. Senate.

Democrat Kirsten Running-Marquardt easily won a special election to replace retiring State Representative Dick Taylor in Iowa House district 33.

State Senator Brad Zaun filed FEC paperwork to run for Congress in Iowa's third district.

Chris Rants and Jonathan Narcisse announced plans to hold a series of public debates around the state in December. It struck me as bad news for Governor Culver, since Narcisse had supported him in the 2006 Democratic primary. The debates didn't receive as much media attention as I had anticipated, however.

Former Iowa Senate Majority Leader Stew Iverson, who is also a former chairman of the Iowa GOP, announced that he may run in Iowa House district 9 next year against two-term Democrat McKinley Bailey. I was intrigued that Iverson doesn't seem to be considering running for his old Iowa Senate seat, which Democrat Rich Olive won by a narrow margin in 2006.

Two of Iowa's RNC members supported the so-called "purity test" designed to cut off GOP support for any candidate who strays too far from conservative dogma.

AFSCME and a smaller labor union representing state employees approved concessions in order to avoid layoff during the current fiscal year.

Democratic State Representative Wes Whitead announced that he will not seek re-election in House district 1. Next November Democrat Rick Mullin will face Republican Jeremy Taylor, who nearly upset Whitead in 2008.

Democratic Senate candidate Bob Krause, who chairs the Iowa Democratic Veterans Caucus, spoke out strongly against escalating the war in Afghanistan, while rival candidate Tom Fiegen called for a series of debates between the three Democrats competing to run against Chuck Grassley.

Mariannette Miller-Meeks announced plans to run against Dave Loebsack again in Iowa's second Congressional district. She faces more conservative Republicans Christopher Reed and Steve Rathje in the GOP primary.

Bruce Braley endorsed Roxanne Conlin in the Democratic primary to face Senator Chuck Grassley.

December 2009

December 1 was a bad day for incumbents as many Iowa cities held runoff local elections.

Christian Fong quit the Republican race for governor, citing "practical financial hurdles."

Andrew Roos departed as campaign manager for Chet Culver.

Governor Culver called for reforms to Iowa's budget process in a speech to the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation.

Iowa Senate minority leader Paul McKinley revealed his ignorance about special-needs education.

I previewed next year's campaign in Iowa Senate district 41, where a Republican and a Democrat intend to challenge GOP incumbent Dave Hartsuch.

State Senator Brad Zaun formally announced his candidacy in the GOP primary for Iowa's third Congressional district.

The executive director of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement published a good piece in the Des Moines Register about ending USDA loans that encourage construction of more factory farms.

Jim Gibbons' Congressional campaign's first attack against Leonard Boswell was pathetic, even by the standards of modern Republican campaigns.

Bruce Braley's House Populist Caucus and Tom Harkin advocated new Wall Street transaction fees to increase revenue and discourage "reckless speculation."

I speculated on whether Christian Fong should agree to be Branstad's running mate and whether Branstad should choose him.

I noticed that Iowa RNC Committeewoman Kim Lehman is still heading Iowa Right to Life, even though she promised a year ago to hand over the reins at that organization to someone else.

The Iowa GOP hired a new executive director to replace Jeff Boeyink, who left to manage Branstad's gubernatorial campaign.

The Des Moines metro area was rated the fourth-best U.S. city in terms of "bang for the buck."

Terry Branstad's campaign and its supporters engaged in some ridiculous revisionist history regarding his handling of the state budget.

A group of economists proposed reforms to Iowa's budget process.

Leonard Boswell turned up on a list of 17 House Democrats that the NRCC hopes to pressure into retirement.

I discussed the absurd overreaction by Iowa Republicans to former Lieutenant Governor Joy Corning's support for marriage equality.

I found confirmation of the rumor that ethanol baron Bruce Rastetter was backing Jim Gibbons for Congress in IA-03.

Cedar Rapids attorney Mark Seidl announced that he plans to run in Iowa House district 37, which Republican Renee Schulte carried in 2008 by just 13 votes.

The Iowa Legislature's Administrative Rules Review Committee unanimously approved new rules on regulating abuse and negligence in nursing homes, but I predict an attempt to overturn these rules during next year's legislative session.

Moderate Mark Rees became the fourth GOP candidate in the race against Leonard Boswell. Later in the month conservative Pat Bertroche would bring the GOP primary field to five.

The Obama administration announced its intention to move some prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to the Thomson Correctional Center in Illinois, but it may be years before the plan goes ahead.

Bill Maske declared his candidacy in Iowa's fourth Congressional district. He faces an uphill battle against eight-term Republican incumbent Tom Latham.

Jim Gibbons secured the backing of many heavy-hitter Republican donors in his race for the GOP nomination in IA-03.

Self-styled constitutional historian David Barton, a prominent conservative activist based in Texas, endorsed Bob Vander Plaats for governor.

I noticed that Terry Branstad has a big accountability problem.

After seeing the weak November fundraising numbers from the National Republican Congressional Committee, I predicted the NRCC will not spend heavily in IA-03 next year.

The Des Moines Rotary decided to review its approval process after 11 members rejected an application by a Planned Parenthood employee.

Second-tier candidate Jerry Behn quit the governor's race and endorsed Terry Branstad. I speculated on whether Chris Rants or Rod Roberts would be the next to go.

The National Republican Congressional Committee started a new robocall against Leonard Boswell three days before Christmas.

I launched a holiday haiku contest, and Bleeding Heartland readers submitted some good haikus inspired by the governor's race and the campaign in Iowa's third Congressional district.

A judge ordered a new trial for David Flores, who has spent more than 13 years in prison for murder.

The Census Bureau's last population estimates before the 2010 census confirmed that Iowa will lose a Congressional district during the next reapportionment.

Citing official statements by Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Grassley and Harkin, I previewed next year's campaign messages on health care reform..

Terry Branstad recorded a phone appeal targeting Iowa Democrats.

Steve King kept scaremongering about health care reform and the threat posed by moving terrorist suspects from Guantanamo Bay.

Culver appointed Bret Mills to run the Iowa Department of Economic Development and moved a housing program from IDED to the Iowa Finance Authority.

A review of state tax credits continued ahead of the 2010 legislative session.

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement was named most valuable grassroots advocacy group by John Nichols of The Nation.

I took issue with Environment Iowa giving Tom Harkin and Leonard Boswell perfect scores for their activities during the year.

Congratulations to Kirsten Running-Marquardt

desmoinesdem — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:38:20 GMT

Democratic candidate Kirsten Running-Marquardt won Tuesday's special election in Iowa House district 33 (Cedar Rapids) with 78 percent of the vote (pdf file) against Republican Joshua Thurston. Turnout was low at 9.45 percent, and John Deeth noted, "Nearly half the vote on absentee, a sign of the Democratic field operation at work."

The Cedar Rapids Gazette has more information on the brief special election campaign here. Running-Marquardt had raised more than 20 times as much money as her opponent:

Kirsten Running-Marquardt has raised $43,115, according to a report filed with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board covering the period up to five days before the Nov. 24 election. [...]
Republican Josh Thurston raised $2,000. [...]
Running-Marquardt scored heavily with unions, including $5,000 donations from the Great Plains Labor District Council and Hawkeye Labor Council, $2,500 from Buy Local, Build Local, Employ Local and the Iowa State Building and Trades Council Education Committee.
She received donations of $1,000 from the Quad City Federation of Labor, UFCW District Union 431, Iowa Staff Union, Sheryl Marquardt, the AFL-CIO Iowa Committee on Political Education and Operating Engineers 234. The ISEA PAC contributed $1,500.

With this special election victory, Democrats maintain a 56-44 advantage in the Iowa House.

Free campaign advice for Democratic women and their staffers

desmoinesdem — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:57:08 GMT

Lynda Waddington, contributor to Iowa Independent and creator of the Essential Estrogen blog, will be the featured speaker at two seminars on "developing campaign web pages and blogs for Democratic women candidates, and those who work their campaigns."

If you know any women who have considered running for office, or anyone who wants to work on a woman candidate's campaign, please spread the word. Waddington promises to "show participants the good, the bad, and the (oh so very) ugly that can come with being a politically active woman in the age of the internet and high technology."

The Des Moines seminar will take place on Saturday, November 14, from 1:30 to 3:30 pm at the AFSCME office, 4320 NW 2nd.

The Cedar Falls seminar will take place on Saturday, November 21, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Cedar Falls Public Library.

For more information, contact Jo Ann Zimmerman at 515-225-1136 or atzzzzz AT aol.com, or Marcia Nichols at 515-246-1517 (for the Des Moines event).

The seminars are free, no advance registration required. Sponsored by DAWN (Democratic Activist Womens Network) and AFSCME (American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees). DAWN was founded in 1992 to recruit and mentor Democratic women to run for public office.

Speaking of women running for office, jamesvw posted information to help get out the vote for Kirsten Running-Marquardt in the November 24 special election in Iowa House district 33.