Iowa’s current Lieutenant Governor and her predecessor are both being inducted in the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame this month. Charlotte Nelson of the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women says it seems appropriate that both are being recognized in the same year. Democrat Sally Pederson of Des Moines is Iowa’s current Lieutenant Governor. Republican Joy Cole Corning was Lieutenant Governor, running in 1990 and 1994 as former Governor Terry Branstad’s runningmate. Nelson says Corning has worked tirelessly on diversity issues during her public life. Nelson says Corning headed up the 75th Anniversary celebration marking the date when women earned the right to vote. Corning was a member of the Cedar Falls School Board for 11 years, then represented Cedar Falls in the State Senate before becoming Lieutenant Governor. Since she left office, Corning has worked on projects like raising money to build a chapel at the Iowa Women’s Prison in Mitchellville. As for Sally Pederson, she never held elected office before 1998, but Nelson says Pederson has been quite active in non-profit groups. Nelson says Pederson has an autistic son, and helped found the Autism Society of Iowa and was a national leader on related issues. Iowa’s last three Lieutenant Governors have been women. Former Lieutenant Governor Jo Ann Zimmerman was the last independently-elected to the post. A change in Iowa’s constitution means all Lieutenant Governors since have been runningmates to a gubernatorial candidate. The Hall of Fame ceremony will be held Saturday, August 21st at the State Historical Building in Des Moines.
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