Political Football

The Governor slowing this bill down is a great sign – if you have not contacted your representatives and senators please do so – or call the governor at 1-515-281-5211 or e-mail at chet.culver@iowa.gov this is ground breaking legislation and will start to bring back the fair share debate.

The bill passed on party line votes in 2 days. Democrat Senators only delayed the bill on Monday because Republican Senators threatened to walk out.

Public hearings should be allowed on bills that drastically changes how the state operates. Apparently Culver wants to keep his job. Union ownership of the Democrat House and Senate Caucuses apparently don’t believe this vote jeopardizes theirs. -pf

Link to story below

Gov. Chet Culver threatened Tuesday to veto legislation that would give Iowa’s public employees greater negotiating powers.

The legislation, House File 2645, was introduced and passed by both the House and the Senate within the past week.

The governor said that the process was rushed and that leaders in his own party failed to provide more public input as he requested.

Senate Democratic leaders on Monday temporarily delayed the bill from going to the governor’s desk. Majority Leader Michael Gronstal of Council Bluffs filed a motion to reconsider the bill. That means lawmakers could bring it back up for more debate or merely give Culver more time before the bill reaches his desk and triggers his three-day time frame for taking action.

“The motion to reconsider was a step in the right direction,” Culver said. “However, I want to be clear: There is a strong possibility that I will veto this bill if a real effort to listen to the concerns of Iowans, local elected officials and government stakeholders at all levels does not take place.”

Culver’s statements drew quick praise from opponents of the bill and Republican lawmakers and criticism from some union representatives and Democratic lawmakers.

“If he does indeed veto this bill, it represents a major step backward and once again relegates public employees to second-class citizens at the bargaining table,” said Linda Nelson, president of the Iowa State Education Association.

House Minority Leader Christopher Rants, a Sioux City Republican, said he was “pleased to see the governor is inclined to veto” the bill.

Rants said the section of the bill that allows unions greater negotiating powers should be taken out. “Short of a thorough removal of that amendment, the bill should be vetoed by the governor,” he said.

Culver had asked legislative leaders Monday to hold a public hearing on the issue before the bill was passed. Senate leaders ignored his request, saying the governor, who only recently returned from a vacation, would agree with them when he was up to speed on the issue.

Culver wasn’t specific Tuesday when reporters asked whether he would take the rare step of seeking a hearing after the Legislature has already acted on the bill.

“I’m looking for a thorough discussion and dialogue on this important issue, and I’m hoping that we can find common ground,” Culver said. “We can do whatever we think we need to do before we adjourn – to make changes, to make modifications, to start over.”

Gronstal was “incredibly disappointed” with Culver’s veto threat. The legislation would bring Iowa in line with 80 percent of the other states with public employee collective bargaining, he said.

It’s unlikely the Senate will hold a public hearing on House File 2645 or greatly alter the proposal, he added.

Senate Minority Leader Ron Wieck of Sioux City said that “there’s obviously some personal animosities between Senator Gronstal and the governor, and I would ask Senator Gronstal to put them aside.”

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