The Iowa Supreme Court will hear oral arguments tonight in the appeal of a ruling against the governor over the closing of 36 Iowa Workforce Development offices. A Polk County judge ruled the governor’s line-item veto of money set aside by the legislature to keep the offices open was unconstitutional because the governor attempted to redirect the money.
Five Democrats in the legislature and AFSCME, the state’s largest employee union, filed the lawsuit. AFSCME Council 61 president, Danny Homan, said they want to see the offices reopened as they offer services needed by the unemployed.
Branstad said the offices have been replaced by a “much more efficient” system involving computer stations in libraries, homeless shelters and other locations. The Supreme Court will begin hearing the oral arguments in the case at seven o’clock in the courtroom of the judicial building in Des Moines.
The court will also stream the arguments live on its website: www.iowacourts.gov/Supreme_Court/Oral_Argument_Video