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.
Democrats hope to put the finishing touches on a $700 million bonding proposal in the final days of the 2009 session, as three separate bills make their way through the process.
Senate File 376 totals $475 million, including $175 million for already approved plans like the Iowa Veterans Home and several corrections projects and the rest invested in the new I-JOBS program for public infrastructure projects.
Senate File 477 includes $100 million for “vertical infrastructure” projects, which includes land acquisition and construction, major renovation and major repair of buildings, utilities, site development, and recreational trails. It also includes $25 million for expanded broadband technology.
Senate File 474 totals $100 million for the University of Iowa to pay for flood recovery.
None of the bills includes money for roads and bridges, a key component in Gov. Chet Culver’s version of the bonding measure.
Democratic legislative leaders, who have indicated they hope to adjourn the session next week, said they are optimistic each of the proposals will be passed and sent to the governor.
“I continue to believe we’ll get a bonding bill through this session of the Legislature,” Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs said. “I think there are disaster-ravaged communities in this state that need our help and we’re going to step up and help those communities. That makes sense, I think, to the vast majority of all Iowans.”
Other issues that could surface in the final days of the session include a Democratic tax plan that ends federal deductibility, a union backed bill giving employees the ability to choose the doctor that treats them for workplace injuries and changes to the state’s sex offender laws.
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