Knoxville — Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz has been in Knoxville today to promote business and jobs, all the while preparing to make a big announcement on Thursday.
Schultz, a Republican from Council Bluffs, was elected to the office in 2010. In addition to overseeing Iowa's elections, the Secretary of State also handles filing of articles of incorporation, and other business paperwork.
It is the latter portion of his job that brought him to Knoxville. Schultz is sponsoring an initiative for Iowa to have a "Start Up Business Month", which would allow businesses to get established and file paperwork for no charge for one month of the year. He has delivered his proposed bill to the Iowa Legislature.
In Knoxville, Schultz visited with representatives from Hormel, McKay Insurance, Knoxville Hospital adn Clinics and Peace Treee Brewing Company. Schultz intended to visit Pella this afternoon as well.
The Secretary of State's office also allows entrepreneurs to file their business paperwork online. This was unavailable before Schultz's election. Schultz is also sure there is no chance illegitimate, criminal enterprises could abuse the system. Overall, Schultz believes part of his role as Secretary of State is to promote businesses and jobs in Iowa.
Schultz was last in Knoxville before the Iowa Caucus, campaigning for Rick Santorum. Santorum, after a vote recount, won the caucus. The Secretary of State's office was not involved in the caucus. Schultz was asked how he felt the Republican leadership handled the disputed vote total.
"It's easy to be Monday morning quarterback," Schultz said. "I think it would be unfair to pile on." He went on to syay that no one thought the vote would be so close. The first final tally showed Mitt Romney won the caucus by eight votes. He said improvements to the process could be made and he is willing to offer his assistance if it is sought.
Voter registrations for Republicans have outpaced those for Democrats over the past 34 months, Schultz said. However, voters registered as independent continue to outnumber the parties.
On Thursday, Schultz intends to unveil his proposal to require photo identification before one is allowed to vote. Prior to drafting this bill, he sought the advice of his Election Advisory Board, comprised of five Democrat and five Republican county auditors from around the state. Schultz hopes the Legislature will support the bill and pass the law.
