Iowa Senate Minority Leader Janet Petersen has not assigned State Senator Nate Boulton to serve on any committees during the 2019 legislative session. In a written statement released on December 7, Petersen said, “I will defer making any committee assignments for Senator Boulton until the Senate Ethics Committee completes its ongoing investigation into the complaint filed against him.” In that complaint, filed last month, Sharon Wegner alleged sexual misconduct occurring in 2015, when Boulton was a candidate for the legislature.

Much of the legislature’s work happens in committees, so Petersen’s action will significantly limit Boulton’s ability to influence bills next year.

The move also indicates that Democratic leaders are unlikely to ask Boulton to lead the opposition to high-profile Republican bills during Senate floor debate, as happened several times in 2017 and 2018.

Petersen had called on Boulton to resign after the Des Moines Register reported in May that three women had claimed Boulton touched them non-consensually.

Those allegations quickly ended Boulton’s campaign for governor, but he refused to step down from the legislature. In July, he said he has taken steps to curb excessive drinking, which in the past “led me to misread appropriate social boundaries and make choices that I would never tolerate while sober.”

Iowa Senate Ethics Committee leaders have not revealed a time frame for acting on the complaint Sharon Wegner filed last month. They also have not clarified whether the probe will be narrowly-focused on the events Wegner recounted or whether an investigator will look more broadly at Boulton’s past conduct.

A number of readers have asked whether Boulton could be forced to resign before the end of his term, which runs through 2020. The answer is no, though depending on the Ethics Committee findings, he could face increased political pressure to resign.

Assuming he serves out his term, Boulton will certainly face at least one 2020 primary challenger in Iowa Senate district 16, a heavily Democratic area covering much of east Des Moines. Several local residents are considering the race. Some activists are encouraging Deidre DeJear, this year’s nominee for secretary of state, to run. She would be the first African American to serve in the Iowa Senate since Thomas Mann was elected twice during the 1980s.

I enclose below the full list of Republican and Democratic Iowa Senate committee assignments. Republicans will hold 32 seats and Democrats 18 when the legislature reconvenes in January.

November 27 news release from the Iowa Senate Republicans:

Today, Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, released committee assignments for members of the Iowa Senate Majority for the Eighty-Eighth General Assembly.

The standing committees assignments are:

Appropriations
Senator Breitbach – Chair
Senator Kraayenbrink – Vice Chair
Senator Greene
Senator Rozenboom
Senator Garrett
Senator Costello
Senator Lofgren
Senator Shipley
Senator Guth
Senator Johnson
Senator Koelker
Senator Miller-Meeks
Senator Schneider

Agriculture
Senator Zumbach – Chair
Senator Sweeney – Vice Chair
Senator Brown
Senator Edler
Senator Shipley
Senator Kapucian
Senator Rozenboom
Senator Costello

Commerce
Senator Chapman – Chair
Senator Koelker – Vice Chair
Senator Brown
Senator Dawson
Senator Sinclair
Senator Breitbach
Senator Miller-Meeks
Senator Feenstra
Senator Johnson
Senator Smith
Senator Nunn

Education
Senator Sinclair – Chair
Senator Cournoyer – Vice Chair
Senator Sweeney
Senator Behn
Senator Kraayenbrink
Senator Lofgren
Senator Rozenboom
Senator Johnson
Senator Zaun
Senator Edler

Ethics
Senator Costello – Chair
Senator Behn – Vice Chair
Senator Sweeney

Government Oversight
Senator Sinclair – Chair
Senator Lofgren – Vice Chair
Senator Whiting

Human Resources
Senator Miller-Meeks – Chair
Senator Segebart – Vice Chair
Senator Johnson
Senator Costello
Senator Garrett
Senator Carlin
Senator Edler
Senator Greene

Judiciary
Senator Zaun – Chair
Senator Dawson – Vice Chair
Senator Garrett
Senator Chapman
Senator Nunn
Senator Shipley
Senator Sweeney
Senator Schultz
Senator Whiting
Senator Sinclair

Labor
Senator Schultz – Chair
Senator Whiting – Vice Chair
Senator Koelker
Senator Guth
Senator Brown
Senator Nunn
Senator Carlin

Local Government
Senator Edler – Chair
Senator Greene – Vice Chair
Senator Kraayenbrink
Senator Lofgren
Senator Guth
Senator Garrett
Senator Segebart

Natural Resources
Senator Rozenboom – Chair
Senator Shipley – Vice Chair
Senator Zumbach
Senator Behn
Senator Kapucian
Senator Cournoyer
Senator Sweeney
Senator Segebart

Rules
Senator Whitver – Chair
Senator Schneider – Vice Chair
Senator Sinclair
Senator Behn
Senator Feenstra
Senator Smith
Senator Chapman

State Government
Senator Smith – Chair
Senator Johnson – Vice Chair
Senator Chapman
Senator Dawson
Senator Feenstra
Senator Schultz
Senator Miller-Meeks
Senator Whiting
Senator Cournoyer
Senator Zaun

Transportation
Senator Kapucian – Chair
Senator Brown – Vice Chair
Senator Breitbach
Senator Shipley
Senator Whiting
Senator Cournoyer
Senator Koelker
Senator Zumbach

Veterans Affairs
Senator Dawson – Chair
Senator Miller-Meeks – Vice Chair
Senator Koelker
Senator Costello
Senator Edler
Senator Carlin
Senator Lofgren

Ways and Means
Senator Feenstra – Chair
Senator Dawson – Vice Chair
Senator Behn
Senator Chapman
Senator Smith
Senator Sweeney
Senator Nunn
Senator Edler
Senator Schultz
Senator Brown
Senator Carlin

The appointments to the Appropriations subcommittees are:

Administration and Regulation
Senator Guth – Chair
Senator Zumbach – Vice Chair
Senator Whiting

Agriculture & Natural Resources
Senator Shipley – Chair
Senator Rozenboom – Vice Chair
Senator Sweeney

Education
Senator Kraayenbrink – Chair
Senator Sinclair – Vice Chair
Senator Koelker

Justice Systems
Senator Garrett – Chair
Senator Nunn – Vice Chair
Senator Carlin

Health and Human Services
Senator Costello – Chair
Senator Edler – Vice Chair
Senator Miller-Meeks

Transportation, Infrastructure, and Capitals
Senator Johnson – Chair
Senator Smith – Vice Chair
Senator Dawson

Economic Development
Senator Lofgren – Chair
Senator Greene – Vice Chair
Senator Cournoyer

The assignments to permanent statutory committees are:

Administrative Rules Review
Senator Brown – Vice Chair
Senator Costello
Senator Whiting

Public Retirement Systems
Senator Schneider – Co-Chair
Senator Lofgren
Senator Breitbach

State Government Efficiency
Senator Smith – Co-Chair
Senator Brown
Senator Johnson

Commission on Interstate Cooperation
Senator Shipley – Co-Chair
Senator Garrett
Senator Lofgren

December 7 news release:

Senate Democrats release committee assignments for 2019 session of the Iowa Legislature

DES MOINES– Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen released committee assignments today for Democratic State Senators for the 201­9 session of the Iowa Legislature.

“Democratic Senators are committed to working with the Governor and Republican legislators on issues where we can find common ground over the next two years, especially ensuring Iowans have access to affordable health care and better-paying job opportunities,” Petersen said.

“However, if Republicans continue pushing an agenda that hurts the health care, education and pocketbooks of working Iowans, we will be fierce in our opposition.”

The 88th General Assembly will begin on Monday, January 14, 2019.

Standing Committees

Agriculture
13 total members
1. Kinney –RM
2. Mathis
3. Ragan
4. R. Taylor
5. Wahls

Appropriations
21 members
1. Bolkcom –RM
2. Celsi
3. Dotzler
4. Lykam
5. Mathis
6. Ragan
7. T. Taylor
8. Wahls

Commerce
15 members
1. Lykam – RM
2. Bisignano
3. Bolkcom
4. Mathis
5. Petersen
6. Quirmbach

Education
15 members
1. Quirmbach –RM
2. Celsi
3. Danielson
4. Smith
5. Wahls

Ethics
Statutory, 6 members; 3 each
1. Jochum -RM
2. Kinney
3. Mathis

Government Oversight
5 members
1. Bisignano –RM
2. Celsi

Human Resources
13 members
1. Mathis –RM
2. Bolkcom
3. Jochum
4. Quirmbach
5. Ragan

Judiciary
15 members
1. Kinney –RM
2. Bisignano
3. Hogg
4. Petersen
5. R. Taylor

Labor & Business Relations
11 members
1. T. Taylor –RM
2. Bisignano
3. Dotzler
4. R. Taylor

Local Government
11 members
1. J. Smith –RM
2. Hogg
3. Mathis
4. Quirmbach

Natural Resources & Env.
13 members
1. Hogg –RM
2. Bolkcom
3. Celsi
4. Lykam
5. J. Smith
Rules & Administration
11 members
1. Petersen –RM
2. Bolkcom
3. Jochum
4. Ragan

State Government
15 members
1. Bisignano –RM
2. Celsi
3. Danielson
4. Jochum
5. T. Taylor

Transportation
13 members
1. Danielson – RM
2. Kinney
3. Lykam
4. J. Smith
5. T. Taylor

Veterans Affairs
11 members
1. R. Taylor – RM
2. Danielson
3. Dotzler
4. Ragan

Ways & Means
17 members
1. Jochum –RM
2. Bolkcom
3. Danielson
4. Dotzler
5. Quirmbach
6. Wahls

Appropriations Subcommittees

Administration & Regulation
1. Celsi –RM
2. R. Taylor

Agriculture & Natural Resources
1. Mathis –RM
2. Kinney

Economic Development
1. Dotzler- RM
2. J. Smith

Education
1. Wahls –RM
2. Quirmbach

Health & Human Services
1. Ragan –RM
2. Bolkcom

Justice Systems
1. Hogg- RM
2. T. Taylor

Transportation, Capitals
1. Lykam –RM
2. Petersen

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ARRC [Administrative Rules Review Committee]
1. Jochum –RM
2. Hogg