DES MOINES – A lawsuit brought against Governor Terry Branstad for his closing of the Iowa Juvenile Home last year was dismissed Thursday by the Iowa Supreme Court.
The lawsuit, brought by Democrats who want the institution to remain open, challenged Brantad’s action of closing the Toledo, Iowa facility. However, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that since lawmakers didn’t appropriate funding to keep the facility open in the first place, the lawsuit is moot.
Iowa Representative Marti Anderson sounded off on the decision.
“I am so disappointed in the dismissal of this case,” Anderson said. “First we sue on the basis the Governor overstepped his authority in closing the Toledo Juvenile Home last year. The case was dismissed, not because there is no merit in the facts, but because we are no longer funding the Toledo Juvenile Home (TJH), therefore we have no standing to sue since we aren’t currently appropriating funds for the TJH.”
A temporary injunction from a district judge last year that ordered the facility to stay open is also vacated. The facility is empty, and no one is employed there at this time.
They lost another one. No money but they wanted it anyway.