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.
Republican U.S. Rep. Steve King is one of 37 members of Congress and two senators to sign on to a legal brief filed in support of a lawsuit calling for a voter referendum on whether same-sex marriage should be legalized in the nation’s capitol.
Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron
Last month, the Washington, D.C., City Council voted 11 to 2 to legalize same-sex marriage, and the district’s mayor signed the bill shortly before Christmas. But Congress has the authority to block any law passed by the council, although Democratic control of both chambers makes that unlikely.
The legal brief King signed was submitted Wednesday to D.C. Superior Court by televangelist Pat Robertson’s American Center for Law and Justice.
Among the lawmakers joining King are Republican Reps. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, Mike Pence of Indiana and Minority Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia.
The liberal blog Iowa Progress pointed out the potential hypocrisy of King moving to overturn the DC City Council vote last month, saying King’s opposition to the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage was because they were legislating from the bench. This is a case of “legislating from the legislature,” so while he may not agree with their decision he should be willing to let it stand. And if he doesn’t “all these claims about defending judicial minimalism and popular sovereignty will just seem like excuses for homophobia”.
This isn’t the first time the Kiron Republican has turned his attention to D.C.’s local politics. Last March he helped stall a bill granting the District of Columbia full voting rights in the House of Representatives by attaching an amendment gutting the city’s gun laws.
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