Iowa lawmaker Chip Baltimore removed as Judiciary Committee chairman following OWI

House Speaker Linda Upmeyer announced Monday that she has removed Rep. Chip Baltimore as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee after he was arrested last week for drunken driving.

Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Bondurant, will take over immediately as committee chairman for the remainder of session.

"Serving as a committee chairman is a privilege that requires a higher level of trust and responsibility," Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, said in a statement. "Drinking and driving is unacceptable behavior that endangers the lives of all Iowans who wish to travel our roads safely. Rep. Baltimore’s actions were clearly irresponsible, and he is being held accountable."

Baltimore, a Republican from Boone, was arrested Friday morning in Ames near Interstate 35. His blood alcohol tested out at nearly twice the legal limit, and a pistol was found under the driver's seat.

"From the moment I made the horrible decision, I have taken full responsibility for it and accepted any and all consequences resulting from it," Baltimore said in a statement Monday.

In an interview, he said he will plead guilty to the charges and fully supports Upmeyer's decision.

"I do not want my situation to be a distraction from the work of the committee," he said. "And that’s exactly what it would have been, and that’s not necessary. The work of the committee needs to go on, because it does a lot of great work."

Baltimore said he will remain on the Judiciary Committee, but he has not yet considered whether he will seek re-election.

"That’s a decision that I’m not even contemplating at this point in time," he said. "I’ve got other things that I need to take care of first. First and foremost, obviously, I’ve got to get the legal matters taken care of. But in terms of the Legislature, my goal is to ensure a smooth transition of the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee over to Rep. Nunn and work with him closely to make sure that, you know, he’s up to speed and prepared."

According to a police report, Baltimore was stopped by an Ames police officer shortly before 4 a.m. after authorities received a report of a reckless driver traveling northbound on Interstate Highway 35. The vehicle was described as operating at varying speeds and swerving in and out of its lane.

After Baltimore was placed under arrest for a first offense of operating while intoxicated, he admitted to an officer that he had a Smith & Wesson handgun under his driver's seat, the police report said.

Baltimore was able to produce a concealed carry permit issued by the Boone County Sheriff's Office. However, Ames Police Sgt. Mike Arkovich said that under Iowa law, Baltimore's permit to carry was invalidated because his blood alcohol content exceeded .08.

"You cannot be carrying when you are intoxicated," he said.

Gov. Kim Reynolds, who has spoken publicly about her addiction to alcohol and her previous drunken driving arrests, said in her weekly press conference that she is glad Baltimore has taken responsibility for his actions.

"It starts with admitting that you’ve made a mistake, and he’s done that," she said. "It starts with taking responsibility, and he’s also done that and said it was a horrible decision and he takes responsibility for that. ... I believe they’ve handled it. I’ll continue to keep him in my thoughts and prayers and move forward from there.”

Baltimore, an attorney, is serving his fourth term as a state representative. He has led the House Judiciary Committee as chairman since 2013.

During that time, the committee has advanced legislation in an effort to curb drunken driving and add new penalties for those who violate the law.

Among them: a 2016 bill that would have implemented a sobriety program by requiring people convicted of an alcohol-related offense to check in at a law enforcement office twice a day for a breath test.

That bill failed to win final approval, but a version of it was passed by lawmakers and signed into law by Gov. Terry Branstad in 2017. The program, however, will only be used in Iowa counties that volunteer to implement it.

Numerous attempts have been made in recent years to require those arrested for drunken driving to install ignition interlocks on their vehicles. Those devices require drivers to pass a breath test before they allow the vehicle to start. The issue is expected to be debated again this year.