Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
State Sen. Jack Hatch, D-Des Moines, formally apologized to his fellow lawmakers for using a racial slur during a conversation with an African American legislator last week.
While discussing changes made to Hatch’s health care reform bill by a House committee, the Senator told state Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad, D-Des Moines, that they were both being treated like the “N-word” and like “master and slaves.”
Hatch told The Des Moines Register on Saturday that he “immediately apologized and I apologized to his clerk, and that’s the end of it. His clerk was sitting right there, and I shouldn’t have said what I said. His clerk is an African-American, and I know what that means when someone says that.”
Today, Hatch sent an e-mail to lawmakers and all staff in the Iowa House and Senate:
Dear colleagues and legislative staff,
I am writing to apologize for a comment I made last week. As legislators, our comments reflect on everyone, and last Wednesday I made an inappropriate reference. It was wrong and inexcusable. We are to reflect Iowa values, and Iowans are a tolerant group. Our values embrace diversity and legislators need to reflect our highest standards.
Last Wednesday, I failed that standard and for that, I am sorry. It will never happen again.
If you want to discuss this with me, please seek me out.
Jack
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