Veto fallout

Gazette Editorial Board

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We think the Iowa Supreme Court got it right when it deemed unconstitutional Gov. Terry Branstad's line-item veto erasing a legislative directive to keep 36 state employment offices open.

We commend the governor for attempting to streamline government. But it was a mistake to stretch his already sizable veto powers past their constitutional limits. Then, the governor compounded his mistake by blaming those who challenged his overreach for the budgetary disarray spawned by the court's ruling. Clearly, the responsibility for this saga starts and the buck stops with Branstad.

Now, the governor and the Legislature have the responsibility of plugging a budget gap at the Department of Workforce Development blown open by the illegal veto. Important programs and services could grind to a halt soon without Statehouse action to restore funding.

We understand that the fate of the offices and the decision on how best to deliver employment services are the subject of a political dispute between the governor and Democrats. And if lawmakers want to carry that fight into the process of writing next year's budget or to the fall campaign, that's their prerogative.

But right now, it's time to put aside politics and make sure unemployed Iowans get the help they need.

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