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Iowa governor forms panel to study criminal justice bias

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds
Posted at 2:50 PM, Oct 15, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-15 15:50:27-04

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says she is forming a working group chaired by the lieutenant governor to make recommendations for removing racial bias from the criminal justice system and to help offenders re-enter communities in a way that reduces repeat offenses.

Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg is a former state public defender.

Reynolds, a Republican, also says she plans to continue to push for a constitutional amendment to restore voting rights for felons after they complete their sentences. The measure passed the House with bipartisan support in April but died after members of her own party in the Senate refused to push for it.

Reynolds says she will continue to make redemption and second changes a priority of her administration.

She announced the formation of the working group at an annual NAACP meeting focused on criminal justice reform.