DES MOINES, Iowa — In an effort to streamline the state's operations, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has proposed a measure that would cut the cabinet level agencies from 37 to 16.
Reynolds' team says the move won't eliminate any positions, and is poised to save the state more than $200 million over four years.
One of the proposals in the more than 15,000 page measure would realign how the director for the Department for the Blind is appointed.
"Currently, the director for the [Iowa] Department for the Blind is appointed by the Commission for the Blind," said Molly Severn, who serves as a legislative liaison for Reynolds. "With this proposed legislation, the director would be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the governor and will be subject to senate confirmation."
Under Senate Study Bill 1123, the responsibility would shift from the Commission for the Blind to only governor.
"If Iowans currently perceive a government official to be accountable to the governor, that official should be," Severn said.
But some blind Iowans spoke against the measure at the Senate State Government Subcommittee meeting, concerned that without the input of the commission and its blind members, leadership may not full understand what's needed in their community.
"If you pass this, you're going to leave a whole minority group of Iowans behind," said Mary McGee, who is blind.
"Whoever the governor is can still have input into that," added Shawn Mayo. "It would actually help the governor a lot more by having commissioners who know about blindness do that hiring since it is such a small incidence of people."
Democratic Sen. Tony Bisagnano also spoke out against the measure, seeing it as a power grab by Reynolds and her office.
"It's not broke, so what are you fixing?" said Bisignano. "Other than going through the code and assuming power at every level that you look at."
The subcommittee is set to meet on Tuesday, Feb. 14, to discuss the measure for a third time.