Branstad defends $150,000 transition request

DES MOINES - Gov. Terry Branstad played the gender card Monday to counter Democratic complaints over his $150,000 transition request for Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, saying they didn't object to past expenditures for incoming men moving into the state's top executive post.

The $7.269 billion state general fund budget the GOP-led Legislature approved for the 2018 fiscal year beginning July 1 includes the $150,000 appropriation to cover costs associated with the changeover when Branstad resigns to become ambassador to China and Reynolds is sworn in as Iowa's first female governor.

'There's no reason why Kim Reynolds should be denied the same transition that other governors received,” Branstad told reporters Monday.

During debate before lawmakers adjourned Saturday, Democrats took issue with the transition allowance, given the intraparty move within the governor's office amid a tight budget situation, calling it wasteful.

Branstad took issue with that view, given that his predecessor, Democrat Chet Culver, received $170,000 during his 2007 transition to the governorship. Culver was Iowa Secretary of State before being elected governor.

'The same Democrats, when they controlled everything, gave $170,000 for Culver's transition. Our budget is less than it was when Culver left office,” he said, his voice raising. 'Those liberal Democrats have nothing to talk about here. I tell you, I can't believe it. They would criticize a Republican woman, but they would give $170,000 to a Democrat male.”

Branstad said Reynolds will review state departments and agencies when she becomes governor and there may be changes in personnel, which could carry costs.

'You have some people who leave, and I can tell you - especially with the system that we have - when you have longtime employees that haven't used their vacations, there's a huge payout if they leave,” the governor said. 'So we suspect there will be some of those kinds of changes.”

Branstad said his office is operating on a budget of about $2.1 million, compared with $2.334 million when he and Reynolds took office in January 2011.

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