Iowa Politics Today: Birthday lottery, putting clients first, fine shrubbery

A roundup of legislative and Capitol news items of interest for Tuesday, April 18, 2017:

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY:

A game that would transform the face of lotteries got its start.

Powerball tickets began sales on April 19, 1992, in Iowa and 14 other states, with the first drawing in the game on April 22, 1992. Today, Powerball tickets are sold in 44 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Powerball began as a way for lotteries in smaller states to offer large jackpots by pooling their populations and sales.

When it was introduced, Powerball jackpots started at a guaranteed $2 million. Players chose five numbers from a pool of 1 to 45, and then one more, called the Powerball, from a separate pool of 1 to 45.

The game has been updated several times through the years to introduce new features and provide additional ways to play.

Today, Powerball holds the world record for the largest lottery jackpot, a prize of nearly $1.6 billion that was split by three tickets in California, Florida and Tennessee in the drawing on Jan. 13, 2016. Powerball now is a $2 game and players choose five out of 69 numbers for the white balls, then one out of 26 numbers for the Powerball. The game's jackpot starts at a guaranteed $40 million and grows until it's won.

FIDUCIARY RULE:

Attorney General Tom Miller Monday led a group of eight attorneys general in urging the U.S. Department of Labor to lift its delay in implementing a rule that would require financial advisers to put clients' best interests ahead of their own.

The rule was to take effect April 10, but the Department of Labor delayed it by 60 days. President Donald Trump ordered the agency to review the fiduciary rule 'to determine whether it may adversely affect the ability of Americans to gain access to retirement information and financial advice.”

'To the contrary, postponement of its application is costing investors tens of millions of dollars each day as advisers continue to give conflicted advice and the rule should be implemented without further delay,” according to the attorneys general.

In addition to putting client interests before advisers' profits, the rule also would require advisers to disclose conflicts of interest, and would remove advisers' limited liability for harms resulting from their advice.

In addition to Miller, attorneys general in the states of Hawaii, Illinois, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, plus the District of Columbia, signed the letter.

TREES AND SHRUBS:

Landowners and homeowners can now order high-quality native tree and shrub species from the State Forest Nursery for 50 to 90 cents per seedling plus tax, shipping and handling, depending upon species and size.

Iowa lawmakers recently adjusted rules governing the State Forest Nursery, allowing them to establish minimum orders of 100 seedlings of one species. Paul Tauke, DNR state forester, said the nursery hopes to be able to lower the minimum order quantity even further.

In addition to the ability to sell smaller quantities and adjust pricing, the State Forest Nursery, which is bound by Iowa Code to be self-sustaining, can now sell seedlings to other states and to private nurseries for resale.

For seedling choices, visit www.iowadnr.gov/nursery and click on 'Seedling Catalog.” For more information or to place an order, call (800) 865-2477.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

'For that idiot out there who is going to do that, that's the same guy that's already driving down to Missouri, loading up the bed of his truck, getting a whole load of fireworks and couple cases of beer and driving back to Iowa and they're already going to do it regardless of what we put in this legislation here today,” Rep. Matt Windschitl, R-Missouri Valley, speaking to an amendment to prohibit the use of fireworks by people with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or higher.