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.
Iowa Gov. Chet Culver will hold a public ceremony on Tuesday to sign the new allowable growth bill, the first major legislation passed by the legislature this session. The ceremony will be held in Culver’s formal office at the statehouse at 3:30 p.m.
Lawmakers voted last week to increase the amount of state aid to schools by about four percent in the 2009-2010 school year, a jump of $222 per student. The increase in so-called “allowable growth” is typically set 18 months in advance to allow school districts to begin planning their budgets for the future.
The bill was passed in the senate on Thursday by a vote of 49-1.
Last year, the Legislature also set the growth in state aid at 4 percent for the school year that begins in fall of this year. The 2008 funding will also include preschool aid for districts, which was passed overwhelmingly by both parties last year.
State Rep. Royd Chambers, R-Sheldon, a member of the House Education Committee, said the increase will be welcomed by schools in Iowa who are battling increased costs for infrastructure repair, equipment replacement, and salaries.“I expect that the schools in the state, and in my district, will be happy with the size of the increase,” Chambers said.
The bill increases the total amount of money school districts receive per student to $5,768, up from $5,546 last year.
The increase means an additional $112.6 million will be spent on education in the state this year.
But the increase comes during a time when increased state spending is being assailed because of concerns about the economy and taxes. Gov. Chet Culver’s proposed overall budget calls for a 6 percent increase in spending, and Culver has suggested moving $90 million in gambling revenues into the general fund to make up the spending gap.
“There’s legitimate concern that we’re not to be able going to pay for it,” Chambers said. “We may have to come in next year and cut the funding again.”
About 60 percent of the state’s budget is used to fund education, from preschool to universities. The per capita aid is one of several funding streams that goes to schools. Districts also receive money based on student achievement, teacher improvement, early childhood education and transportation costs.
Increasing per-pupil funding is one of several items on a lengthy education agenda facing lawmakers in Des Moines. Lawmakers are also pushing to expand preschool options for students, increasing teacher salaries, and making tuition at the state’s post-secondary institutions more affordable.
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