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calls0mprettyState Atty. Gen. Richard Turner’s current role is “neither tish nor fowl” State Rep. William Gannon, D-Mingo, said in an interview Wednesday.During the talk with Gannon, a newsman asked, ‘‘You’re making noises like a candidate, does this mean anything?” Gannon replied. “Probably.” He is being mentioned frequently as a Democratic candidate for governor in 1970.Discussing the attorney general’s office, Gannon said it presently does not appear to fit into any of the three traditional arms of government—executive, judicial or legislative—although he agreed with a newsman’s comment Turner was playing more of a legislative role at thepresent time.Gannon was referring toTurner’s lawsuit against the Iowa State Highway Commission to block moving of resident engineer’s offices, and the resulting District Court ruling which said state officials were bound to follow opinions issued by the attorney general.Gannon was guest of honor at a reception sponsored by the Story County Democratic Central Committee and then spoke at the Collegiate Methodist Church Wednesday evening.In his speech, Gannon calledthe legislative Budget and Financial Control Committee'sinvestigation of the Board of Regent’s institutions a “wastefully expensive witchhunt.”Gannon said he was in favor of a study of the university’sinvestigation witch-huntoperations, but the “radical right-wing element on the committee has taken this original purpose and is attempting to pervert it” into the “witch-hunt.”He criticized the use 01 a consulting firm in the study because of the cost—eventually costing more than $300,000 ifadopted.“What disturbs me far more,” Gannon stated, “is that the committee gives every indication of wanting to destroy academic freedom in addition to controlling the purse strings.“First it was the issue of social adaptability, he said, and “now they propose to set up a permanent committee to look over the shoulders of the Board ofRegents.”One ot the committee members, Gannon charged, had said the committee would be designed to “get the radicals out.” From that statement, Gannon said, “I can only assume ... he means people with whom he disagrees since . . . there has been no problem of violent disorders at any of Iowa’s universities.”Gannon blasted State Sen. Francis Messerly, R-Cedar Falls, for attacks on the North American Review and the New Yorker magazines, “As for his remarks disparaging the New Yorker,” Gannon said, “I'm not so sure he could even understand the cartoons, let alone justly criticize the content.”Messerly is a member of the committee studying the Regent institutions.
Newspaper Details
Ames Daily Tribune
Ames, Iowa, US
Thu, Nov 06, 1969
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
University O.
IA, USA 19 Oct 2021
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