Week in Iowa, Dec. 26, 2022: Recap of news from across the state

Agencies file bills ahead of session: With the Iowa legislative session only a week away, state agencies are proposing bills they’d like lawmakers to take up when they meet Jan. 9 in Des Moines. Some notable pre-filed bills proposed by state agencies include:

• Children would be required to ride in rear-facing car seats until the age of 3 while weighing up to 30 pounds and required to ride in a safety seat until age 8.

• Pointing a laser at an aircraft would become a crime under proposed legislation by the Iowa Public Defense Department.

• Only hands-free use of a mobile device would be allowed under a bill proposed by the state Public Safety Department.

Tito's Vodka new Iowa favorite: Iowa has a new favorite liquor, according to sales reports from the state Alcoholic Beverages Division. Tito’s Vodka dethroned Black Velvet Canadian Whisky as the top-selling liquor brand in the state. Black Velvet has held the No. 1 spot since at least 2012, when the state began reporting the top brands.

Iowans also set the third consecutive record for liquor sales in the last fiscal year. Sales topped $431 million between July 2021 and July 2022, a 3.75 percent increase over last year’s record. The Alcoholic Beverages Division, Iowa’s state-run liquor wholesaler, reported $120.6 million in profits. Profits go to the state general fund, substance abuse education and economic development.

Attorney general settles with Juul: Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller reached a settlement with e-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc. over allegations the company marketed to Iowa youths under 18.

The company will pay $5 million over four years and change its advertising and retail practices, Miller’s office said. The money paid to Iowa will be used to promote education and resources for quitting e-cigarette use. Miller was part of a 2018 panel, organized by Juul, to research e-cigarettes. The group disbanded and Miller’s involvement ended in 2018.

Medical marijuana program grows: Thousands more Iowans joined the state’s medical marijuana program in 2022. The program has 14,466 registered cardholders, close to double the 7,865 in November of last year. Sales at Iowa’s five dispensaries were more than $10 million.

The board governing the program said the state should allow more licensed dispensaries to keep up with the growing demand. State law currently allows for five dispensaries, and some patients in the program have to drive long distances to those dispensaries. The board also proposed removing sales tax from sales and changing state law to allow Iowa cannabis companies to take business expense deductions for state income tax.

They said …

“We did it our way. We never compromised on our values and principles. That is enormously satisfying to me. I’m so thankful to my staff and impressed with their quality of work, their professionalism, and their dedication.” — Outgoing Democratic Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller reflecting on his 40 years in office.

“I’m grateful that Title 42 remains in place to help deter illegal entry at the U.S. southern border. But make no mistake — this is only a temporary fix to a crisis that President Biden and his administration have ignored for two years.” — Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds on Supreme Court decision to keep Title 42 in place.

Odds and ends

TV reporter goes viral: An Iowa TV sports reporter found viral fame when he pitched in for an early morning, sub-zero weather report. KWWL’s Mark Woodley posted clips of his sarcastic quips and commentary during the newscast to Twitter, which garnered more than 200,000 likes and 30 million views in the week since it was posted and made national headlines. The clothing store Raygun got in on the action, creating Mark Woodley-themed T-shirts the same week.

Veterans trust fund runs dry: A state trust fund that extends support to low-income veterans ran dry in 2022 for the first time in its 10-year history. The Iowa Veterans Trust Fund receives $3 million a year from state appropriations and the Iowa Lottery. An expanded pool of eligible veterans and inflation-induced cost increases created higher-than-expected costs for the program.

Water cooler

COVID cases fall: Iowa’s COVID-19 cases fell again in the week ending Wednesday, with the state reporting 2,148 cases compared to 3,493 cases the previous week. Hospitalizations also fell by 11 percent, down to 243 from 272 in the same span.

IHSAA classification changes: The Iowa State Board of Education will decide on a large shakeup to Iowa high school athletics' classification standards. More than half of Iowa schools voted in the past week to change high school football classifications to consider socioeconomic factors. Under the proposal, the Iowa High School Athletic Association would take 40 percent of a district's number of students on free and reduced lunch and subtract it from the total student number to determine new classifications.