A new policy the Iowa legislature approved on its final day would force statewide elected officials and members of the legislature to use their campaign funds rather than tax dollars for “self-promotion.” Representative Ashley Hinson, a Republican from Marion, encouraged her colleagues to pass the policy.
The new policy also is likely to bar Republican Governor Kim Reynolds from appearing in ads planned this fall to promote the “Future Ready Iowa” program. Democratic State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald will no longer be able to appear in ads promoting the state’s College Savings Iowa program. Representative Marti Anderson, a Democrat from Des Moines, opposes the idea.
The Ethics Committees in the Iowa House and Senate will police members of the legislature who are accused of using tax dollars for self-promotion if the governor approved this new policy. It was inserted in a catch-all budget bill that cleared the legislature last Saturday.
