JENEARY – LEGISLATURE
The first week of the Iowa Legislative session is history, and it was marked by Governor Kim Reynolds Condition of the State address. 3rd District Iowa Representative Tom Jeneary of Le Mars says the Governor outlined a bold agenda, but more details are needed on her priorities.
One area Rep. Jeneary wanted to hear more about from the governor was carbon capture pipelines.
Rep. Jeneary says he likes the Governor’s ideas for reorganizing state government. He also says there’s lots of new faces in the House. There are nearly 40 first time lawmakers among the 100-member chamber this session.
There are some big issues that the House Republicans want to tackle during this lawmaking session.
On the Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Jeneary wants to hear from conservation groups.
On the Veterans Committee, converting state facilities to serve veterans is one approach Representative Jeneary wants taken.
Jeneary will serve on the Health and Human Services committee; the Natural Resources committee; and the Veterans Affairs Committee.
RULES MORATORIUM
Governor Reynolds has issued a moratorium on new rule-making by state government agencies.
After the governor signs laws passed by the legislature, state administrators draft rules to implement those laws.
Gov. Kim Reynolds has directed state agencies to review every rule and regulation they have on the books today, make a cost-benefit analysis and repeal those that have an undue economic burden.
Representative Megan Jones of Sioux Rapids will become chair of the legislative panel that reviews proposed state government rules and regulations in February.
Jones, who is an attorney, has been on the legislative committee that can approve or reject proposed state government rules since 2013.
Governor Reynolds says this initiative to freeze development of state government rules is paired with her plan to consolidate state agencies. She says these two proposals will minimize the burden of state government regulation.
VOTER FRAUD
The wife of a Woodbury County Supervisor has been arrested and charged with more than 50 counts of voter fraud. Jeremy Taylor of Sioux City lost a Republican primary for Iowa’s fourth district congressional seat in June of 2020. In November of 2020, Taylor won back a seat on the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors. He’d resigned from the board in early 2020 after the county auditor ruled Taylor did not live at the address listed on his voter registration. Now, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice, 49-year-old Kim Taylor of Sioux City is accused of submitting or having others submit dozens of voter registration and absentee ballot request forms in the 2020 Republican Primary and 2020 General Election. She’s also accused of submitting absentee ballots that contained false information in both of the elections when her husband’s name was on the ballot. Court documents indicate Kim Taylor signed forms without voters permission and told others that they could sign on behalf of relatives. She’s charged with 23 counts of fraudulent voting and 26 counts of providing false information when voting or registering to vote. She’s also charged with three counts of voter registration fraud.
IOWA GUARD RECRUITING
Iowa National Guard Adjutant General Benjamin Corell says it’s increasingly difficult to recruit new soldiers and airmen — and less than 30 percent of young Americans meet the physical and medical requirements for membership. The Iowa Army National Guard and the Iowa Air Guard have nearly 100 percent of the members authorized by the Pentagon, but Corell says last year’s recruiting class fell far short of his goals. Recent studies indicate 2022 was the worst year for military recruiting since 1973. That’s when the transition to an all-volunteer military began. Corell says about 700 recruits annually apply for an Iowa National Guard Service Scholarship, but this past year that’s increased to 900. The governor’s budget proposal includes a one-and-a-half million dollar increase in that scholarship fund to ensure recruits get 100 percent of the scholarship they were promised.
HS FOOTBALL CLASSIFICATION
The State Board of Education has approved a change in the bylaws of the organization that oversees boys high school sports to allow them to consider a school’s socioeconomic status for football classification. Iowa High School Athletic Association executive director Tom Keating, says they would reduce a school’s enrollment by 40 percent of their free and reduced price lunch numbers to determine which class they are in. The goal is to balance out numbers — and he says between 20 and 25 will go up and 20 and 25 will go down in class with this plan. Keating says scheduling is the one thing the Association has control over where they can try to make a change. One member of the Board of Education suggested the Board take some more time to review the proposal, but Keating says they need to get working on the plan to have it ready in February to let schools know by March. Another board member said he trusted the I-H-S-A-A is taking the right steps and doing what is best for the players. The Board then voted unanimously to approve the plan.
GOVERNOR SWEARING IN
Iowa’s 43rd governor will take the oath of office for another term this morning. Republican Kim Reynolds — the first woman to serve as Iowa’s governor — has been the state’s chief executive since mid-2017. Terry Branstad chose Reynolds as his running mate in 2010 and she took over the governorship when Branstad resigned. Reynolds won a full, four-year term in 2018 and she was reelected this past November. Today’s Inauguration Ceremony starts at 9 a.m. in Des Moines. The governor will host an open house at the governor’s mansion at noon and then a reception at the statehouse starting at two this afternoon. Tonight’s Inaugural Ball in downtown Des Moines is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
