Bill Text: IA HR126 | 2013-2014 | 85th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A resolution directing the standing Committee on Government Oversight to investigate certain state government matters.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 40-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-04-15 - Resolution filed, referred to Administration and Rules. H.J. 751. [HR126 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2013-HR126-Introduced.html
House
Resolution
126
-
Introduced
HOUSE
RESOLUTION
NO.
126
BY
HANSON
,
GAINES
,
LENSING
,
THEDE
,
GASKILL
,
ANDERSON
,
DAWSON
,
KAJTAZOVIC
,
T.
TAYLOR
,
M.
SMITH
,
RUNNING-MARQUARDT
,
WINCKLER
,
HUNTER
,
H.
MILLER
,
THOMAS
,
ISENHART
,
WOOD
,
PRICHARD
,
ABDUL-SAMAD
,
JACOBY
,
OLDSON
,
KRESSIG
,
LYKAM
,
BERRY
,
COHOON
,
MURPHY
,
MUHLBAUER
,
KELLEY
,
FORBES
,
STECKMAN
,
STUTSMAN
,
WESSEL-KROESCHELL
,
BEARINGER
,
WOLFE
,
RUFF
,
DUNKEL
,
LUNDBY
,
KEARNS
,
STAED
,
and
HEDDENS
A
Resolution
directing
the
standing
Committee
on
1
Government
Oversight
to
investigate
certain
state
2
government
matters.
3
WHEREAS,
legislative
investigations
are
an
essential
4
function
of
the
General
Assembly’s
constitutional
5
duties
of
lawmaking,
appropriation
of
state
moneys,
6
and
open
and
transparent
oversight
relating
to
public
7
policy
decisions
made
by
the
General
Assembly
and
the
8
implementation
of
the
law
by
the
executive
branch;
and
9
WHEREAS,
Governor
Terry
E.
Branstad
created
an
10
Iowa
Juvenile
Home
Protection
Task
Force
in
August
11
2013,
which
recommended
in
October
2013
that
a
20-bed
12
facility
of
last
resort
be
maintained
for
delinquent
13
girls
and
that
child-in-need-of-assistance
youth
not
be
14
placed
at
the
Iowa
Juvenile
Home,
but
Governor
Branstad
15
closed
the
Iowa
Juvenile
Home
on
January
15,
2014,
16
two
days
after
the
convening
of
the
2014
Legislative
17
Session,
impounding
and
redirecting
the
use
of
state
18
funds
and
transferring
residents
without
allowing
the
19
General
Assembly
time
to
perform
its
public
policy
and
20
lawmaking
functions
with
regard
to
the
home
and
its
21
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H.R.
126
residents;
and
1
WHEREAS,
Teresa
Wahlert,
Director
of
Iowa
Workforce
2
Development,
eliminated
the
Chief
Administrative
Law
3
Judge’s
position
responsible
for
the
oversight
of
4
unemployment
compensation
cases
in
her
agency,
assuming
5
the
supervision
herself,
and
allegedly
directing
the
6
Administrative
Law
Judges
to
conduct
themselves
in
a
7
manner
favorable
to
employers,
thereby
interfering
with
8
their
ability
to
impartially
judge
cases
as
required
9
by
federal
law;
and
10
WHEREAS,
during
Governor
Branstad’s
current
11
administration
the
employment
of
state
employees
has
12
been
terminated
through
the
use
of
personnel
settlement
13
agreements
that
contain
confidentiality
clauses
14
attempting
to
force
state
employees
to
maintain
the
15
confidentiality
of
facts,
circumstances,
and
terms
16
related
to
the
settlement
agreements,
with
additional
17
compensation
offered
or
paid
to
some
state
employees
18
for
the
inclusion
of
such
confidentiality
clauses;
and
19
WHEREAS,
the
Department
of
Administrative
Services,
20
pursuant
to
a
recent
public
records
law
request,
21
has
released
a
list
of
hundreds
of
workers
who
are
22
disqualified
from
future
employment
because
they
were
23
discharged
or
resigned
before
termination,
a
practice
24
which
has
been
concealed
from
the
public
and
often
from
25
workers
on
the
list;
and
26
WHEREAS,
it
is
the
duty
of
the
standing
Committee
on
27
Government
Oversight
to
act
as
the
investigative
arm
of
28
the
House
of
Representatives;
and
29
WHEREAS,
the
standing
Committee
on
Government
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H.R.
126
Oversight
in
the
past
has
investigated
or
conducted
1
inquiries
regarding
government
wrongdoing
involving
the
2
Central
Iowa
Employment
and
Training
Consortium,
the
3
Atalissa
boardinghouse
workers,
the
Iowa
Film
Office,
4
and
the
Iowa
Association
of
School
Boards,
and
such
5
investigations
and
inquiries
have
resulted
in
the
6
improvement
of
governmental
functions;
and
7
WHEREAS,
the
abrupt
closing
of
the
Iowa
Juvenile
8
Home,
the
alleged
attempt
to
interfere
with
9
impartiality
in
Iowa
Workforce
Development
cases,
10
the
unenforceable
use
of
confidentiality
clauses
11
in
personnel
settlement
agreements
in
the
executive
12
branch,
and
the
secret
disqualifying
of
former
state
13
employees
have
not
been
as
thoroughly
investigated
14
as
anticipated,
and
therefore
these
issues
remain
15
unresolved;
and
16
WHEREAS,
additional
investigation
by
the
elected
17
representatives
of
the
citizens
of
Iowa
is
necessary
to
18
assure
transparency
and
openness
in
state
government
19
actions,
to
protect
citizens
and
prevent
future
abuses
20
of
the
law,
and
to
restore
the
citizens’
faith
in
state
21
government;
NOW
THEREFORE,
22
BE
IT
RESOLVED
BY
THE
HOUSE
OF
REPRESENTATIVES,
23
That
the
standing
Committee
on
Government
Oversight
is
24
directed
to
thoroughly
investigate
the
issues
described
25
in
this
resolution
and
any
related
issues
that
may
26
arise;
and
27
BE
IT
FURTHER
RESOLVED,
That
the
House
standing
28
Committee
on
Government
Oversight
is
encouraged
29
to
consult
and
cooperate
with
the
Senate
standing
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H.R.
126
Committee
on
Government
Oversight
regarding
any
or
all
1
of
the
issues
described
in
this
resolution
or
on
other
2
related
issues;
and
3
BE
IT
FURTHER
RESOLVED,
That
the
standing
4
Committee
on
Government
Oversight,
in
conducting
such
5
investigation,
pursuant
to
Iowa
Code
sections
2.15
6
and
2.23,
is
authorized
to
call
witnesses,
administer
7
oaths,
issue
subpoenas,
and
cite
for
contempt,
and
8
to
meet
at
such
times
and
at
such
places
as
the
9
Chairperson
of
the
Committee
deems
necessary;
and
10
BE
IT
FURTHER
RESOLVED,
That
the
standing
Committee
11
on
Government
Oversight
is
directed
to
receive
and
12
review
any
relevant
public
records
information
13
available
through
a
request
for
examination
or
copying
14
of
public
records
pursuant
to
Iowa
Code
chapter
22;
and
15
BE
IT
FURTHER
RESOLVED,
That
the
standing
Committee
16
on
Government
Oversight
is
authorized
to
retain,
at
17
a
reasonable
rate
of
compensation,
independent
legal
18
counsel,
with
expertise
in
investigatory
work,
and
19
special
investigators
to
coordinate,
direct,
and
20
conduct
such
investigation,
as
necessary,
to
reimburse
21
such
persons
for
reasonable
expenses
related
to
such
22
investigation,
and
to
make
recommendations
to
the
23
committee
regarding
legislative
and
prosecutorial
24
actions.
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