The Iowa Senate Wednesday took a bill that would have ordered the sale of the Iowa Communications Networks and changed it to one that would only audit the agency to determine the value of its assets.
Republican Sen. Randy Feenstra of Hull, saying that the ICN has "valuable assets" that are now being used by the Iowa National Guard and state hospitals, introduced the change. He said it's valid to see what "pieces" of the network could be sold off to private business.
Democrat Matt McCoy blasted State Auditor Mary Mosiman, who served as an ex-officio member of the board that governed the ICN, for recent news that the former director of the network misspent over $340,000 while in that role.
McCoy wanted the legislature's audit team to be picked by the state executive council instead of the auditor.
In the end, the bill was changed to allow the state auditor's office-or her designee-to do the audit of the network and its assets.