Reynolds’ veto was a good decision

Gov. Kim Reynolds made the right call in vetoing a bill intended to put more teeth in Iowa’s open meetings law that, instead, opened a massive loophole.

House File 2539 started out as a good bill supported by open government advocates. It would have boosted the penalty for a public official who knowingly breaks the open meetings law to $12,500. Unknowingly breaking the law would cost $2,500.

But in the final hours of the 2024 session, lawmakers changed a provision of the law that allows elected officials to gather for “ministerial or social” purposes so long as no public policy is discussed. An amendment sponsored by Sen. Scott Webster, R-Bettendorf, would have expanded the open meetings exception to allow members of a governmental body to attend an event hosted by a political party or civic organization.

But the amendment did not carry through with language prohibiting a public policy discussion at those events. The omission of that language led open government advocates to conclude the change could be used as a get-out-of-openness excuse and allow private meetings.

Advocates wrote letters to Reynolds urging her to veto the bill. And that’s what she did on Friday among her last actions on legislation approved this year.

“Although well-intentioned, the amendment to the definition is unnecessary and will cause confusion,” Reynolds wrote in her veto message. “Open meetings laws need to be clear; otherwise, their application and enforcement will be inconsistent and varied.”

We couldn’t agree more.

Unfortunately, the last-minute amendment and veto dashed efforts by Rep. Gary Mohr, R-Bettendorf, who sought tougher penalties in the wake of secret settlements made by Davenport city officials to departing employees. In one case, an outgoing city administrator was paid $1.6 million. The settlements stoked criticism of Davenport officials over their handling of a deadly building collapse.

Lawmakers must come back in 2025 and revive the effort to hold government bodies accountable for breaking the law. And that must be done without any attempt to expand the law’s exemptions.

Iowans have a right to witness the process used to make public policy. Ignoring that right is a violation of the public trust and deserves stiff punishment. That should be the sole focus of the next open meetings bill.

(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com