Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird said Thursday that her office has about $9 million from an opioid settlement to be distributed to communities in the form of grants.

“I want to make sure every part of Iowa gets its share of that money,” she said.

The new opioid grant program was one of a few topics she discussed during a midday meeting with local leaders.

That money came from a settlement multiple states reached with the makers of the powerful opioid pain relievers and national pharmacy chains that distributed them. The settlement was reached following an epidemic of opioid overdoses around the country.

Bird said the Iowa legislature recently approved the distribution of the state’s initial share of the settlement funds. The money will be channeled through her office and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.

Settlement money will be used for prevention of addiction and treatment, according to Bird.

“I think we always need to do more on the prevention side,” she said.

The need for a new jail was mentioned repeatedly during the one hour conversation with Bird.

Webster County voters narrowly rejected a proposed $45 million bond issue that would have paid for a new jail in November 2023. The vote failed by a 54.86 percent to 45.14 percent margin, with a 60 percent supermajority needed for passage.

Fort Dodge Police Chief Dennis Quiin said he and Webster County Sheriff Luke Fleener are constantly “triaging” to make sure a few of the current jail’s limited cells are left available to house people arrested for violent crimes.

Following the meeting, Bird said two proposals she submitted to the legislature have been approved by the Senate and House of Representatives and await action by Gov. Kim Reynolds.

One of those bills would enable victims of sexual assault to get a no contact order prohibiting their attacker from being near them for the rest of their lives. Currently, those court orders have expiration dates and the victims have to regularly go back to court to get them renewed.

The other bill would increase the penalties for threatening judges and their families.

The local officials attending the meeting with Bird were Astra Ferris, chief executive officer of the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance; Fort Dodge Mayor Dave Flattery; Webster County Attorney Darren Driscoll; Quinn; Randy Kuhlman, chief executive officer of the Fort Dodge Community Foundation and United Way; Webster County Supervisor John Cochran. Mary Green-Warnstadt, executive director of Main Street Fort Dodge; Kerri Kuiper, executive director of Visit Fort Dodge; Emily Mikos, operations coordinator for the Growth Alliance; and Katy Grobe, marketing specialist for the Growth Alliance.