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Senator: Thats a major problem

March 3, 2015 | 2:30 pm

IOWA CITY If Iowa senators confirm the three new Board of Regents members recommended this week by Gov. Terry Branstad, the board will include only one registered Democrat.

The boards nine volunteer members currently include five Republicans, two Democrats and two members who are not registered with a party. The six-year terms for regents Bob Downer, a Republican from Iowa City, Ruth Harkin, a Democrat from Cumming, and Hannah Walsh, a Republican filling the student seat on the board, are set to expire at the end of April.

On Monday, Branstad announced dozens of appointments to fill Iowas boards and commissions, including three new regents. Mary Andringa of Mitchellville and Patricia Cownie of Des Moines are both registered Republicans. Rachael Johnson, a student representative from the University of Northern Iowa, is not registered with a party, according to Jimmy Centers, a spokesman with the governors office.

If confirmed by two-thirds of Iowas senators or 34 votes the board effective May 1 would include five Republicans, three without party, and one Democrat current regent President Pro Tem Katie Mulholland. The board cannot have more than five members of the same political party, according to Iowa Code.

Sen. Bob Dvorsky, D-Coralville, said although Branstads appointments dont violate the letter of the law, this clearly is a violation of the intent.

Thats a major problem theyll have to look at, he said.

State law also requires the board be gender-balanced. With the new appointments, the board would include five women and four men.

The Senate must decide whether to confirm the appointments by mid-April, Dvorsky said. If they reject any of the names, the governor could suggest different appointments or name interim regents, who would have to come back for confirmation next year, Dvorksy said.

The rest is here:
Iowa Regent appointments would leave one Democrat