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.
Reacting to criticism from his 2008 opponent in the Democratic primary, U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell has laid out in greater detail his opposition to proposed legislation to deal with climate change.
The bill in question, H.R. 2454, seeks to reduce emissions by imposing a national limit, or cap, on greenhouse gases. It would then allow polluters to buy and sell their emissions credits. If a polluter emitted less than its allotment, it could sell the excess.
Earlier today, former state Rep. Ed Fallon criticized Boswell for opposing the measure, which garnered a quick response from Boswell spokesman Mark Daley.
“Despite his ardent support for climate change legislation, the current version threatens to unfairly increase energy costs for Iowa families and others across the Midwest, while giving windfall profits to coastal energy companies,” Daley said in a memo released to the media. “Additionally, the legislation would greatly increase the cost of doing business for Iowa farmers and ranchers and excludes them from being a part of the solution.”
Daley goes on to lay out Boswell’s three biggest concerns with the climate change legislation:
- Farmers would shoulder the cost of increased fuel, fertilizer and electricity without any assistance.
- The Environmental Protection Agency, and not the USDA, would oversee the program.
- The system allocating emissions allowances to utilities is heavily biased against the Midwest.
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