Reducing Iowa’s state boards and commissions on tap for state lawmakers

DES MOINES — A proposal to eliminate or consolidate 111 of Iowa’s state boards and commissions, still leaving 145 in place, is on the table for state lawmakers to consider.

Both majority-party Republicans and minority-party Democrats in the Iowa Legislature said they will consider the recommendations, which come from a task force established by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds as part of her overall streamlining of the executive branch of state government. But where Republicans and Democrats differ at the moment is over whether the task force did its due diligence before making the recommendations.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, of Grimes, praised the work of the Board and Commission Review Committee as transparent and flexible. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Pam Jochum, of Dubuque, called the committee “kind of a sham” and “a rubber stamp for what (Reynolds) already wanted to do.”

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The review committee was created in a massive state government reorganization advocated by and signed into law by Reynolds during last year’s legislative session. That law shrank the number of department-level agencies and eliminated hundreds of vacant state job positions.

Lawmakers will consider the boards and commission recommendations during the 2024 session of the Iowa Legislature, which begins Monday. Republicans have not yet crafted legislation out of the task force’s proposal.

“I think it’s been a very transparent process, and I look forward to working on it,” Whitver said. “We’ve had boards and commissions for hundreds of years and nobody has ever taken a look at it. Like, ‘Is this the best way or the most efficient way to do this?’ There’s boards we probably don’t need anymore. There’s probably some boards that could fit underneath other boards.

“But it seems like government always wants to add, add, add, add more things. But no one wants to make sure it’s working, how it should be working. And that’s what the intent of this is.”

The review committee’s final report included some changes made after concerns were raised during a public hearing. Some boards slated for elimination were retained when it was noted that would mean a loss of federal funding to Iowa. A recommendation to combine the Board of Athletic Training with another board was scrapped when athletic trainers noted that losing licensing for their profession would disincentivize qualified trainers from working in the state and allow unqualified people to work as trainers.

Reynolds declined to be interviewed for The Gazette’s legislative preview series.

“The governor, I think she’s done a good job of getting that issue to a point where we’re ready to really start addressing a bill,” Whitver said. “She’s had many, many meetings, public hearings, taken feedback from advocates, changed her initial proposals. So I think she’s in a really good spot, ready to introduce a bill and then we’ll pick up from there.”

The full, final report from the review committee is more than 500 pages and can be viewed on the Iowa Department of Management’s website. The committee completed its work and delivered its report in September.

Under the recommendations, scores of boards and commissions would continue, including the Board of Regents — whose members would be paid $10,000 each. About six dozen boards would be eliminated, including the Health Facilities Council, which in the last few years has granted plans that will make North Liberty the newest hub in the Corridor for medical care. Others would be consolidated or undergo other changes.

Many of the panels are responsible for licensing an industry’s professionals — like doctors or teachers — and providing oversight of their work. During a public hearing last fall, members of boards regulating things like electricians, plumbers, midwives and court reporters said their expertise was needed to manage that specific profession, rather than leaving it to a larger board whose members lack the special expertise.

Democratic legislative leaders said they’ll be watching the proposed reduction of state boards and commissions with a careful eye, especially regarding professional licensure.

“I’ll tell you that we’re going to make sure that people who are experts in their fields are still on these boards and commissions so that when they’re overseeing these industries, experts are the ones who are making those decisions,” said Iowa House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, a Democrat from Windsor Heights. “We’re going to make sure that we’re not consolidating for consolidation’s sake at the risk of oversight of some of these industries.”

Jochum also expressed concern with how the reduction in boards could impact professional licensure and the quality of services in Iowa.

“What I do know is that we are hearing from many different organizations that deal with boards and commissions that oversee professions (and) different professionals. They truly are very concerned that this is undermining the safety and health of Iowans,” Jochum said. “So we will be like hawks on this one, making sure that there are not going to be unintended consequences again that are going to hurt the public in some way.”

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The review committee’s report calls for the “implementation of clear, consistent, and effective licensing standards that will reduce barriers to entry into the workforce while continuing to protect the health and safety of Iowans.”

Konfrst also said Democrats will oppose any proposal to remove gender balance requirements for state boards and commissions. Some Republican lawmakers have advocated that the requirement is no longer needed to ensure fair representation on state boards, and that the requirement in some cases is hindering boards’ ability to fill empty positions.

“I can't believe that in 2024, we may talk about whether or not women deserve an equal place at the table of boards and commissions in the state as men,” Konfrst said.

Comments: (515) 355-1300, erin.murphy@thegazette.com