President Danny Homan: Governor Branstad’s Hypocrisy Showing Again; Branstad Says Respect Legislature’s intent on Dove Hunting, but not on Iowa Workforce Development Closures

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
AUGUST 22, 2011
CONTACT: Charlie Wishman, AFSCME Iowa Council 61, 515-210-9045

AFSCME Iowa Council 61 President Danny Homan: Governor Branstad’s Hypocrisy Showing Again
Branstad Says Respect Legislature’s intent on Dove Hunting, but not on Iowa Workforce Development Closures

In Governor Branstad’s weekly news conference the Governor stated, "We need to respect the intent of the legislature and an issue of this magnitude should be decided by the legislature, not an unelected commission."

That is exactly what Governor Branstad has done this summer, by making the decision to ignore the will of both chambers and both parties of the Iowa Legislature and close down around two-thirds of Iowa Workforce Development worksites. To call dove hunting an issue of magnitude that only the legislature can deal with while at the same time ignoring the legislature’s bi-partisan intent to keep 35 Iowa Workforce Development sites open during a recession is an incredible statement.

I wish that the Governor cared as much for Iowa’s unemployed as he does for what kind of ammunition is used to kill small animals. Unfortunately, this Governor has shown that he doesn’t care about maintaining Iowa’s level of services to our struggling working families. Governor Branstad, I will renew my call for you to agree to a special session of the Iowa Legislature to deal with this and other serious problems like the understaffing of our prisons.
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