Capitol Notebook: Iowa National Guard faces recruitment shortfalls

Fewer Iowans are interested in joining the Iowa National Guard than in past years, creating concerns over readiness and strength, the guard’s top general told the Iowa Legislature on Thursday.

Maj. Gen. Ben Corell, the adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard, said in the annual Condition of the Guard address that the guard would recommit to connecting with the community and making its pitch to young Iowans in the coming year.

“The motto of the Iowa National Guard is ‘Always ready,’” he said. “As an organization, we face increased pressure and challenges over readiness, both at home and abroad. Here at home, the No. 1 challenge to readiness has become strength and our ability to recruit and retain quality soldiers and airmen.”

The guard employs 6,500 part-time service members and 2,200 full-time members and civilians. Corell said other opportunities, such as attending college, had decreased overall interest in the guard.

New recruits to the guard were around 60 percent of normal recruitment in the past year, he told reporters after the address. Iowa’s National Guard membership fell slightly in the past year, with the Army National Guard at 98 percent of its target and the Air National Guard at 97 percent.

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Corell asked the Legislature to continue supporting the guard’s service scholarship program, which provides annual scholarships to Army and Air National Guard members to attend college.

In the past year, demand for the scholarships increased and outpaced the money appropriated for the program, which is administered through Iowa College Student Aid Commission. Corell told reporters the commission would request an additional $1.5 million for the scholarships.

“It’s important for Iowa, it’s important for our communities to get these young people with a college education,” he said. “And then we’ve got to balance their requirements in the Iowa National Guard with their ability to go to school.”

Corell also said the guard was looking to reorganize its facilities to provide drilling locations closer to home for soldiers and airmen. Most members travel more than an hour to get to their duty location.

Part of that project is to build a new $20 million armory in West Des Moines, which he said is expected to be completed by 2026. The project received 75 percent of its funding from the federal government and 25 percent from the state. The guard will also look to maintain its presence in rural communities, he said.

“As we move forward, we must carefully balance the need to station and build in growing communities with the need to maintain and invest in our rural communities where we have historically established our Iowa National Guard facilities,” Corell said.

State Auditor Rob Sand formally sworn in for second term

State Auditor Rob Sand was sworn in to a second term Thursday at the Iowa Capitol.

The Decorah native narrowly held on to his seat in the November election, becoming the only Democrat elected statewide.

Sand, a lawyer, served in the Iowa Attorney General’s Office from 2010 to 2017 as a prosecutor of public corruption cases before being elected state auditor in 2018.

The office is responsible for auditing the financial operations of Iowa’s state and local governments and provides guidance to CPA firms performing such audits.

In his first term, Sand said his office identified a record amount of misspent funds and created an efficiency program to help public entities find new ways to save money, a program his office said is being replicated by Mississippi’s Republican state auditor.

“I’m excited to continue the work that we have gotten started on, and I’m excited to do it in the same way,” Sand said.

He pledged to continue to manage his office in a nonpartisan manner. Sand appointed a Republican, an independent and a Democrat to his senior leadership team when he first assumed the role.

He also thanked and recognized Republican statewide officeholders who attended his swearing-in. They included Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and State Treasurer Roby Smith.

He also thanked his family, friends, colleagues and lawmakers, including his former boss, Tom Miller.

Miller, a Democrat, served a record-setting 40 years in office as the longest-serving state attorney general in U.S. history. Miller left office at the start of the year after being defeated by Bird in the November election, a victory that was marked by a large swing toward Republicans statewide and heavy support from Gov. Kim Reynolds.

“One of the things I learned from Tom that I brought here was a willingness to work with people from any party,” Sand said. “The only thing we want to promise to the people of Iowa is truth. … We are going to continue to ignore, as we have before, the party affiliation of whoever it is we are auditing and look at the facts and look at the truth.

“… And what matters is that we are working day and night to reduce waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer money in the state of Iowa.”

Reynolds devotes $4 million in federal funds to home rehabilitation

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced $4 million in grants to rehabilitate 131 homes in Burlington, Grinnell, Keokuk, Mason City and Washington.

The funds come from the Home Rehabilitation Block Grant pilot program, part of a $100 million initiative to increase the supply of housing in the state. That money was made available through the federal American Rescue Plan’s State and Local Fiscal Relief Funds.

The program received applications totaling nearly $4.5 million, and applications were weighed based on need, impact, community readiness and other criteria. Another $3.3 million in funding is being used by the communities for the projects.

“I’ve been steadfast in my commitment to advancing housing opportunities to ensure that every Iowan can live near their work,” Reynolds said in a news release. “To meet that goal, we must not only build new housing but we also must preserve our existing housing stock. Today’s investments will give new life to more than 130 aging homes so that Iowa families can be proud to call them home for many years to come.”

The homes being rehabilitated include both owner-occupied and rental homes. Mason City Mayor Bill Schickel said in the news release the improvements would boost neighborhood flourishing in the city.

The amount awarded to each city is:

• Burlington: $1 million

• Grinnell: $1 million

• Keokuk: $600,000

• Mason City: $1 million

• Washington: $400,000

Secretary of state presents awards for combating human trafficking

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate awarded five Iowans and a business with awards on behalf of the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking on Thursday in the Capitol.

The awards were given on the basis of the recipients' role in leading the fight to end human trafficking, according to Pate's office.

Pate has led several initiatives against human trafficking and has partnered with Iowa businesses to combat it.

“It was a pleasure to recognize these individuals and businesses for their support combating human trafficking across the state,” Pate said in a news release. “I appreciate the work they’ve done so far and thank them for their service working to put an end to this horrible crime.”

The recipients of the awards are:

•Alka Khanolkar of Keokuk.

•Leland Schipper of Des Moines.

•Tish Young of Cedar Rapids.

•IMT Insurance Company.

•Melody Stone of Mason City.

•Sister Shirley Fineran of Sioux City.