Des Moines, Iowa (RI) — Governor Kim Reynolds says she has not encouraged the government efficiency panel she appointed this spring to make certain recommendations.
The governor’s comments come after a member of the group said last week that changing the pension system for public sector employees is an idea worth considering to trim government spending. It would mean flipping to a 401(k)-like system where retirement income comes from investments. House Speaker Pat Grassley and Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver say Republicans in the legislature have no interest in making those changes. Governor Reynolds says when she appointed members to her government efficiency panel, she made it clear nothing was off limits, and changing the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System has been discussed before.
Democrat Rob Sand, the state auditor who’s running for governor, says changing the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System would break a deal made with public employees of the past AND the future. He says they work for less than what they’d earn in the private sector — with the promise of a steady pension when they retire.
KIWA Staff Photo
