Dix resigns

The state senator who represents southern Butler County and served as the majority leader for the last five years resigned in disgrace on Monday after a video of him kissing a statehouse lobbyist at a Des Moines bar on March 1 surfaced in a story posted by Iowa Starting Line, a left-leaning political blog.
            Bill Dix, a 55-year-old Shell Rock Republican, had been mired in controversy over the last year related to his handling of a sexual harassment scandal at the Capitol and the subsequent firing of a former staffer in what she perceived as an act of retaliation for reporting the allegations. Kirsten Anderson eventually settled for $1.75 million and has since attended several public events to speak out against her former boss. Last summer, Dix told The Grundy Register that training had become a focal point under his watch.
            “We’ve done that on a routine annual basis ever since we became aware of the issues and have been trying to ensure that these matters are dealt with swiftly and effectively,” he said.
            The video in question shows Dix, a married father of three, sitting close to the unnamed lobbyist and putting his arm around her at the Waveland Tap on University Avenue before they eventually kissed, and an announcement on whether or not an ethics investigation will be launched due to the nature of her work has not yet been made. Dike Democrat Tracy Freese, who is challenging for the seat in Senate District 25, argued that the revelations are indicative of a problematic culture within the state GOP.
 
Read more in the March 15 edition of the STAR or Tribune.