Capitol Notebook: Constitutional amendment clarifying governor’s successor going to Iowa voters

DES MOINES — Iowa voters soon will be asked whether to approve an amendment to the Iowa Constitution clarifying the state’s line of succession following the governor.

The amendment states that when a governor appoints a lieutenant governor to fill a vacancy, that new lieutenant governor is granted the office’s full authority and would succeed the governor if the need arises.

The proposed clarification was prompted when Gov. Kim Reynolds replaced former Gov. Terry Branstad in 2017. There was a legal question whether the state constitution granted Reynolds’ appointed lieutenant governor, Adam Gregg, the office’s full authority and whether he would become governor if Reynolds had to leave office.

The question was rendered moot when Reynolds and Gregg won election to their jobs in 2018.

But state lawmakers then sought to clarify the language in the Iowa Constitution. An amendment to the constitution requires approval by consecutive Iowa General Assemblies, then a vote during a general election.

The proposed clarification, House Joint Resolution 3, passed the Iowa Legislature in 2022 and again in 2023, earning its final passage Monday night in the Senate with a unanimous vote, 50-0. It is now eligible to be on the ballot in the November 2024 general election.

Legislative leaders set budget targets

Iowa House and Senate leaders released joint budget targets Thursday as lawmakers approach the end of this year’s legislative session.

Their proposed budget for the next fiscal year would total $8.516 billion, about 3.7 percent higher than the current year’s budget. The proposal also is about $30 million higher than the budget proposed by Gov. Kim Reynolds and Senate Republicans and $60 million lower than House Republicans’ proposal.

The budget is among the last pieces of legislation lawmakers must pass before ending the session until 2024. While there is no mandated end date for the session, lawmakers’ daily allowances for expenses run out after 110 days, or April 28 this year.

The chairs of both chambers’ Appropriations Committees said in a news release Thursday the proposed budget represents an investment in priority areas while keeping the budget sustainable with revenues.

“Today’s budget agreement continues Senate Republicans’ commitment to Iowans to pass sustainable budgets to fund education and public safety, while at the same time prioritizing tax relief for hard working Iowans,” said Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Tim Kraayenbrink, R-Fort Dodge.

The targets for individual categories are:

Iowa’s unemployment rate drops to 2.8%

Iowa’s unemployment rate dropped a tenth of a point to 2.8 percent in March, according to state workforce data.

Iowa’s rate remains below the national unemployment rate, which was 3.5 percent in March, also down a tenth of a point.

Iowa’s labor participation rate increased to 68.2 percent in March by adding 2,700 new workers.

“March’s strong numbers across the board again demonstrate that Iowa’s economy continues to trend in the right direction,” Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend said in a news release.

More appointments confirmed

Two more of Gov. Kim Reynolds’ appointments to state boards and commissions were narrowly confirmed by the Iowa Senate, largely on the strength of Republicans’ new supermajority in the chamber.

The appointments of Kristen Stiffler, as director of the Iowa State Civil Rights Commission, and Alan Ostergren, to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, were each confirmed with 35 votes.

Gubernatorial appointments as state department heads and to state boards and commissions require approval by two-thirds of the Iowa Senate. Since the Republican majority in the chamber grew to 34 after the 2022 elections, Republicans now have enough votes to approve Reynolds’ appointees without needing support from Democrats.

Erik Helland, as chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board, was confirmed with 39 votes. Reynolds previously had twice appointed Helland to the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board, although he was never confirmed by the Senate.

Judicial appointment

Richelle Mahaffey was appointed as a district associate judge in Judicial Election District 8A, Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office announced.

The southeast Iowa district includes Appanoose, Davis, Jefferson, Keokuk, Mahaska, Monroe, Poweshiek, Wapello, Washington and Van Buren counties.

Mahaffey is now an assistant public defender in the Des Moines Juvenile Office of the State Public Defender.

Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau