$21M COVID relief money for already planned computer system [View all]
The system is from a company whose lobbyist is REYNOLDS' FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF and it's not clear how useful it will be.
Any more, it's hardly newsworthy that a Republican politician would take money intended help people to buy stuff from a buddy's company. From the article:
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has transferred $21 million intended for Iowa coronavirus relief to help pay for a computer system already in the works before the pandemic.
Its unclear how useful the system would be during COVID-19 because its not scheduled to be implemented until next summer for human resources and July 2022 for finance.
The state signed contracts in October and February to pay Workday $50 million over five years for the new system, skipping traditional competitive bidding procedures and choosing a company whose lobbyist, Jake Ketzner, was Reynolds former chief of staff.
When The Gazette in March detailed the unusual route the state took to arrive at a contract with Workday, the governors office said Ketzner was not involved.
https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/21-million-in-covid-19-aid-goes-toward-iowa-computer-system-20200807?