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OTTUMWA, IOWA -- Around Iowa, dozens of employees at rural workforce development offices were laid off Aug. 1 due to Governor Branstad's veto of legislation that fought to keep the offices open.

Governor Branstad vetoed legislation to keep these offices open throughout 2012 in order to streamline costs in the state budget.

In the meantime, Democrat lawmakers worked towards garnering Republican support to petition for a special session to override the Governor's veto, in order to keep the 36 workforce development offices from closing. 

KTVO spoke to State Reps Gaskill and Hanson, who both said with unemployment rates so high, now is not the time to close the offices.

"To close these offices just seems plain wrong because many of our families are struggling to put bread on the table and they wish to find work and they need these kinds of services to help them, said State Rep. Curt Hanson.

"I think we need to do what we've been doing and let out people feel comfortable with that and then when our unemployment is not so bad, then we can try a new item," said State Rep. Mary Gaskill. 

If the offices close, patrons will have to go to the library and use computer kiosks, which Gaskill and Hanson both say maybe too technologically advanced for many of Iowa's rural unemployed. Also, they say closing the offices will burden libraries and the other workforce development offices that will remain open.

The Iowa Workforce Development Offices in Fairfield, Oskaloosa, Centerville, and Mount Pleasant are four of the 36 offices that will close if legislators do not override Governor Branstad's veto.