Iowa's Senate majority whip resigns suddenly

(The Center Square) - Sen. Waylon Brown, R-Osage, resigned Monday but did not state why.

Brown, who serves as the Senate majority whip, said in a resignation letter he felt that he left things "better than he found them." His resignation is effective Wednesday.

"In the past seven years, we have enacted responsible budgeting, including the elimination of the inheritance tax and taxes on retired income," Brown said. "We said goodbye to needless red tape and are getting Iowans into the workforce faster because of licensing reform. As Chair of the Commerce Committee, I oversaw significant energy policies, making Iowa more competitive and increasing the stability of our electrical grid."

Brown ended his letter positively, saying he looked forward to the future.

"The best is yet to come," he said.

Brown did not immediately respond to a message from The Center Square asking why he resigned.

He served as the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee during the current legislative session.

According to his biography on the Iowa State Republicans website, he owns a construction company and farms in Worth and Mitchell counties.

Brown staved off a challenge from Doug Campbell in the Republican primary last month. His November opponent would have been Richard Lorence.