DES MOINES, Iowa — Recent application denials at the county level mean more Iowans see the need for a moratorium on new factory farms, according to Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement.

In 2017, Iowa's Department of Natural Resources approved 450 new or expanded hog factories. Jess Mazour, a farm and environment organizer with Iowa's CCI, said the state has more than 750 impaired waterways from hog manure being dumped on farm fields.

Iowa Select is the largest pork producer in the state and wants to build another 19 factory farms. Mazour said those farms would equate to an additional 90,000 hogs, producing more than 36 million gallons of manure.

"We want a moratorium until there are fewer than 100 polluted waterways in Iowa,” Mazour said; “because we know that in order for Iowa to have fewer than 100 polluted waterways, there has to be real, meaningful, structural change."

The Iowa Pork Producers Association said a moratorium on hog farms would devastate Iowa's economy and livestock producers.

But three Iowa counties have denied four applications for factory farms in recent months. And in January, a coalition of 27 state, community and national organizations called on Iowa state legislators to pass laws that would strengthen regulations on animal feeding operations in Iowa.

Last week, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors said it may appeal to Iowa District Court over a hog confinement scheduled to be built northwest of Thor. Mazour said Iowa has averaged around 500 new or expanded barns a year in the past decade and is reaching a tipping point.

"But at this point there's no space left in a lot of these counties for it to not impact anyone,” she said. “They're getting closer and closer to people's homes, to parks, to cities, to roads, to waterways because they're just plain and simple running out of room."

The number of hog confinements in Iowa has grown from 722 in 2001 to 10,000 last year, with more than 200 in some counties. In the 2016 U.S. elections, the meat industry contributed roughly $12 million to political campaigns - nearly triple what was spent 15 years earlier.


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Victims of investment-related fraud in North Dakota could soon recoup some of their losses through a proposed restitution fund. A bill to establish that kind of assistance recently cleared the state Senate. The measure, which now moves to the House, would offer payments if efforts to collect restitution, ordered by the state, are unsuccessful.

Victims would need to apply and would be given up to $50,000 or 50% of the lost money, whichever is less.

Karen Tyler, North Dakota Securities Commissioner, said while this only covers scams tied to financial markets, it still could have an impact.

"Financial criminals are very creative in the different ways that they structure their frauds," Tyler said. "And so, certainly, we are seeing romance-type scams that are connected to investment-related conduct as well."

She said romance scams are becoming more prevalent, noting they often target older individuals who lost their spouse and are seeking companionship. After meeting online, the scammer will convince them to open an investment account, with the funds eventually being stolen. The bill has sponsors from both parties and received overwhelming support in the Senate.
AARP North Dakota is among those calling for the bill's final passage.

Janelle Moos, advocacy director for AARP North Dakota, said the group knows the fund will not make victims whole, but insisted it is a step in the right direction in compelling those targeted, especially older adults, to take action.

"Older adults are often targeted because they're seen as having wealth in the form of retirement savings or a pension, steady Social Security checks, and they're at a point in time in their life that they're least able to recover financially," she said.

Moos added scammers also target these individuals because they believe it is easier to establish trust with older people. The plan calls for $1-million to be put into the fund each year. The Securities Department projected it would come from revenue generated by the agency, which is about $23-million for the current biennium.

Tax time is here again. Between now and mid-April, Idahoans in need of assistance can find free help across the state through the AARP Foundation's Tax-Aide program.

There are 26 Tax-Aide 26 sites set up across the state. Tax-Aide State Coordinator for AARP Idaho Karen Cummings said the program is geared toward people with low to moderate incomes, and can help people of any age.

She said some of the folks that come to the program have struggled with their taxes in the past.

"A lot of the folks we see have tried to do the online services, like Turbo Tax, and a lot of them are not successful," said Cummings. "You have to be computer savvy - and then again, it usually costs something."

Cummings said the volunteer tax preparers can assist a wide variety of people, including those doing independent contracting or gig work, and they don't need to be AARP members.

You can find a list of the documents you'd need to bring to a Tax-Aide appointment on the AARP website.

The program is volunteer run and all Tax-Aide preparers are IRS certified to help people with their returns. Cummings said for the volunteers, it's satisfying work.

"It's very rewarding to give back to the community," said Cummings, "to help people out, to know that you can devote some time and resources, and you can help them out. They're very grateful."

She encouraged people to make appointments, because the time slots to meet with a Tax-Aide preparer fill up fast, and some sites are open by appointment only.

In 2022, 25,000 volunteers nationally assisted 1.2 million Americans with their income-tax returns, helping them receive more than a billion dollars in tax refunds.

A new report asks lawmakers and regulators to look at why some unsafe products aren't recalled sooner, and what can be done to get them off the market more quickly to keep people safe.

The report analyzed more than 3,600 complaints filed last year, and 292 recalls by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Some 22% involved injuries or death.

Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog with the Arizona Public Interest Research Group Education Fund, said it can sometimes take weeks or months for a recall to be issued. She said it's clear the CPSC has too many legal hoops to jump through before it can make product information public.

"The whole problem here is that the Consumer Product Safety Commission doesn't have the authority to do its job," said Murray, "to protect consumers. It is supposed to protect consumers. It doesn't have the authority to do it in the ways that you and I would think."

She added that 2022 saw the most recalls since 2016, which might be the result of increased enforcement or more consumer complaints.

The report calls for changes to the laws involving product recalls. Murray noted that most of the time, recall notices come from the manufacturers - but that can take time, and the message doesn't always reach the people who need to know.

Murray suggested that if a serious problem has been identified, the CPSC should be able to act rather than negotiate or wait for a company to make a move.

She said most ethical manufacturers are doing a better job of making sure their products are safe, but it's also up to buyers to do their homework before making that final purchase.

"So, people do put a lot of effort into researching, particularly big purchases," said Murray. "They should also check those kinds of products, or something they are considering buying, check with the Consumer Product Safety Commission."

The report has a full list of suggestions. Murray said be especially careful when purchasing items online or from international sellers, as these may not meet U.S. safety standards.

To file a complaint, she recommends 'saferproducts.gov.' And for recall information, visit 'CPSC.gov/recalls.'