Reynolds abused her emergency powers

“These are unprecedented times, and the state of Iowa will do whatever is necessary to address this public health disaster,” proclaimed Gov. Kim Reynolds as she declared a public health emergency in March of 2020. “The actions taken today are necessary to protect the health and safety of all Iowans and are critical to mitigating the spread of the virus.” With this emergency proclamation came emergency powers. Powers entrusted to the governor “to protect the health and safety of all Iowans.” What followed was anything but.

One of Reynolds’ first emergency acts was to award a $7.2 million no-bid contract for medical supplies to a Republican T-shirt and campaign yard sign vendor with zero experience in medical supplies. These supplies purchased with our Iowa tax dollars were not medical grade. Gov. Reynolds excluded the Iowa Public Health Department when deciding to lift COVID restrictions, and she rejected $95 million in federal funds for coronavirus testing. Finally, Reynolds signed the Republican bill stripping local control of mask mandates. “To protect the health and safety of all Iowans.”

Iowans deserve better than Kim Reynolds’ self-dealing. We put our trust in her when the pandemic struck. We were let down.

Andrew Kelley

Clinton