A-G wants change to allow use of "Consumer Fraud Act"

Iowa’s Attorney General is pressuring lawmakers to allow consumers to use the state’s “consumer fraud act” as the basis for lawsuits. Attorney General Tom Miller says today, only his office can sue businesses that violate the provisions of that law. He says Iowa is the only state to deny that right to its citizens. He says they have five lawyers in the consumer protection division that can bring the lawsuits to protect Iowans. But Iowa legislators over the years have balked at the idea, saying the move would spur an increase in lawsuits. Miller says that hasn’t happened in the 49 other states. He says, “the sky hasn’t fallen in those 49 states, businesses haven’t been driven to Iowa.”A powerful lobbying group for the elderly is joining Miller’s call. Iowa A-A-R-P president Dan Power says the elderly are often the target of consumer fraud.Since Iowa consumers must now use common law rather than the consumer fraud act when they sue a business, they have a more difficult case because the “burden of proof” is higher.