Northwest Iowa — With the change of month to July comes the beginning of a new fiscal year, and the starting date for many new laws.
Here are some new laws in Iowa that may affect you.
A 24-hour waiting period for abortions was to have gone into effect. But a judge has granted a temporary injunction blocking enforcement of the law after Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa filed the suit in Johnson County District Court.
There will be harsher punishments for animal cruelty regarding animals other than livestock.
Two new conditions are now approved for using medical marijuana. Those are Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and severe autism. The law also includes a new THC limit.
During the pandemic, Iowa bars and restaurants were approved to sell cocktails to-go, which had always been a no-no. Now, lawmakers have decided — and the Governor has agreed — that cocktails-to-go should be allowed permanently.
Kids who ran lemonade stands were technically in violation of the law, but now a bill has been passed and signed, specifically allowing lemonade stands.
At the opposite end of the criminal scale, a new Class B felony offense has been created for continuous sex abuse of a child.
A new law also establishes a “Blue Alert” program, which is designed to help apprehend a person suspected of killing or seriously injuring a peace officer. The alerts will also be put out to the public via the Emergency Alert System.
Mobile barbershops will also be legal now in Iowa.
Of course, hundreds of new laws are becoming law on Wednesday. For an index to them, click here.
