Bird touts her accomplishments as AG
She describes vape case win, cold case unit
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As Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird seeks reelection in November, she talks about a recent court win that will keep candy-flavored vapes off store shelves and the early success of her cold case unit.
The win in the vape case, she said, is "important to me as a mom and a prosecutor."
Bird said two years ago, a law was enacted in Iowa that prohibits the sale or purchase of any vapes that are not on an approved registry maintained by the Iowa Department of Revenue. The only vapes that can be on that registry are those with tobacco or menthol flavors.
"We just don't want to see kids targeted by candy-flavored vapes," she said.
The law was immediately challenged in federal court. Recently, the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Iowa law. The only option left for the vape industry is an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, which might not even take the case.
Bird considers the Court of Appeals decision to be a major win for Iowa's efforts to protect children.
A little over a year ago, Bird established a cold case unit to tackle more than 400 unsolved homicides.
"We know that no case is too old," she said. "We don't want anyone to get away with murder in Iowa."
The unit consists of four experienced investigators and a prosecutor.
According to Bird, the unit has filed murder charges in four cases. She said one case went to trial in Harrison County and a person was convicted of second degree murder 37 years after the crime was committed.
Bird said she has lobbied the legislature to increase the penalties for assaulting law enforcement officers, and improved her office's services to victims of crime.
"I am committed to making sure Iowans are safe and protected,” she said. "I am committed to holding criminals accountable and stopping scammers. I work every day to uphold our laws and constitution."