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.
The Iowa Family Policy Center’s controversial anti-endorsement of former Gov. Terry Branstad is causing some turmoil in one of it’s leaders’ home district.
Danny Carroll, who chairs IFPC, used to represent House District 75, made up of portions of Poweshiek and Mahaska Counties. In 2006 he lost to Democrat Eric Palmer (and again in 2008), and since then has run unsuccessfully to become chair of the Republican Party of Iowa before taking the position with IFPC.
In his new position, Carroll has acted as his group’s spokesman in one of its more controversial decisions: to publicly endorse gubernatorial hopeful Bob Vander Plaats and promise to sit out the fall campaign if GOP voters chose Branstad, his chief rival for the nomination.
That decision has already drawn outrage from some Republican activists, with the Linn County Republican Party passing a loyalty resolution in response that demands candidates support the party’s eventual nominee.
In Carroll’s old district, an invitation to be master of ceremonies for a Mahaska County Republican fundraiser has once again sparked controversy, as some believe he’s officially broken ties with his party.
From the Ottumwa Courier:
“The invitation was premature,” committee member Rusty Stout Jr. said. “We must remain neutral. Danny Carroll has divorced himself from the Republican Party.”
But committee member Mark Dolan argued Carroll has not left the Republican Party and that having him as master of ceremonies would not be considered an endorsement of one candidate over another. …
In the end, the committee voted 13-9 to invite Carroll to emcee the event.
Carroll renewed his group’s pledge to sit out the fall campaign during a taping of Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” last month.
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