The Des Moines Register reports that the Iowa Department of Revenue claimed that pumpkins used as jack-o’-lanterns did not meet the food exemption of the state sales tax. People who bought pumpkins would have to fill out a form to recover their sales tax if they used it for food. Yesterday they changed their minds, under influence from Gov. Chet Culver.

There is an interesting object lesson on the side here. When a legislator or candidate says he or she wants to solve a problem generally, leaving the details to unelected bureaucrats, results like this pumpkin tax are on the way.