Todd Dorman: Iowans boot GOP house veteran Veenstra
By Todd Dorman

.The Statehouse was buzzing Wednesday morning. Northwest Iowans were squarely to blame.
.And no, Trans Ova Genetics wasn’t announcing new technology for cloning campaign contributors.

.Instead, all the “hey-did-you-hears’’ were about State Sen. Ken Veenstra’s defeat in Tuesday’s Republican primary. The Orange City Republican and 10-year legislative veteran was soundly thumped by Dave Mulder, a former public school teacher and college economics professor.

Veenstra, a tall, soft-spoken and deeply religious former insurance agent, had become one of the Legislature’s leading conservative voices. He was a member of the Senate’s leadership circle.

He chaired the Human Resources Committee and used the panel to put a spotlight on his social agenda. He pushed for legislation that would have barred gays and lesbians from adopting children. He championed tough abortion restrictions.