Blind and deaf Iowans oppose changes in Reynolds’ agency reorganization bill

Iowans with disabilities criticized Gov. Kim Reynolds’ government reorganization bill Monday for changes that give the governor more appointment powers over the Department for the Blind, saying it would politicize the state services.

State senators heard public comments during a subcommittee meeting on Senate Study Bill  1123. The governor’s 1,500-page bill would reorganize Iowa’s current system of state government, consolidating Iowa’s cabinet-level state agencies from 37 to 16.

Under the proposal, the director of Iowa’s Department of the Blind would be appointed by the governor. The bill also would eliminate the authority of the Commission for the Blind to appoint officers for the commission. Multiple blind Iowans spoke against the legislation, saying that these moves would politicize the department.

Cindy Ray, first vice president of the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa, said she’s lived in other states where she was unable to get employment because of her blindness. Iowa’s services for the blind are better than most other states, she said, because it’s run by and for blind people.

“I have seen that blind people running the agency understand and know blind people,” Ray said. “… I think that to take the agency out of the hands of commissioners for the Blind Board would gradually be the end of the kind of agency we have today.”

Several speakers shared their experiences working with the department, receiving special training and support they said are unavailable in other states. The current director of the department, Emily Wharton, said if the legislation passes, she may no longer be director.

“I cannot say that this is good for blind Iowans,” Wharton said. “I cannot support that. I know that I’m not supposed to say that. But this commission has, for almost 100 years, had the ability to appoint its director, so that it could appoint someone who was knowledgeable about blindness and blindness-related issues, and that this position was not political.”

Senator: Subcommittee meeting not accessible

Sen. Nate Boulton, D-Des Moines, said the subcommittee meeting itself, where legislators had trouble identifying who wanted to testify, shows why politics should be kept out of the department appointments.

“The only thing we’re hearing as justification of why we would disrupt that success is philosophy. That’s not a good answer,” Boulton said. “And if you want an example of why that’s not a good answer, just today for this subcommittee meeting, we struggled to recognize people to speak because this committee isn’t experienced in making things accessible.”

A deaf Iowan said she was unable to participate in the meeting. Sarah Young Bear-Brown wrote on Twitter that the subcommittee did not provide an American Sign Language interpreter, and did not allow a ASL interpreter volunteer to open their video in the Zoom meeting to provide translation.

State of Iowa failed us. I attended the Iowa legislature subcommittee meeting for dept of ed. They didn’t provide for ASL interpreter in the zoom meeting. One of interpreter volunteered to interpreter for us deaf joined in the zoom meeting. The staffer said no. Beyond PISSED OFF

— Sarah A. Young Bear-Brown (@SarahYoungBear1) February 13, 2023

The bill would have the Department of Education take over operations for both the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School and Iowa School for the Deaf from the Board of Regents. Staff with the governor’s office said because the schools are K-12 institutions, they would benefit from being managed under the same umbrella as Iowa’s other K-12 schools. Additionally, the legislation strikes language prohibiting the closure of the Iowa School for the Deaf without approval from the Legislature.

Bill lowers the bar for Senate confirmation

The bill also would reduce lawmakers’ role in confirming gubernatorial appointees as well as removing term limits for those executive roles.

The Senate bill would require a three-fifths vote of the Senate to approve an appointee, or 30 votes. Currently, a two-thirds majority, or 33 votes, is needed. Sen. Tony Bisignano, D-Des Moines, called the bill a “simple power grab,” and said the changes would stop the Legislature from holding the executive branch accountable.

But Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, said Bisignano was “openly saying you won’t support a single (Public Employment Relations Board) nominee,” and that Democrats’ approach to the governor’s appointments was keeping anyone from being able to fill open positions.

Changes to the state agency nominating processes, as well as to judicial branch nominations, came after Senate Democrats successfully rejected four of Reynolds’ appointees to the State Judicial Nominating Commission in 2022.

“I do think this is going forward in a responsible manner given that … nobody can even get a job with that partisan position,” Schultz said.

Schultz said the subcommittee will meet again on Tuesday, Feb. 14 to pick back up on the bill. The House State Government Committee has assigned the legislation to a seven-person subcommittee, but has not scheduled their first meeting as of Monday.