Governor Reynolds: Metrics, data and outcomes

Governor Reynolds: Metrics, data and outcomes

During Gov. Kim Reynolds’ testimony before the U.S. House Oversight Hearing on Government Efficiency, she emphasized the importance of using metrics, data and outcomes when making decisions.

What metrics and data were used when she refused to participate in the federal Summer EBT program for the summers of 2024 and 2025? Participation in 2024 would have provided a full three months of food benefits at $40/month to nearly 245,000 low-income students. Instead, in 2024 she provided $900,000 in summer meals grants. Because outcomes are important to her, how many more summer meals did these grants provide in 2024 versus 2023?

In February 2024, Gov. Reynolds’ office denied a request to endorse applications made by counties for federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grants. This is the same program that the governor refused to apply in 2023. Iowa was only one of four states that missed the application deadline. These grants provided $5 billion to state and local governments to help local environmentally-friendly investments to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollution. Because our governor did not apply for these planning grants, which did not require a state match, Iowa missed the opportunity to use phase II of the program, a $4.6 billion allocation to help states transition to clean energy economies. The impacts of climate change cannot be ignored. Does our governor know Iowa’s investments in renewable energy have grown to represent 59% of state’s utility use in 2023. Based on these facts, it would have seemed outcomes which would have resulted from these federal grants would have immensely benefited all Iowans.

In November 2022, Gov. Reynolds’ officedeclined to sign off on a federal grant application that could have brought in $30 million in funding for childcare services. Perhaps, the governor’s office did not want to commit $3 million in matching state funds toward childcare. Once again, how did the governor use her important criteria of metrics, data and outcomes to decide a mere $3 million in matching funds was not worth the investment needed to receive $30 million for childcare services?

It is a fact that access to childcare is one of the state’s biggest concerns. Iowa’s budget surplus continues to grow. The governor’s FY 2025 budget results in an estimated surplus of $972.9 million. Even in 2022, the governor could probably afford $3 million in matching funds. Perhaps, Gov. Reynolds…