Radio Iowa

Dr. Dean's diagnosis on gay marriage: "It's a non-issue."

Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean is in Iowa this evening.  He hosted a health care forum in Des Moines late this afternoon.  This evening he's headlining a high-dollar fundraiser for "One Iowa" -- a group that's lobbied for gay marriage.

In an interview with Radio Iowa (me) and IowaPolitics.com (Travis), Dean rejected the contention from Republicans that gay marriage will be a big issue in the 2010 elections.

"This was a terrible issue when I ran for reelection in 2000 and it was a total non-issue in 2002. And marriage, you know, our legislature (in Vermont), we did (gay) marriage this year. Our legislature overrode the Republican governor's veto.  Now that's unheard of.  I was shocked.  I didn't see that coming either," Dean said. "This has just become a non-issue in states where there's a lot of neighborliness because even if people don't think, for religious reasons, that gay people ought to be able to get married, they're also respectful of their neighbors who may have a gay person in their family...It's a heartland phenomenon.  It's a small rural state phenomenon...In small towns where people know each other, it's much harder to be against someone you know that against someone you don't know."  

Dean said he was "shocked" when he heard the state supreme court had legalized gay marriage in Iowa.

"I honestly hadn't followed the case and I just was amazed 'cause you know I knew so much about Iowa.  I spent so much time here," Dean said, referencing his months of campaigning in advance of the 2004 Iowa Caucuses  "I have to say that once the decision came down, I was pretty sure that Iowans -- being practical and fair-minded -- would ultimately accept it, but I also knew that the right wing is very strong here and that there would be a big to-do about it."

Tonight's fundraiser was billed as a reception to honor Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal (D-Council Bluffs) & House Speaker Pat Murphy (D-Dubuque).  Republicans tried but failed in the just-concluded legislative session to set the wheels in motion for a statewide vote on a constitutional amendment which would ban gay marriage, but Murphy and Gronstal would not allow legislative action on the issue.

"As you know, I'm the first governor ever to sign a civil unions bill which nowadays is no big deal but then it was a very big deal and I just believe in fairness and social justice...I know what it takes to stand up for a decision like this and it takes a lot of courage and you always want people in public life who have courage," Dean said in the interview. "I mean, there are some Republicans that I've felt like writing checks to because they've done things, not just in terms of gay rights, but other things that, you know, were very difficult but were the right thing to do but not politically-popular."

Finally, Dean offered this long thought about why he considers the "tide" to be turning on gay marriage. "The tide is turning and it's going to turn," Dean said. "This new generation, you know, we did polling among Christian evangelicals when I was D.N.C. chair.  Christian evangelicals under 35 are very different from Christian evangelicals over 35 and, you know, this whole younger generation is an extraordinary generation and they want to put aside the things that divide us and they want to focus on the things we can do together to make the country a better place.  This new generation is not nearly as divisive. "This new generation is not nearly as divisive or confrontational as my generation and they also all know somebody who is gay because somebody has publicly said so to them and once you know somebody who is gay or lesbian, you can't say the things that you used to say about them. I remember growing up, we used to say things about gay people; we didn't know anybody who was gay -- we didn't think we knew anybody who was gay.  Once somebody says, 'I'm gay and I wish you wouldn't do that,' you don't talk like that anymore because they're a human being and that's what this new generation of Americans, this is just one more minority that's stood up for itself and is now being incorporated into the body politic of America with equal rights."

Late Night with Chester J. Culver

Midnight on Tuesday, May 26, 2009 was the deadline for the governor to take action on bills passed by the 2009 Iowa Legislature.  At 11:12 p.m. last night, Culver's staff sent out an email to reporters alterting us to his final decisions. The email had eight attachments -- the governor's formal explanation for each of his item vetoes on budget bills as well as a copy of his executive order  Because of that "bulk" I received the email at 11:19 p.m. last night.

After reviewing it at 4:30 a.m. this morning, I wrote a couple of stories.  If you want to read the news release from the governor that was issued at 11:12 p.m. last night, I've pasted it below. The item veto messages and the executive order are embeded below, too, as pdf files so you can read every last word that came out of the governor's office overnight. 

DES MOINES – Governor Chet Culver has taken final action on all outstanding legislation from the 2009 Iowa General Assembly.

“These bills – which include support for the issues Iowans care most about, such as our veterans, education, renewable energy, and job creation – bring to an end the 2009 Legislative Session, and Iowans should be proud of the work we have done,” said Governor Culver. “In a year when so many Iowans are still picking up the pieces from last year’s floods and with so many Iowans feeling the effects of this national recession, we were able to lay the groundwork for Iowa’s rebirth. The $830 million I-JOBS Initiative will help revitalize our communities, create new jobs, and allow us to literally work our way out of this recession. And our efforts on education, health care and disaster recovery will help tens of thousands of Iowans. This legislative session has been marked by many challenges. But it also shows that when elected leaders put good public policy above partisan politics, we can do good works for Iowa, and move our state closer the brighter, better future we all know is possible.”

The Governor signed the following Appropriations bills:

•        House File 805:  Transportation Appropriations Bill

•        House File 809 (HF 809 item-veto message):  Administration and Regulation Appropriations Bill, with exceptions

•        House File 811 (HF 811 item-veto message):  Health and Human Services Appropriations Bill, with exceptions

•        Senate File 467 (SF 467 item-veto message):  Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Bill, with exceptions

•        Senate File 479 (SF 469 item-veto message):  Economic Development Appropriations Bill, with exception

•        Senate File 470 (SF 470 item-veto message):  Education Appropriations Bill, with exceptions

•        Senate File 475 (SF 475 item-veto message):  Justice Appropriations Bill, with exceptions 

•        Senate File 478 (SF 478 item-veto message):  Standing Appropriations Bill, with exceptions

Governor Culver also signed today Executive Order 13 to promote greater transparency and efficiencies in state government. The order calls on the Department of Administrative Services to implement a new policy across the executive branch that will require every department to institute cost-effective and transparent practices to track reimbursements paid to State employees for meals, travel and other work-related costs. The Governor vetoed similar language today, added piecemeal to several budget bills, in order to issue his more comprehensive Executive Order which applies to all state departments.

“As Governor, I am committed to ensuring that state government uses tax-payer dollars wisely,” said Governor Culver. “Under Executive Order 13, we are ensuring that state employees are only reimbursed for the expenses they incur. This will help manage tax dollars wisely, and is one more sign that the Culver/Judge Administration’s commitment to sound budgeting practices will not waiver.”

A copy of the Executive Order is attached.

Below is a list of the final bills signed into law by the Governor:

•        House File 243 – Gender Balance on Boards and Commissions: Provides gender balance on local boards, commissions, committees, and councils.
•        House File 488 – Assistive Animals: Expands the rights of a person with a disability using an assistive animal to have another person to assist the person by controlling the assistive animal.
•        House File 671 – Volunteer Fire and EMS Job Protection: Prevents volunteer fire and EMS personnel from being fired from their jobs for responding to an emergency in their role as volunteer fire and/or EMS.
•        House File 712 – Private Right of Action: Gives Iowans the right to individually sue those who defraud them in certain cases.
•        Senate File 224 – Plumbers Bill: Makes modifications to the plumbing licensing statutes.
•        Senate File 291 – Retirement Communities: Allows communities that meet certain requirements be designated as “retirement communities” which could lead to state financial inducements for communities in the future.
•        Senate File 366 – Emancipation of a Minor: Sets up a legal process for minors in need of emancipation.
•        Senate File 405 – Disposal of Animal Carcasses; Grants some flexibility to veterinarians when they have an animal die over the weekend, when rendering plants are closed and the 24-hour disposal requirement is difficult to meet.
•        Senate File 432 – Manure on Frozen Ground: Generally bans application of manure on frozen and snowy ground by farmers during a specified period.  Provides procedures for emergency exceptions.
•        Senate File 433 – Health Care Facilities: Relates to the classification and assessment of violations in health care facilities and assisted living programs and providing penalties.
•        Senate File 435 – Land Surveyors Bill: Gives land surveyors the right to enter land without permission in order to survey. This has become necessary as currently a landowner can prevent resolution of a property disputed by denying access and as absentee landlords have become more common in rural areas.
•        Senate File 465 – Iowa Land and Records Bill: Increases certain real estate fees by $2 to pay for the redaction of social security numbers from IowaLandRecords.org.
•        Senate File 476 – Quality Assurance Assessment: Implements a federal Medicaid leveraging strategy for the state’s long-term care delivery system.
•        Senate File 482 – Summer Youth/Green Corps: Establishes the Summer Youth Corps, the Iowa Green Corps, and makes AmeriCorps education awards tax exempt in Iowa.
•        Senate File 815 – Articulation Agreements: Makes it easier to transfer credits from community college to a Regents’ institution.

Culver appoints board to hand out I-JOBS grants

Almost a decade ago former Governor Tom Vilsack appointed a high-profile, 13-member board -- led by I-Cubs owner Michael Gartner -- to negotiate with cities vying for "Vision Iowa" grants from the state.  (All the grants have been awarded.)

Last Friday, current Governor Chet Culver appointed a six-member board to hand out the I-JOBS grants from the state. (Board member Kate Gronstal is the daughter of Senate Democratic Leader Mike Gronstal. Jeff Pomerantz is not the son of Marvin Pomerantz, the long-time Republican Party benefactor who died last summer. Pomerantz was the father of four daughters.)

Here is the list of I-JOBS Board members and their bios, as released by Culver's staff:

Jeff Pomeranz, Chair – Pomeranz has served as the City Manager for the City of West Des Moines since 1998. Prior to that he served as the City Manager in Port Angeles, Washington for eight years and as the City Manager in Del Rio, TX for five years. He is an executive board member of the Iowa League of Cities and is an Adjunct Professor at Drake University. He received a B.A. in Political Science from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1980 and an M.P.A from the University of Alabama in 1982.

Pat Baird, Vice-Chair – Pat Baird began his career at AEGON USA in 1976. He has served as Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Director of Tax and was appointed to his current position in March 2002.  Baird is a past Chair and now a member of the Kirkwood Community College Foundation, a Priority One Board Member, and a member of the Waypoint Board of Trustees.  He received a degree in Business Administration from the University of Iowa in 1976 and became a CPA in 1978. 

Willard (Sandy) Boyd – Boyd is a Professor of Law and President Emeritus at the University of Iowa.  He served as the President of the University of Iowa from 1969 – 1981, and as interim president in 2002-2003.  Following his retirement he joined the U of I Law School Faculty, and in 2002, he founded the Larned A. Waterman Iowa Nonprofit Resource Center in Iowa City.   

Joni Dittmer – Dittmer has served as a Training Manager for Kraft Foods in Davenport since 2001. In addition, she is a licensed social worker and has run a private counseling practice since 2002. She serves on the Health and Human Services Committee of Scott County, the Condemnation Appraisal Jury, Scott County Jail Committee, and was elected to the North Scott School Board in 2005.  She received a Bachelor of Science from Iowa State University and a Masters of Social Work from the University of Iowa, and resides in Eldridge. 

Kate Gronstal – Gronstal is a Project Engineer for HNTB Corporation in Omaha, NE.  She also has experience as a bridge engineer with the Schemmer Associates Inc in Council Bluffs and the Kirkham Michael Consulting Engineers in Omaha.  She is a member of the Iowa Humanities Board, the Generation Iowa Commission, the Iowa Engineering Society, the Bluffs Arts Council, and Leadership Council Bluffs.  She received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 2000, and an M.P.A in Public Administration from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 2001.         

Toi Sullivan – Sullivan has worked as an Architect for FEH Associates in Sioux City since 1999.  She serves as a committee member on the Sioux City Design Standards Committee.  She has also served on the Leadership Siouxland Board since 2001 and recently became the Board President.  She received a B.S. in Architecture and Environmental Design from North Dakota State University in 1992. 

Grassley: no "rubber stamp" for SupCo nominee

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) spoke with two Iowa radio reporters this morning, moments before news broke that President Obama intends to nominate Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court.  Grassley made some general comments about the nomination, which you can read here.

Earlier this month, Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) had some things to say about what he wanted in a Supreme Court justice.

UPDATE -- here's a written statement from Grassley: “A lifetime appointment requires a thorough vetting, and I expect Judge Sotomayor to receive fair and deliberative consideration.  The United States Senate has a responsibility to carefully review nominees to the Supreme Court.   The Judiciary Committee should take time to ensure that the nominee will be true to the Constitution and apply the law, not personal politics, feelings or preferences.  We need to ask tough questions to learn how this individual views the role of a Supreme Court justice.  The last 25 years of Senate review of nominees has been entirely different than the first 200 years, and today the Senate can’t just be a rubber stamp for President Obama’s nominees.”

UPDATE II -- Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller issued a written statement:  "Judge Sonia Sotomayor is an outstanding nominee to the Supreme Court. Even before the President’s announcement, I thought she was the best of a very-well-qualified field of possible candidates. Judge Sotomayor has proved herself as an excellent jurist.  She believes in the rule of law, and she has the background and experience to understand how the law affects ordinary people, business, and government.  She is a woman and Hispanic with a diversity of life experience that will contribute much to the Court."

UPDATE III -- Congressman Steve King (R-Kiron, Iowa) issued a written statement (King, BTW, does not have a vote on Sotomayor's nomination; that's the purview of senators): “Supreme Court decisions have effectively amended our Constitution regularly and with impunity for decades.  Nearly all of the social conflict in this country stems from the Court’s extra-constitutional interference with the voice of the people.  The very last people in America who should be amending the Constitution are the Supreme Court justices. The Supreme Court is charged with interpreting the Constitution, but instead its recent activism has amended it. President Obama’s nomination of Sonia Sotomayor is another victory for the radical judicial activism movement. Judge Sotomayor will put her liberal policy preferences above neutral application of the law. This nomination is a setback for defenders of the Constitution and a victory for liberal special interest groups.”

UPDATE IV -- Iowa Democratic Party chairman Michael Kiernan issued a written statement (Kiernan's statement arrived before any from Senator Tom Harkin, BTW): “Nominating a justice to the Supreme Court of the United States is one of a President’s most serious and consequential responsibilities.  President Obama pledged to select a nominee with a rigorous intellect, a mastery of the law and a commitment to impartial justice. He promised to select someone who has a broader perspective on how the world works and has a common sense understanding of how the law affects the realities of everyday life. Today President Obama delivered on his promise with the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor. Sotomayor’s stirring life story and outstanding career - at nearly every level of our judicial system - makes her qualified to serve as America’s next Supreme Court Justice. Throughout her career on the bench, she has been lauded as a fearless jurist, with an independent mind and a deep commitment to the rule of law and our constitution.  I commend President Obama on his outstanding choice and congratulate Judge Sotomayor on her nomination."

Campaign websites

Yesterday, as I was doing a check to make sure I had State Auditor Dave Vaudt's age correct in my story, I ran across his campaign-style website.  (Vaudt, as you may know, announced yesterday that he would seek a third term as auditor rather than run for governor in 2010.) It made me wonder which statewide candidates/officeholders have websites up today:

• Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey (R-Spirit Lake) is "in the process of updating" his campaign-style website.
• Iowa Secretary of State Michael Mauro (D-Des Moines) has an up-to-date campaign website
• State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald (D-West Des Moines) and Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller (D-Des Moines) have no campaign websites that I can find (one would think there'd be something out there as Mauro and Vaudt, for example, are accepting online contributions on their sites).  If Miller & Fitzgerald did have websites, I'm guessing the Iowa Democratic Party would have a link, and they do not.
• The Republican Party of Iowa has links to the websites of their two GOP congressmen (Tom Latham and Steve King) and Senator Chuck Grassley, who is up for reelection in 2010.  Bob Krause, a Democrat who wants to challenge Grassley's reelection, has a website, too.

Among potential/likely/certain gubernatorial candidates, these are the three who have websites up and operating:

• Governor Chet Culver (D-Des Moines)
• Christopher Rants (R-Sioux City)
• Bob Vander Plaats (R-Sioux City)

New Nebraska plates

Nebraska's governor unveiled that state's new license plate design at a news conference this morning.  It's not big and red.  It's a basically gray background with "Nebraska.gov" in red letters at the top.  It was the most popular of four designs in an on-line voting contest.

Nebraska gets a new license plate design every six years. Iowa's current license plates were first issued in 1997. They have a mainly white background featuring a city to country landscape with a bit of blue sky at the top.  The letters and numbers are in blue. There are 34 different types of specialty plates available. 

Iowa tends to stick with a design for a long time.  The old green plates with white lettering were issued from 1979 to 1985. The bright blue plates with white lettering were issued from 1986 to 1996.

Linn County Democrat will serve on DNC

Some members of the Democratic National Committee serve on the panel because they've been elected to a leadership role in a national group.  News today from Iowa Democrats than another Iowa Democrat now falls in that category.  The news release is pasted below (scroll to the end to see two other Iowans who are served on the DNC in the same way as Linn County Supervisor Linda Langston now will).

LINDA LANGSTON ANNOUNCED AS NEW IOWA DNC MEMBER
DES MOINES, IA – Today, Iowa Democratic Party Chairman, Michael Kiernan, congratulated Linn County Supervisor, Linda Langston, who was recently elected as the President of the National Democratic County Officials.   As President, Linda will serve as a member of the Democratic National Committee. 

(Not a) Surprise! Vaudt to seek reelection

State Auditor Dave Vaudt held a news conference in his statehouse office this afternoon and announced he will seek reelection in 2010 rather than run for governor.  Click here to read the Radio Iowa story and listen to Vaudt's announcement.

The other statewide Republican officeholder -- Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey -- has said he'll decide sometime this summer whether he'll run for governor, but Northey's "leaning" toward seeking reelection to the job of ag secretary. 

State Representative Christopher Rants (R-Sioux City) is another on the "make a decision this summer" list.  Bob Vander Plaats of Sioux City, a two-time GOP candidate, has formed an exploratory committee and been acting like a three-time candidate for a few months. State Representative Rod Roberts (R-Carroll) is said to be mulling a bid, too, although he did not reply to an email I sent him earlier this spring on the matter. There are others sending up trial ballons, like agribusinessman Bruce Rastetter.

Just in case you missed it, Democrat Chet Culver -- the first-term governor -- has indicated he intends to seek a second term.

Not Leach, but another Republican

President Obama is sending a Republican to China, but the next U.S. Ambassador to that foreign land won't be former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach, a Republican who endorsed Obama in August.   

Obama is sending Utah's governor to China.  Governor Jon Huntsman, a Republican who served as one of the co-chairman of John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign, speaks Mandarin Chinese, by the way.  He's also been on many of the "lists" of potential 2012 Republican presidential candidates that people have begun assembling.

And thanks to Governor Culber...

I went to see the movie Sugar this weekend with some friends and we noticed a glaring "typo" in the credits.  We sat through the credits, as the movie was partly filmed in two Iowa locations.  As Charlotte Eby blogged, the credits thank Iowa's governor -- "Chester J. Culber."  (Yes, the letters b and v are right next to one another on the keyboard.)

This may be Culber's just desserts, as he has taken to calling long-time Iowa Public Radio reporter Jeneane Beck by another name:  Jeanette.  Perhaps the governor is remembering former KCCI anchor Jeanette Trompter.