Iowa Senate passes anti-cronyism bill along party lines

Governor Branstad, plagued by cronyism and other scandals as he seeks re-election

DES MOINES – A divided Iowa Senate Friday passed a bill designed to prevent cronyism in hiring practices in state government of the kind that has plagued Governor Terry Branstad’s Administration.

The Senate bill prohibits secret settlements and hush money in state government; requires the State Auditor to investigate previously secret settlements; creates new requirements to prevent cronyism in hiring state employees and sweetheart contracts; restricts use of “do-not-hire” lists and ensures more transparency for affected applicants and provides for an appeal process; and expands whistleblower protections.

Senate Democrats say that a House version of the bill misses some key points, by not addressing whistleblower protections, cronyism in hiring, sweetheart deals for state contracts, cost savings comparison when hiring private contractors, reform of the do not hire list, and a DAS audit.

Iowa Senator Janet Peterson, Oversight Committee Chairwoman, said “The events of the last two months, the testimony before the Oversight Committee, and what I’ve been told personally by former—and current—state employees, is shocking, disappointing, and far, far less than what Iowans expect from their state government. There are serious, systemic problems with our state government.”

However, Republicans hit back hard.

“This bill fails to require full transparency. There is one glaring omission. It fails to disclose reasons for the termination of state employees,” said Senate Republican Leader Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock. “Iowa taxpayers shoulder the whole bill for government and they deserve the whole story.

“Senate Republicans offered to collaborate in a bipartisan manner to create legislation to provide transparency and protect all Iowa workers. Senate Republicans asked repeatedly to work with Senate Democrats to reach consensus to fix to a problem we both agree exists. However, Democrats set their sights on serving their union bosses instead of their real bosses, the Iowa taxpayers. Iowans had the lights turned out on them today with this bill passed by Senate Democrats.”