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.
A federal judge ruled Wednesday that gay and lesbian couples in California have a constitutional right to marry, striking down Proposition 8, the voter approved ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage.
U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker said Prop 8 violates the federal constitutional rights of gays and lesbians to marry the partners of their choice. His ruling is expected to be appealed and eventually go before the U.S. Supreme Court.
From Walker’s ruling:
Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license. Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples. Because California has no interest in discriminating against gay men and lesbians, and because Proposition 8 prevents California from fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide marriages on an equal basis, the court concludes that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.
Evan Wolfson of the LGBT-rights organization Freedom to Marry hailed the decision.
“Today’s win provides increased momentum to the national movement to end exclusion from marriage,” he said in a prepared statement. “But the courts don’t operate in a vacuum, and we must work to maximize our chances of winning down the road. The crucial work of changing hearts and minds, securing the freedom to marry in more states, and ending federal marriage discrimination is more urgent than ever, in order to build on today’s momentum and encourage other decision-makers to do the right thing and end exclusion from marriage.”
Follow Jason Hancock on Twitter
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter