Iowa’s state government is broken. The state ran out of money to pay the criminal defense lawyers and so unless they withdraw from the cases, they aren’t getting paid. The Iowa Legislature wanted to give the Governor the power to shift money around to get them paid. But Two-Paycheck-Terry won’t accept the gift; instead he’s challenging the lawyers to walk off the job, which if they do will set free all defendants in cases where the right to a speedy trial applies. No speedy trial – means dismissal. So while Two-Paycheck-Terry is fat and happy those doing low pay legal work for the State of Iowa get zippo.

Let's hope the criminals dont' get the idea to instruct their attorney there will be no waiving of a speedy trial.

Let the dominos begin to fall.

Iowa’s criminal defense lawyers take their jobs very seriously; they are an ethical bunch to say the least and I doubt they will walk-off the job over having to wait to get paid. Some have because they aren’t making enough to make ends meet as it was. How many? Only the judges would know the answer to that question. Why is there a budget shortage for paying the lawyers? After all crime is predictable.

So with commodity prices hitting record highs, agricultural land prices continue to skyrocket and farmer welfare programs paying out like a drunken slot machine, the lawyers find themselves explaining to their creditors that the check is in the mail. Meanwhile Two-Paycheck-Terry continues his double-dipping-duet with the Iowa Legislature.

Is this any way to run a government?

See Branstad will likely veto House GOP plan to pay state’s overdue legal bills from Radio Iowa by O. Kay Henderson

Gov. Branstad on a one-year budget: 'I'll veto it, and I'll veto it, and I'll veto it'