Republican Governor Terry Branstad is ridiculing Democrats in the legislature who are pressing for a special legislative session to override one of Branstad’s recent decisions.
“The time for political posturing is really over,” Branstad says. “(Democrats) know there’s no chance that will happen. It requires two-thirds of both houses. Republicans have no interest in playing that political game with them.”
Branstad used his item veto authority to remove language in a budget bill that would have kept 37 Iowa Workforce Development offices open. Staff in those offices have provided job counseling services to out-of-work Iowans. The agency has created 16 regional, one-stop centers instead, but Democrats in the legislature have been angling for a special session so the legislature can act to keep those offices open. With Republicans refusing to go along, there isn’t the required number of legislators willing to call themselves back into special session. Branstad says legislators already met for six months in regular session.
“The last thing Iowans want is them to come back, start getting paid again so they can posture more at the taxpayers’ expense,” Branstad says.
Branstad praises the state Workforce Development agency for taking steps to install computer terminals in libraries, armories, community colleges and other facilities which unemployed Iowans may use for their job search.
Audio from Branstad’s weekly news conference.