Justice Waterman: Last-minute provision is ‘quintessentially crony capitalism’

Iowa Supreme Court justice Thomas Waterman, of Davenport, wrote this March 24 opinion concluding the Iowa legislature used illegal “logrolling,” or packaging unrelated legislation for last-minute passage. Missouri-based powerline builder LS Power Midcontinent, LLC sued Iowa after the legislature amended a budget bill with an unrelated provision barring LS from bidding on Iowa utility line work, unless Iowa utility firms declined to bid under a right of first refusal.