Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds Plans to Provide Zero Dollars In Pandemic Relief to Iowans

While Democratic governors are allocating state funds for pandemic relief, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is refusing to help her constituents. Reynolds announced that she is not planning to use any state funds for pandemic relief – hoarding $305.5 million in the state’s general fund and more than $770 million in cash reserves.

Throughout the pandemic, Reynolds has consistently shown how little she cares about Iowans. Rather than using CARES Act funds to help essential workers and directly respond to the pandemic, Reynolds paid a company friendly with her team to install a new software system and lined the pockets of her staff. Reynolds was warned by the State Auditor that the no-bid software contract was a misuse of the federal pandemic relief funds.

Reynolds also awarded millions of dollars in no-bid contracts for PPE to a Republican donor, who was later charged with felony assault for brutally beating a woman.

As Reynolds focuses on rewarding her political allies, Iowans are in desperate need of assistance. Reynolds refused to implement a mask mandate until last month when coronavirus cases spiraled out of control in the state, and she forced schools to open without enough funding for PPE, testing, and contact tracing.

“Iowans are suffering through the worst public health crisis in nearly a century, and Kim Reynolds isn’t doing a damn thing,” said DGA Deputy Communications Director Christina Amestoy. “Democratic governors across the country have squeezed together every last bit of funding they can to provide relief to essential workers, hospitals, the unemployed, and others in need. Frankly, it’s ridiculous that Kim Reynolds is sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars and refusing to provide any help to Iowans.”