Tag: Lost, mislaid, and abandoned property

The Democrat's name and smiling face have been highlighted in decades of promotional material — brochures, newspaper op-eds, television ads — that get the word out about two popular state programs he helped create. Large booths at the annual Iowa State Fair also include Fitzgerald's image and the title he's held for more than 30 years. Fitzgerald's office estimates it will cost at least $20,000 to switch its booths at the fair. Republican Secretary of State Paul Pate is also in the midst of advertising a new voter ID law that so far has included his name and face on some promotional materials. A spokesman said Pate's office plans to change out a panel at its state fair booth, and the cost has been less than $2,000. The headache of deciding how to implement the Iowa law has fallen on the six-member Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board, which is now grappling with questions such as: Does a ban on mass mailings include email? Can a state official even show up at the state fair? What if promotional material was purchased years ago, before the law went into effect? "We want the credibility of the office to be behind whatever promotion the office is doing, regardless of who holds that office and their political party affiliation," she said. "We decided to go ahead and make the changes given the short time frame," Hicks said in an email.