Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack is under fire for vetoing funding for a program that helps the disabled. Vilsack “line-item” vetoed 300-thousand dollars that would’ve gone to doctors who help rehabilitate patients with brain injuries. Dave Vander Plaats is the chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Brain Injury. Vander Plaats owns a treatment center in Sioux City. He says doctors have to turn away some Iowa patients because reimbursement rates for out-of-state patients are higher. He doesn’t believe asking for more money from the state is a conflict of interest. Lieutenant Governor Sally Pederson says the administration vetoed the funds because they could only be used at one or two facitilies in the state. Pederson says the 300-thousand dollars would’ve gutted another program that serves Iowans with mental retardation or brain injuries. Pederson says the administration has been very committed to helping people with disabilities. She says they fought republicans to ensure that part of the tobacco settlement money was used to help the disabled. The money Vilsack vetoed was contained in a bill that funds the Human Services Department.
