Northwest Iowa legislators lose committee chairmanships

SIOUX CITY - Midway through a two-year session, two Republican lawmakers from Woodbury County in northwest Iowa have been stripped of their committee chairmanships in the Iowa Senate.

Uncertainty about how much longer state Sens. Bill Anderson, 40, of Pierson, and Rick Bertrand, 47, of Sioux City, will serve in the Iowa Senate may have been a factor in losing the chairmanships.

The state Senate in late May published committee assignments. Anderson was removed as Commerce Committee chairman, and Bertrand was replaced as chairman of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee.

After years of being in the minority in the Iowa Senate, Republicans won a slew of seats in November 2016 and now control the chamber with 29 seats. There are 20 Democratic senators and one independent, Sen. David Johnson of Ocheyedan.

Anderson told the Sioux City Journal this week he isn't second-guessing Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix's decision to remove him as a committee chairman.

'I still support Bill Dix, and he is an excellent leader,” Anderson said of the Shell Rock Republican.

Anderson and Bertrand are serving four-year terms that run through the end of 2018.

Anderson and Bertrand have both told the Journal they are not certain if they will run for re-election.

Bertrand said Republican Senate leaders 'are looking for longevity” in committee chairs. 'I can't fulfill the longevity that they are looking for,” he added.

Chairs typically set the agenda for bills assigned to their committees.

'I still have many important committee assignments,” Anderson said.

Anderson serves on the Natural Resources, State Government, Transportation and Ways and Means committees. Bertrand is a member of the Commerce, Natural Resources, Transportation and Veterans Affairs committees.

Regardless of losing the chairmanships, both Bertrand and Anderson said they will work hard for constituents in the months ahead.

'People come and go as committee chairs and (minority party) ranking members all the time,” Bertrand said.

Dix did not respond to an interview request.