Last week we talked about the need for Iowa lawmakers to address Big Tech censorship. There are obviously other issues the legislature should tackle in 2025, and today we want to highlight another.
For those of us older than four years old, which based on my email newsletter demographics is everyone, we lived through COVID. We know what it was like in 2020 when experts told us to wear masks, stay six feet away from people, didn’t allow us to open our businesses — well, essentially they told us what to do.
We are a few years removed from 2020 at this point, so the temptation is to let go of the concerns we have from the COVID “pandemic.” It seems many have.
Let’s get the hard part out of the way and make sure we come to an understanding on this — Gov. Kim Reynolds was better than most governors during COVID. But she also ordered churches closed, schools closed, businesses closed, limited gatherings to no more than 10 people, etc.
And yes, she was in a tough position. And yes, she was likely doing what she believed best for public health. Her exercise of the governor’s emergency powers may have had every intention of only being in the best interest of Iowans.
Does any of this mean that Iowa shouldn’t reform the governor’s emergency powers?
Of course not.
When COVID 2.0 strikes again — Iowans could suffer the same consequences as those living under the rule of a Gov. Gavin Newsom, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer or, perhaps the really weird one, Gov. Tim Walz.
Why? Because Iowa lawmakers have not reformed the governor’s emergency powers. This means the governor of Iowa still has the power to do everything the governor of Iowa had the power to do during COVID 1.0.
And while Gov. Reynolds handled COVID better than most governors, “most governors” isn’t the standard when it comes to constitutional rights.
My hope would be that when the next pandemic rolls around, Gov. Reynolds isn’t the governor of Iowa. In a way, I wouldn’t mind having no idea who the governor of Iowa would be at that point because I wouldn’t mind not being around to see it all happen again.
But it’s possible. And, let’s be clear — Gov. Reynolds could have gone much further than she did during COVID. We know this because we lived through it.
Republican lawmakers promised constituents they would reform the governor’s emergency powers. But there has been no follow through.
On Friday evening, after I arrived in Mason City, I drove past the local hospital. A few years ago, I covered a few medical freedom protests near that hospital. Iowans rallied at hospitals across the state to show support for health care workers and defend their own rights to medical freedom.
But what came of that movement? Very little in terms of actual legislation.
I worry the further removed from COVID we get, the less our lawmakers will think they need to address the governor’s emergency powers. And I feel like I am right based on the lack of discussion about the issue.
During COVID, one state lawmaker wrote:
“Government’s response to the Coronavirus has shown us for the first time the implications and use of executive authority that were likely not contemplated by legislators at the time emergency powers were granted to the executive branch. I will be working with other like-minded legislators in the weeks to come to review emergency powers and what changes might be needed, including requiring legislative approval for declared emergencies lasting over a certain period of time. I will also work to ensure that emergency powers are restricted as they pertain to the fundamental right of freedom of religion and the fundamental right to provide for ourselves and our families.”
The post resulted in 332 Facebook reactions, 130 comments, 157 shares, but zero legislative follow through.
Another legislator wrote this during COVID:
“As your state rep, and one of the most vocal legislators on this whole issue throughout the pandemic, I promise you I will do all I can to narrow the scope of 29C and put your mind at ease that the government will never again shut down your business, your church, your job, your kid’s activities, or your way of life.”
The post resulted in 103 Facebook reactions, 33 shares, 17 comments, but zero legislative follow through.
In 2022 there was a bill filed to address reforming the governor’s emergency powers, but there hasn’t been the political will on the part of REPUBLICANS to protect and fix the basic constitutional rights of Iowans in a future emergency.
And only one lobbyist representing two organizations bothered to register in support of the bill. That was a lobbyist representing VALOR Iowa as well as Informed Choice Iowa.
In 2021, the excuse was that Republican lawmakers didn’t want to come off as accusing Gov. Reynolds of doing anything wrong. In 2022, the excuse was that Gov. Reynolds was running for re-election and they didn’t want to make her look bad. In 2023, the excuse was that Gov. Reynolds wanted to take the lead on the issue. In 2024, there was no need for an excuse because it seemed many had forgotten about the abuses.
Reforming the governor’s emergency powers is not and should not be seen as being critical of Gov. Reynolds. It should simply be seen as defending the rights of Iowans.
Plain and simple.
“There are many profound issues before us that cannot be ignored, that have far-reaching implications. We must take care that the precedents we set do not imperil the future of liberty, when someone might occupy the Governor’s mansion that does not share our current Governor’s noble intent.”
Those were the words of one Republican legislator in the midst of the COVID pandemic.
They were right then, and they are right today. As Iowans, we can only hope that Republican lawmakers will put their words into action and the rights of Iowans during an emergency will be more protected in the future than they were in 2020.
They say if you don’t learn from history, you are destined to repeat it.
Well, 2025 would be a great year for Iowa’s Republican legislators to show us if they learned from COVID. And they have no interest in imperiling the future of liberty for Iowans any longer.
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