Gov. Kim Reynolds has once again appointed to the state’s Public Employment Relations Board a former Republican state lawmaker who has been serving on the board without Senate confirmation.
Reynolds this week appointed Erik Helland, a former state lawmaker from Johnston, to the board. It was among dozens of appointments to myriad state boards.
The board’s charge, according to its mission statement, is to act neutrally to “promote harmonious and cooperative relationships between government and its employees without disruption of public services.”
Advertisement
Reynolds previously appointed Helland — both are Republicans — to the board, but his appointment was not confirmed this year by the Iowa Senate. In the meantime, Helland has been serving as the board’s chair and drawing a $97,460 salary, according to state records.
Confirmation of gubernatorial appointees requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate, and based on early, procedural votes during the 2022 legislative session, it appeared Helland would not get enough votes from Democrats to gain approval in the Republican-majority Senate.
“I have problems with his management style, his philosophy of leadership,” Sen. Todd Taylor, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, said during a committee hearing on the appointment in April. “And I have problems with the way the governor has handled this department.”
Taylor at the time expressed concern about Helland drawing a higher salary on the board than the member he replaced, who was a woman and a Democrat. Taylor also cited the fact that the board is not politically balanced as required by state law; the three-member board currently has only two members, Helland and Jane Dufoe, both of whom are Republicans.
With Reynolds once again appointing Helland to the board, his nomination will once again come before the Senate in 2023.
Reynolds this week appointed Erik Helland, a former state lawmaker from Johnston, to the board. It was among dozens of appointments to myriad state boards.
The board’s charge, according to its mission statement, is to act neutrally to “promote harmonious and cooperative relationships between government and its employees without disruption of public services.”
Advertisement
Reynolds previously appointed Helland — both are Republicans — to the board, but his appointment was not confirmed this year by the Iowa Senate. In the meantime, Helland has been serving as the board’s chair and drawing a $97,460 salary, according to state records.
Confirmation of gubernatorial appointees requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate, and based on early, procedural votes during the 2022 legislative session, it appeared Helland would not get enough votes from Democrats to gain approval in the Republican-majority Senate.
“I have problems with his management style, his philosophy of leadership,” Sen. Todd Taylor, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, said during a committee hearing on the appointment in April. “And I have problems with the way the governor has handled this department.”
Taylor at the time expressed concern about Helland drawing a higher salary on the board than the member he replaced, who was a woman and a Democrat. Taylor also cited the fact that the board is not politically balanced as required by state law; the three-member board currently has only two members, Helland and Jane Dufoe, both of whom are Republicans.
With Reynolds once again appointing Helland to the board, his nomination will once again come before the Senate in 2023.
Capitol Notebook: Iowa Gov. Reynolds again appoints rejected state board member
Erik Helland, the governor’s appointee to the State Public Employment Relations Board, failed to earn Senate confirmation earlier this year
www.thegazette.com