(Radio Iowa) — Another adult beverage may be available for this summer’s backyard barbecue: a canned cocktail. Iowa legislators have voted to raise the allowed alcohol content up to 15 percent for mixed drinks sold in a metal can. Representative Mike Sexton of Rockwell City says the bill allows canned cocktails to be sold and served in places where beer is now sold.

“We are allowing another product into the state of Iowa,” Sexton said. “It’s going to help businesses. It’s going to help the beer wholesalers as they see their market shift and as we get ready for this next generation of canned alcohol.” Sexton says market research in Europe and Australia show more and more consumers are choosing canned cocktails there that have an even higher alcohol content than this bill would allow.

“I wonder if I could get a Crown and a Coke? Well, we certainly can’t under this bill we’re doing today,” Sexton said, “but in the next generation of canned cocktails, very likely we will and those canned cocktails will definitely have to fall within the classification of spirits.”

That will require another rewrite of Iowa laws on alcohol beverages. The House approved the new rules today (Thursday) that will let beer wholesalers sell canned cocktails with up to 15 percent alcohol content. The Iowa Senate endorsed the move in mid-March, so the bill now goes to the governor for her consideration.

Critics of the bill say bars and restaurants that have paid for a liquor license may lose business to a competitor down the street that just paid for a beer license, which is cheaper, and will now be able to sell canned cocktails that contain liquor.

(Radio Iowa) — The debate over requiring an Iowa license plate on the front AND rear of vehicles has been revived in the 2019 legislature. The House has voted to let antique or classic vehicles — that are least 25 years old — to go without a front license plate. Representative Brian Lohse of Bondurant says the House plan also directs the Iowa D-O-T and Department of Public Safety to study the issue.

“The purpose of this study is to address law enforcement’s concerns for public safety as well as to address the ever-increasing amount of life safety technology being placed in the front bumper by auto manufacturers,” Lohse says.

Representative Andy McKean of Anamosa is skeptical of eliminating the front license plate requirement. “Now I’m perfectly willing to take a look at what recommendations are made, but I don’t think we can minimize the public safety importance of having proper identification at the front of the car,” McKean says. “It’s made a big difference in many cases for public safety concerns.”

The bill passed the House on a 96-to-one vote. However, 34 members of the Iowa Senate voted for a different approach to this issue two weeks ago.. The Senate plan would forbid police from pulling a vehicle over solely because it lacks a front license plate. The Senate proposal also would let auto owners skip putting a license plate on the front of the vehicle if it requires drilling holes or using glue to get the plate on the front bumper. Iowa is among the 31 states that require plates on the front AND rear of vehicles. Most sports cars and high-priced, luxury vehicles don’t have a spot for a front plate.

(Radio Iowa) — Two presidential candidates were out campaigning in Iowa today (Thursday) — both U.S. Senators — are criticizing Attorney General William Barr’s decision to hold a news conference two hours before releasing the Mueller report to the public. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar spoke with reporters in the Iowa capitol.  “I am very concerned about how the attorney general has rolled this out,” Klobuchar said. “He is supposed to be the people’s attorney, not the president’s attorney.”

New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand says the attorney general’s news conference was “a complete farce” and an “embarassing display of propaganda” on behalf of the president. “What’s so disturbing is that Attorney General Barr insists that he somehow characterize this report first, create a narrative and put a frame around it,” Gillibrand says.

Gillibrand made her comments Thursday morning during an interview with Radio Iowa. Klobuchar says she hopes the Mueller report helps spur passage of a bill she’s co-sponsored that will require back-up paper ballots and audits of the 2020 election results.  “In the words of the president’s own National Security Director Dan Coats, ‘The Russians are simply getting bolder,'” Klobuchar says. “What I hope this report will do is illuminate all of the very illegal things the Russians did to try to influence our election.”

Klobuchar says the Russians tried to hack into election equipment as well as the propaganda they posted online to try to inflame political divisions in this country.   “Those are the things that we’ve got to focus on,” Klobuchar says. “And I know there’s going to be a lot of talk about obstruction and I’m going to read it very carefully to see the differences of opinion, but I want you not to let go of the importance of our next election, that we don’t have this happen again.”

Senator Gillibrand says the whole purpose of having the special counsel was to have an independent investigation of Russian influence in the 2016 election. “Hopefully we’ll get to see the truth,” Gillibrand says. “Congress is entitled to an unredacted report. We review confidential and privileged information all the time, so we deserve an unredacted report and if the redactions are too fulsome, I hope we subpoena the report, unredacted.”

It appears just a few members of congress will get to see the report in full, without sections blacked out. Klobuchar says she hopes, as a member of the Senate Judiciary, that she gets to see it in full.  “But the most important thing is that Bob Mueller come before congress, so the public can see him answer questions,” Klobuchar says, “so that we can get to the bottom of why there is this difference in his interpretation of the law and the attorney general of the United States.”

Neither of Iowa’s U.S. senators have commented on the release of the Mueller report SINCE IT WAS MADE PUBLIC. Senator Chuck Grassley said earlier today he favors releasing as much of the Mueller report as possible, but not grand jury testimony or any information that would endanger national security. Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer, a Democrat from Dubuque, said in a written statement that making the report public has been “essential to ensure that the best interests of every American rise above partisanship.” Finkenauer said congress must secure and defend U.S. elections from foreign influence.

KJAN’s sister station KNOD reports that on Monday, April 15th, Terry Cox, the former Harlan City Administrator, pleaded guilty to an amended felony charge of 2nd degree theft, and an aggravated misdemeanor charge for tampering with records.

According to court records, Cox pleaded guilty to theft in the second degree and Tampering with records. Due to a plea agreement, a charge of Felonious Misconduct in Office, will be dismissed at Coxs’ expense, once the time for appeal is over. Sentencing is scheduled for May 20th. The state will not request jail or prison time. Cox is required to pay restitution to the city of Harlan in the amount of $7,500. He says he plans to request a deferred judgement at the time of sentencing.