A new report from the Office of the State Auditor was supposed to summarize the results of an 18-month-long attempt to audit the Medicaid program administered by the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) that provides health services to patients in their homes. But that proved to be impossible, because repeated attempts to get accurate information […]
Gov. Terry Branstad
Judge orders Iowa to pay an additional $3.1 million because Gov. Terry Branstad violated state’s LGBTQ discrimination law

The amount of money the state of Iowa will have to foot because Gov. Terry Branstad violated the state’s anti-LGBTQ discrimination law grew by more than $3 million on Friday. In July, a Polk County jury found that Gov. Terry Branstad broke the law in 2011, when he tried to force Iowa Worker’s Compensation Commissioner Christopher Godfrey, who is openly gay, to resign […]
Gov. Reynolds: It would be ‘irresponsible not to’ appeal jury verdict that Terry Branstad violated state’s LGBTQ discrimination law
Jury finds Gov. Terry Branstad violated the state’s LGBTQ discrimination laws, awards former employee $1.5 million

Gov. Terry Branstad illegally discriminated against the former Iowa Workers’ Compensation Commissioner Christopher Godfrey when he slashed Godfrey’s salary in 2011 in an attempt to force Godfrey to resign, a Polk County jury decided on Monday. The jury agreed with Godfrey that Branstad had singled him out because Godfrey is gay, and awarded him $1.5 million in damages.
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State bypassed standard procedures to settle sexual harassment case just days before last November’s election

Shortly before last November’s election, state government officials bypassed normal procedures and quickly agreed to a multi-million dollar settlement of sexual harassment claims against a longtime friend and political ally of Gov. Kim Reynolds, the Associated Press’ Ryan J. Foley reported on Thursday. Foley obtained correspondence between Iowa Solicitor General Jeff Thompson and Paige Fielder, […]
Gov. Reynolds proposes constitutional amendment to eliminate voting restrictions for ex-convicts

Gov. Kim Reynolds said in her Condition of the State address on Tuesday that she’s ready to take action to advance her priorities. Reynolds told the assembled legislators, “the future I see isn’t around the corner, or after the next election. The future is now.” Except, it seems, for the one policy area where Reynolds […]
Gov. Kim Reynolds to visit Hamburg Inn on Thursday
Gov. Reynolds says Iowans ‘should probably’ get to vote on same-sex marriage, but her office says she doesn’t mean it

On Tuesday, Gov. Kim Reynolds said “from the very beginning” her position on same-sex marriage has been “it probably should go to a vote of the people and they should weigh in.” Later that afternoon, the governor’s spokesperson said the governor doesn’t believe what she said she believes, and that Reynolds accepts the legality of […]
Nepotism and Iowa politicians back in the news, after Gov. Reynolds gives her father a job

When most adults give an elderly parent a job, it’s usually as a babysitter. Not Gov. Kim Reynolds. This week it was revealed that Reynolds has appointed her 78-year-old father to a state panel that will vet judicial candidates in District 5A to replace retiring Judge Paul Huscher of Waukee. Charles Strawn will serve on […]
‘It’s not safe for women to be around him’: Letter that led to firing of Iowa Finance Authority director released

On Thursday afternoon, Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office reversed its previous stated position, and released the letter that led the governor to fire Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) Director Dave Jamison last month. The governor’s office had originally responded to an open records request from the Associated Press that it had no written documents related to the […]