A top-ranking Democrat in the Iowa House is suing Governor Kim Reynolds and her budget director, accusing the two of “misusing” state tax dollars to cover a state budget deficit.

State Representative Chris Hall of Sioux City is the top Democrat on the Iowa House Appropriations Committee. Hall is accusing Reynolds of illegally transferring 13-million dollars from the state’s Economic Emergency Fund at the end of September. Reynolds moved the money to cover red ink in the state General Fund for the budgeting year that ended June 30th. Hall says the state budget deficit was caused by “years of fiscal mismanagement” and didn’t meet the law’s requirement that withdrawals from state savings happen during a downturn in the state’s overall economy.

 

Hall’s lawsuit argues Reynolds had other legal options, like calling the legislature back into special session to fix the budget.

 

Brenna Smith, a spokeswoman for Reynolds, says “this is a political lawsuit.” The governor’s spokeswoman says “everyone agrees the state budget needs to be balanced — which it now is.”