February 9, 2012

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Branstad, Vander Plaats tangle again

February 6, 2012 By

Governor Terry Branstad and Bob Vander Plaats — candidates who competed in a contentious Republican primary in 2010 — are still quarrelling in public. 

The latest skirmish comes over an anti-bullying conference — the Governor’s Conference on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Youth. Bob Vander Plaats, the second-place finisher in the 2010 GOP Primary, is now the CEO of a conservative Christian organization called The Family Leader. Vander Plaats issued a statement this morning (read it here) saying Governor Terry Branstad and his staff were “puppets to a far-left agenda” by refusing to take the governor’s name off that conference.

Branstad’s response?  

“I can’t help but laugh at that,” Branstad told reporters this morning, after he and his staff laughed when a reporter read Vander Plaats’ statement aloud. “I’m not a puppet to anybody. He knows better than that.”

Vander Plaats asserts that the conference will help “accelerate” a gay agenda in Iowa schools. Branstad last week said he believes in treating everyone with respect and dignity and no one should be bullied in school.

The annual Governor’s Conference on Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Bisexual Youth is put on by the “Iowa Safe Schools” group. It was started during former Governor Tom Vilsack’s tenure and continued during Governor Chet Culver’s term in office. Both Vilsack and Culver are Democrats.

Filed Under: News, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , , ,

Governor objects to state inspections of electrical work on farmsteads (audio)

January 23, 2012 By

Wapello County farmer Colin Johnson speaks at governor’s news conference.

Governor Terry Branstad has filed a formal objection to a state rule which requires farmers to hire a state inspector to review electrical work done on their farms.

Branstad says legislators specifically exempted farmers when they passed a law regarding electrical inspections of commercial businesses, but the Iowa Board of Electrical Examiners over-reached and made it apply to farmers, too.

“You’ve got a board that is circumventing the law,” Branstad says, “and that is what we find egregious and inappropriate.”

By filing the objection this morning, Branstad shifts the burden of proof if a group of farmers file a lawsuit on the matter and the governor says that means the state board will have to prove it had the authority to act despite the way the law was written.

“As I was campaigning across the state of Iowa and talking to farmers I heard a lot of horror stories about this,” Branstad says, “and I asked my staff what we could do.”

The state inspection costs $500. Wapello County farmer Colin Johnson of Batavia says that’s on top of what farmers spend hiring an electrical contractor to do the work — and there’s usually a waiting period before the state inspector can get to the farm.

“Certainly very unnecessary and financially burdensome,” Johnson says.

But Johnson and the governor admit a farmer could perform the electrical work on his own, without electrical training and without a follow-up inspection, if a lawsuit challenging the rule is successful.

“Agriculture and our farming operations are very different than a very public, commercial retail business and I think the law specified that very clearly that is was (to apply) to commercial (operations),” Johnson says. “How many times is my farming operation open to the public: my barns, my grain bins, my facilities?”

Branstad signs document to file objection to electric rules.

Johnson raises grain and cattle in the Ottumwa area.  Johnson and Branstad made their comments this morning during the governor’s weekly news conference at the statehouse.

AUDIO of 33-minute news conference. 

A spokesmen for the Iowa Board of Electrical Examiners has not responded to a request for comment on Branstad’s action.

Filed Under: Agriculture, News, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , , ,

It’s “lucky 17″ for Branstad today

January 10, 2012 By

Republican Terry Branstad will deliver the 2012 “Condition of the State” message today, an annual tradition for Iowa governors. Branstad is in year two of his fifth term as governor and this will be his 17th “Condition of the State” address.

“Seventeen is the number,” Branstad told reporters yesterday. “It’s a lucky a number. It’s also my wedding anniversary number. It’s also the day that I was drafted into the Army, so consider 17 to be a very lucky number and I’m excited about it.”

Branstad was drafted on September 17, 1969. He was married on June 17, 1972 — the same day as the Watergate break-in. 

Branstad has used “Condition of the State” speeches in the past to unveil new proposals, like a change to the state’s income tax system — which his fellow Republicans ultimately rejected nearly two decades ago. Branstad said he doesn’t plan to release any “surprise” proposals during his speech today. Branstad doesn’t intend to speak for much longer than half an hour either.

“I’m not going to try to cover the whole waterfront,” Branstad said. “I’m really going to focus on jobs and education.” 

Senate Democratic Leader Mike Gronstal on Mondaysaid the state must do more to recruit, develop and support great teachers.

“The simple truth is that one of the best things the Iowa legislature can do to help create jobs in this state is to increase student achievement,” Gronstal said. “I look forward to working with Governor Branstad, with members of the Iowa House and with Iowa’s parents and educators to keep improving Iowa schools.”

Senate President Jack Kibbie, a Democrat from Emmetsburg, said any education reform package should address the shortage of skilled workers in Iowa.

“In the Farm Crisis of the ’80s, Iowa lost population because there were no jobs for the unemployed,” Kibbie said. “In this recession and recovery, we face times when there are jobs, but where there aren’t workers to fill them. I believe we need to make a substantial investment in job training and re-training and the best way to do that is through our community college system.”

House Republican Leader Linda Upmeyer said for too long, legislators simply resorted to giving more money to schools.

“Businesses large and small have warned us that in order for them to grow, they need a well-educated and highly-skilled workforce,” Upmeyer said. “…This session we will take a comprehensive look on how we can be more effective in educating our children.”

Last year’s “Condition of the State” message was given by out-going Governor Chet Culver, as Governor Branstad was not yet sworn into office for his fifth term.  Branstad did deliver a budget address to legislators at the end of January and surprised them with his call to increase the state tax on casinos, a proposal which legislators rejected.   

Listen to legislative leaders deliver speeches on the opening day of the 2012 session.

Filed Under: Education, News, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , , ,

Lieutenant Governor’s role has evolved over the years

December 23, 2011 By

Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds and Governor Terry Branstad. (file photo)

It has now become routine to see Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds standing next to Governor Terry Branstad at news events and during his weekly meeting with the media — but that’s not the way things have always been.

The role of lieutenant governor has been evolving since the late 1980′s when the state constitution was changed so the governor and lieutenant governor could run on the same party ticket.

Before the change it was not uncommon for each official to be from opposite parties. The assigned duties were also different then.

Art Neu served as Lieutenant Governor from 1973 to 1978 when the job was to preside over the Iowa Senate. “I assigned bills to committees, I named members of the committees, and I named the chairman of the committees, and I would argue vigorously that this was a far more important job and certainly entails a lot more power than it does today. It was not however as visible because under Vilsack, under Culver and apparently now under Branstad they’re almost like twins tied together,” according to Neu.

During Branstad’s first stint as governor, he recruited State Senator Joy Corning as his running mate. “And at that time I said what will the lieutenant governor do? Because when we made the change in the constitution the duties were not specified other than to say ‘the duties will be assigned by the Governor’,” Corning explained.

Corning sat in on budget meetings, went on trade missions, and headed up special projects on diversity and literacy. She also campaigned to stop violence against women. The job was not that much different than it is today, but it was less visible.

Sally Pederson served as lieutenant governor when Branstad did not run again and Tom Vilsack won the office. Pederson was the first to begin participating in the weekly news conferences, and says it was a true partnership, which she discovered was the exception across the country.

Peterson says, “I knew from talking with my colleagues that most of them were sort of envious of the relationship that the Governor and I had. And I don’t think we’re likely to go back.” In fact, Iowa’s next governor elevated the position again.

Former Lt. Governor Patty Judge.

Chet Culver named Patty Judge as his running mate before he’d even secured the nomination and once elected, chose her to lead the Iowa Department of Homeland Security. Branstad says he had a good working relationship with Corning, but admits the position has evolved.

“I think Vilsack took it another step and I think Culver was very astute in teaming up with Patty Judge. I think she really got him elected because of the appeal that she had to the agriculture community. And we gave a lot of thought to it this time,” Branstad says.

“Part of it because the fact that, you know, I’m older and so I wanted a lieutenant governor that I felt could take over, somebody I would feel real comfortable with and shared my values and my philosophy.”

Branstad believes Reynolds is as prepared to be Governor as any lieutenant governor before her, because of the prominent position she’s played in his administration.

Filed Under: News, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , , ,

Audit raises questions about state government purchasing

December 5, 2011 By

The state auditor is recommending a series of changes in the way state officials strike deals to buy everything from computers to paper clips. 

The Iowa Department of Administrative services oversees 530 “master agreements” for the purchase of goods and services for 41 different state agencies. The audit found staff in the Department of Administrative Services did not “adequately monitor” those agreements. The result? A competitive bidding process was not used for many of the things state government bought from 2007 through 2010.

In one case, the Department of Corrections spent $22 million over the past decade without having a “valid contractual relationship” with the vendor. The department may have improperly given up a significant chunk of money in copyright fees.

Governor Branstad has not seen the audit, but earlier this morning during his weekly news conference Branstad said, in general, he has asked his agency administrators to come up with “better approaches” to buying goods and services.

“We want to protect the taxpayers’ interest in this process,” Branstad said. “We want to come up with the most economical and efficient way to do things and we recognize that there’s significant change that needs to be made to do that.”

Mike Carroll, director of the Department of Administrative Services, issued a written statement, saying he welcomes the recommendations in the audit. According to Allen, some of the changes have already been made, while other purchase guidelines are being evaluated.

Filed Under: News, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , ,

Grassley questions FCC over “Light Squared” plan

December 1, 2011 By

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley is questioning a federal agency’s decision to give a company called “LightSquared” the go-ahead for a new 4-G network that critics say may interfere with G.P.S. systems used by the military, emergency responders and pilots.

Grassley says the Federal Communications Commission is refusing to provide him with information about their decision. “You know what they right back to us? That they don’t have to answer only to the chairman of the Commerce Committee or Senator Rockefeller because I don’t have any jurisdiction over them, “Grassley says.

“…What they’re saying is 99.6% of the people elected to the United States Senate, they don’t have to answer to.” Grassley has used his power as a United States Senate to block considering of two people President Obama has nominated to serve on the F.C.C.

By Woody Gottburg, KSCJ, Sioux City

Filed Under: News, Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Branstad considers new steps to protect elderly, kids from sexual predators (audio)

November 28, 2011 By

Governor Branstad.

Governor Branstad is considering new steps to protect nursing home residents from a fellow patient with a criminal history of being sexually aggressive.

About a year ago a judge ordered the transfer of an 83-year-old man being held in the state prison unit for sexual predators into a nursing home in Pomeroy. That man is now accused of assaulting a 95-year-old woman in the nursing home.    

“We think it’s important that these things not happen in the future,” Branstad says, “and want to determine what is the most appropriate changes we need to make in terms of our laws, rules and procedures to prevent these kind of things from occurring.”

Branstad is criticizing a top aide to former Governor Chet Culver for failing to ensure the nursing home had a written plan to deal with the convicted criminal who had been ordered into the private facility. Branstad says he may ask legislators to pass a bill to deal with the situation if the “working group” reviewing the case believes laws must be changed.

“At least I think there should be a notification of all the people that reside in those facilities and their families,” Branstad says. “But I think we also need to look at whether or not those are the appropriate placement locations in the first place.”

Branstad is also visiting with members of the board that governs Iowa, Iowa State and U.N.I. to ensure allegations of sex abuse within the schools’ athletic departments are handled appropriately. Branstad says the “tragic situation” at Penn State has made “everyone very sensitive” to the topic.

“We need to be extremely careful to make sure whether it’s in a nursing home or a university campus or whether it’s in a day care or grade school or wherever it is that we’re doing as much as we can to protect the well-being of our citizens,” Branstad says, “especially children and elderly who are particularly vulnerable to sexual predators.”

Reports indicate former Penn State coach Joe Paterno did not notify police, but told a superior at the university when one of his assistant coaches reported witnessing another coach assaulting a boy.

AUDIO of Branstad’s weekly news conference.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Featured Story, News, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , ,
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