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.
“Our commissioners were following the story in the media about Congressman King’s comments regarding presidential candidate Senator Obama, and they were wondering what role the commission should have, if any, about that kind of speech,” said Ralph Rosenberg, the commission’s executive director.On Thursday, the Iowa Civil Rights Commission will discuss how it should respond when public officials — like controversial U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron — make “hate comments.”
King earlier this month said if Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama were elected president, Al-Qaeda would be “dancing in the streets.” Rosenberg said a commissioner found King’s remarks distasteful.
“Our commissioners were following the story in the media about Congressman King’s comments regarding presidential candidate Senator Obama, and they were wondering what role the commission should have, if any, about that kind of speech,” said Ralph Rosenberg, the commission’s executive director.
The commission will discuss how to address such statements, whether it should take a position, what the position should be and how to communicate it. The commission will meet from 3:30 to 5 p.m. today at the Grimes State Office Building in Des Moines.
“It raised a larger issue: What do you do when an elected official from Iowa says something that you disagree with that it appears has some civil rights or human dignity context? What’s our role?” Rosenberg said. “Do we respond to everything a politician says that we disagree with?”
Rosenberg said he was unsure if the commission will take a vote on the issue.
Commission Chairwoman Alicia Claypool said in an e-mail: “This is an open discussion as nothing specific has been suggested for what form a response might take.”
Gov. Chet Culver called for King to retract his statements.
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