Iowa lawmakers weigh big changes to Civil Rights Commission in move to cut state boards

Iowa lawmakers are moving closer to passing legislation that would consolidate dozens of boards and commissions in Iowa — including altering the makeup and duties of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission and Human Rights Board.

House lawmakers voted 54-42 on Tuesday to pass Senate File 2385. Eight Republicans joined every Democrat in opposition, while all other Republicans were in favor.

The House vote sends the bill back to the Iowa Senate, which voted 30-14 on April 10 to pass its own version.

During House debate Tuesday, Democrats zeroed in on changes they said would consolidate power in the state's executive branch and limit underrepresented Iowans' ability to serve on state boards.

"We had the opportunity to come together, get rid of some boards and commissions that were clearly unnecessary and make a government that was more efficient and listens to Iowans," said Rep. Adam Zabner, D-Iowa City. "What we ended up with was a power grab that takes away the rights of Iowans and the voices of Iowans in the process of government."

Rep. Jane Bloomingdale, R-Northwood, the bill's House floor manager, said she thinks the most important part of the bill is the process it sets up to review every board and commission once every four years going forward.

"If we made a mistake, if we feel like the merged boards weren’t right, we’ll un-merge them," she said. "If we feel like we kept a board that should have been eliminated, we’ll eliminate them. If we feel like a group should be merged to make a better board then we’ll merge them."

Why Iowa lawmakers are consolidating boards and commissions

The legislation that lawmakers are considering is based on Gov. Kim Reynolds' proposal to consolidate 111 of Iowa's 256 boards and commissions, shrinking the number by 43%.

Reynolds' proposal is based on recommendations from a committee established as part of a massive state government reorganization plan she signed into law last year that reduced cabinet-level state government agencies from 37 to 16.

The law established a Boards and Commissions Review Committee, which met several times last year to develop a report with recommendations that forms the basis for Reynolds' proposal.

The bill would also require every remaining board and commission to be reviewed once every four years to determine whether it should continue to exist.

The bill requires governmental bodies, including boards and commissions, to offer hybrid, virtual or remote options for the public to participate.

It also removes the requirement that most boards meet at specific meeting times, or hold meetings at certain intervals, such as quarterly or monthly.

The group also recommended eliminating the gender balance requirement that mandates a balance of men and women on state and local boards and commissions. Reynolds signed a law April 3 that repeals that requirement effective July 1.

More: Kim Reynolds signs law repealing gender balance requirement for Iowa boards and commissions

NAACP, Democrats criticize changes to Iowa Civil Rights Commission

The bill would change the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, which hears cases about discrimination in housing, employment and other areas, by placing many of its duties under the Office of Civil Rights, which is overseen by a director appointed by Reynolds.

Betty Andrews, president of the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP, said she has grave concerns about how the bill would change the Civil Rights Commission.

"If enacted, this bill would deliver a crushing blow to civil rights in Iowa and reduce the opportunity for diverse voices in state government," Andrews said in an April 9 statement. "We encourage anyone with concerns about this dangerously regressive bill to contact their legislators immediately."

The bill would also reduce the commission's membership from seven to five. Its members are appointed by the governor.

"This particular commission was set up from the beginning to make up for the deficiencies, the inability and in some cases the choice of folks not to follow the law and to continue to discriminate," said Rep. Ross Wilburn, D-Ames. "So really by doing this … you will be taking power and voice away from the people, those that have been discriminated, groups that have been historically disenfranchised."

Bloomingdale disputed that the commission would be negatively affected, saying it would still exist and would be able to do its work.

"We’re not taking away any civil rights," Bloomingdale said. "We are putting a director in charge of an agency, just like every other department. The director is in charge and the director is accountable for her department."

Rep. Charley Thomson, R-Charles City, said the state's civil rights laws were carefully constructed after lengthy debate and compromise, which he contrasted with the current legislation.

"I think it is disappointing, to say the least, that we are dealing with it in a rather hurried matter without the consent or consensus of many of the people involved," he said.

Human Rights Board would absorb commissions dedicated to African Americans, women, people with disabilities

Another change would eliminate the commissions on the Status of African Americans, Asian and Pacific Islanders, Persons with Disabilities, the Status of Women, Native American Affairs and Latino Affairs and transfer those commissions' duties to the Human Rights Board, which would be reduced in size.

Rep. Jerome Amos, Jr., D-Waterloo, said one person from those communities won't be enough to represent the range of views of that group, even if they still have a seat on the Human Rights Board.

"Originally you had a commission or a board that actually was made up of those different ethnic groups and they actually had a voice — a collective voice," he said. "But what this is going to do, it is going to take away that voice."

Bloomingdale said the groups being consolidated would be able to work together on the Human Rights Board.

"I think they will have a greater voice and they can possibly learn from each other," she said.

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa lawmakers move to cut boards, change Civil Rights Commission