Chuck Gipp
The Iowa Senate has unanimously endorsed the governor’s decision to name two former legislators to head state agencies.
Former State Representative Chuck Gipp, a Republican who used to live in Decorah, has been confirmed to serve as director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Senator Dick Dearden, a Democrat from Des Moines, says Gipp’s been doing the job on an interim basis since this past summer.
“Most of us here in the Senate have known Chuck for a lot of years,” Dearden says. “…He’s done a wonderful job.”
Senators also unanimously confirmed Steve Lukan to serve as the state’s Drug Policy Coordinator. Senator Steve Sodders, a Democrat from State Center, says he worked with Lukan “quite a bit” when Lukan was a state representative.
Steve Lukan
“He has been in the job about a year. He’s worked hard to learn all the different aspects of the Drug Policy Coordinator’s position and I’ve found him to be qualified,” Sodders says. “He’s easy to work with.”
Lukan, a Republican who used to live in New Vienna, served in the Iowa House for 10 years. Lukan resigned from the House last May to become the state’s drug czar. All of the governor’s state agency directors must win the support of 34 of the 50 Iowa Senators to be confirmed for the job. Members of state boards and commissions must also be confirmed by two-thirds of the senators.