(Radio Iowa) – President-elect Joe Biden says he had to do a bit of persuading to convince former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack to agree to serve again as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. Biden introduced Vilsack and four other members of his domestic policy team, Friday — three of whom served in the Obama Administration. “They bring deep experience and bold new thinking. Above all, they know how government can and should work for all Americans,” Biden said. “For secretary of agriculture, I nominate Tom Vilsack, an outstanding two-term governor of Iowa, the best secretary of agriculture I believe this country has ever had.”

Vilsack is the only member of Obama’s cabinet to serve all eight years in the same role. “He wasn’t anxious to come back. He wasn’t looking for this job, but I was persistent,” Biden said, with a laugh, “and I asked him to serve again in this role because he knows the USDA inside and out. He knows the government inside and out. We need that experience now.” Biden credited Vilsack for leading feeding programs and other U-S-D-A initiatives to lead the nation out of the Great Recession and he said the U-S-D-A has a critical role in the pandemic as studies indicate hunger is an issue for at least one in four American children. “Mr. president-elect, madam vice president-elect, I’m honored by the trust that you’ve placed in me to return to the vital work of the USDA at a very critical moment for so many families and communities throughout America,” Vilsack said.

Vilsack, who’ll turn 70 on Sunday, says he feels enormously lucky and grateful for the opportunities he’s had in life. “Thinking back on the path of my life, where it began in an orphanage in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, to Iowa where my incredible wife Christie and I raised our family…to standing here today being given a chance to serve our country again today,” Vilsack said, “but unfortunately and tragically not all have experienced those possibilities, so I consider it my duty and my responsibility to expand those possibilities to all at the USDA.”

Vilsack promised to assemble a diverse and inclusive leadership team at the agency. A coalition representing Black farmers has criticized Biden’s decision to have Vilsack return to the U-S-D-A, charging Vilsack did not do enough as ag secretary to address racial inequities in loans for farmland. Before Biden introduced Vilsack Friday, he promised his administration would have a national, coordinated strategy to defeat the pandemic. Vilsack, during his remarks, said one of his first tasks will be guiding the department’s pandemic response. “Reviving rural communities and economies,” he said, “addressing dire food shortages and getting workers and producers the relief they need to hang and to come back stronger.”

Vilsack has been president and C-E-O of the U-S Dairy Export Council since February of 2017.

(Radio Iowa) – The state agency that distributes liquor says the fiscal that ended June 30th saw around an eight percent increase in sales compared to last year. Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division spokesman, Jake Holmes says that’s better than they’ve seen in recent years. He says the trend has been around four to five percent in the last five years — although there was a six percent increase last year. Sales in the fiscal year were 367-point-three million dollars and more than 133 million dollars was transferred to the state general fund. Holmes says this is something that’s been seen in liquor sales across the country. “The trend in rising sales isn’t specific to Iowa — especially during the pandemic — it appears more people are consuming during this time,” Holmes says.

The number of liquor licenses approved in the fiscal year was down — which is another indication people are buying the booze and taking it home to drink. “It does seem like specifically with some of the restrictions that those on-premises establishments had over the last part of the fiscal year — it is pretty safe to conclude that not only were people not only consuming more — but were consuming at home rather than at on-premises establishments,” Holmes says.

I-A-B-D had reported earlier that sales went up 18 percent in March after bars and restaurants were shut down by the pandemic emergency order. The bars were allowed to reopen in the spring. Holmes says the shutdown did come at a time that is not during the peak months of alcohol sales. “Typically October, November, December, that’s the busy time generally,” according to Holmes. “Recently we’ve seen more kind of spikes in other areas of the year with those special events and things that typically happen in the summer, there is an increase there too.”

The increase in sales more than offset a deferment of taxes and fees the governor ordered that resulted in decreases in license and tax revenue. Those fees were deferred until the end of December.

(Radio Iowa) – A panel reviewing the state’s tax receipts has concluded there’s a very slow economic recovery ahead and the group is predicting state tax revenue in the current fiscal year will grow by just half-a-percent. However, the Revenue Estimating Conference predicts state tax collections will expand by three-point-seven percent in the budgeting year that begins July 1st. Holly Lyons of the Legislative Services Agency is one of the three panel members. “I think all of us will be glad to see the year 2020 behind us, but this year more than ever, it’s hard look ahead to the next year with any clarity.”

The current state fiscal year ends June 30th. The council’s tax collection prediction for the next fiscal year is nearly 300 million higher. Iowa Department of Management director Dave Roederer (ROH-der-er) says the big question is whether wide distribution of Covid vaccine will stoke the economy. “Do we need economists or do we need psychiatrists to really help us determine what is going to happen?” Roederer asked.

Roederer says the economy won’t start growing until people believe the pandemic is coming to an end and they start spending their money on goods and services again. The Revenue Estimating Conference predicts the State of Iowa will collect eight-and-a-quarter BILLION dollars in the next budgeting year. That total is what the governor will use as the basis for the state spending plan she’ll present to legislators in January.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.0MB)

Subscribe: RSS

(Radio Iowa) – A comprehensive review of Iowa’s dairy industry details its importance to the state and regional economies. Northwest Iowa Extension dairy specialist Fred Hall says the report, which is done every five years, shows the state’s dairy industry is having a significant impact and it’s continuing to gain momentum. Hall says, “The industry represents about 15,600 jobs and the impact of each single dairy cow in the state to the community is about $25,500 dollars.” It’s not just about the milk, as Hall says the spin-off benefits from all dairy products contribute heavily to each Iowa community where there’s a dairy farm. “They can bottle it for milk, they can make cheese, yogurt, dried powder,” Hall says. “Really, once it leaves the farm, it has a tremendous application.”

The report says the prospects for Iowa’s dairy producers are bright as milk and milk products are in high demand globally. “The export of dairy product into growing countries is tremendous,” Hall says. “As our population grows in this country, we find a bigger market every day for milk.” He notes, that’s not necessarily just fluid milk but all of the other products created with milk. The report shows dairy revenue is expected to continue to rise by more than one-percent to close to $40 billion.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:05-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.8MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden has nominated Tom Vilsack to take back his old job at the Agriculture Department, saying his eight years of experience at the department under former President Barack Obama would ensure quicker help to rural and poor areas that are “reeling” from the pandemic and economic downturn. Vilsack said one of his first duties would be to “build back a vibrant and resilient economy” as the department aids in the coronavirus response, including addressing food needs and shortages and getting relief to food workers and producers.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa reported more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases as Gov. Kim Reynolds’ administration allowed school districts to keep offering 100% online instruction next week for tens of thousands of students. The Iowa Department of Education granted waivers allowing the school districts in Des Moines, the state’s largest, and the suburb of Johnston to continue teaching online until Christmas break begins. Iowa City schools said the department also granted its waiver but that it would nonetheless return to 50% in-person instruction Monday, citing the late notice. Under the governor’s policy, districts can move online for two weeks if their county’s 14-day positivity rate exceeds 15%.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for a Dubuque man who was sentenced to 50 years in prison on a second-degree murder conviction for the death of his girlfriend. Fontae Buelow claims Samantha Link turned a knife on herself in an act of suicide after an argument in March 2017. Prosecutors alleged he stabbed her and charged him with first-degree murder. A jury convicted him of second-degree murder in January 2018. The court’s ruling upholds an appeals court decision last year that threw out the conviction because the trial judge did not allow information about Link’s prior suicide attempt and mental health records that may have supported Buelow’s contention that Link stabbed herself.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Police are investigating the vandalism of a synagogue in Davenport that occurred on the first day of Hanukkah. Television station KWQC reports that someone spray-painted a New Testament biblical citation at an entrance to Temple Emanuel on Thursday afternoon. The citation “John 8:44” was painted in red on a wall near the temple doors. The verse recounts Jesus telling his critics that they are the spawn of the devil. Rabbi Bertenthal says the vandalism and its message are particularly hurtful coming at the opening of the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights. Police have not announced any arrests or suspects in the vandalism.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge has issued an order that prevents state officials from banning a group of Des Moines Black Liberation Movement protesters from entering the Iowa Capitol grounds. U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger ruled Thursday that a ban requested by state legislative leaders and enforced by the Iowa State Patrol violates the constitutional rights of five protesters. They were protesting at the Capitol on July 1 when a scuffle broke out with police. Troopers told them that legislative leaders had ordered them banned, some for six months and others for a year. The judge concluded the bans likely burden more speech than necessary.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa budget experts say state revenue will increase very slowly through next year as the economy continues to gradually emerge from the coronavirus pandemic recession. The three-member Revenue Estimating Conference is tasked by state law with coming up with revenue projections in December that Gov. Kim Reynolds must use in crafting a state budget for next year. The group met Friday and decided to increase revenue projections for the budget year that begins July 1 by $38.7 million above the current year. That’s a minuscule 0.5% increase and provides for revenue of $7.97 billion. They anticipate revenue growth for the following 2022 budget year of 3.7%.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa reported more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases as Gov. Kim Reynolds’ administration allowed school districts to keep offering 100% online instruction next week for tens of thousands of students. The Iowa Department of Education granted waivers allowing the school districts in Des Moines, the state’s largest, and the suburb of Johnston to continue teaching online until Christmas break begins. Iowa City schools said the department also granted its waiver but that it would nonetheless return to 50% in-person instruction Monday, citing the late notice. Under the governor’s policy, districts can move online for two weeks if their county’s 14-day positivity rate exceeds 15%.