(Radio Iowa)- The Office of Consumer Advocate would become an independent state agency again if a bill in the Iowa House becomes law. The government realignment plan Governor Reynolds proposed and signed into law two years ago put Iowa’s attorney general in charge of the office. Representative Charley Thomsen, a Republican from Charles City, says that was a mistake.

“”We’ve seen in its operation since then that it has not had the voice that it did previously,” Thomson says, “so this is an attempt to restore it to its previous vigor.” Thomson says the independence of the state consumer advocate is important for all Iowans.

The bill calls for returning to a system that has the governor nominate a consumer advocate who would be confirmed by a vote in the Iowa Senate and the advocate would have the authority to hire staff for the office. This is one of the bills a group of House Republicans have introduced in response to the Iowa Utilities Commission decision to grant a permit to Summit Carbon Solutions for its pipeline.