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.
After my report earlier today about the outlook for organized labor going into 2010, one unanswered political question remains: After Democratic majorities failed to move key components of organized labor’s agenda from 2007 to 2009, will national labor groups continue to direct resources to Iowa Democrats, or will they move on to other states where large investments seem more likely to pay dividends?
In recent years, national and international unions have played a significant role in Iowa elections. In 2008, AFSCME International donated $346,000 to the political action committee of its Iowa local, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Iowa Council 61. Among other big unions donors were the Service Employees International Union, which donated $125,000 to its local, and the Laborers’ International Union of Illinois, which contributed $200,000 to the Great Plains Laborers’ Council Iowa PAC.
That money helped Democratic candidates and county parties around the state, and Democrats expanded their majorities in both the House and Senate. When I asked two politically influential labor officials whether more money would be on the way in 2010, they both declined to speculate, saying they do not yet know.
Marcia Nichols, political and legislative director for AFSCME Iowa Council 61, said it’s too early to tell what the national unions will do. She said she has not yet had conversation with leaders in Washington, D.C. , about 2010.
Ken Sagar, president of the Iowa Federation of Labor AFL-CIO, agreed that it is too early to speculate about labor’s role in 2010.
“I wish I had a crystal ball and could answer that one,” said he said. “Clearly Iowa is a priority to us, but for national unions, I can’t answer for them.”
The dialogue with the national unions will continue as to what they want to do and how they want to focus resources, Sagar said.
“Those folks in Washington or Pittsburgh or Detroit will make up their minds,” he said. “Clearly they would like to keep majorities in Iowa, but I can’t tell you what their decision making process is all about.”
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