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 Manchester Union-Leader is reporting that the South Carolina Republican chair will announce his state’s GOP primary date on Thursday — at the New Hampshire state capitol.
Observers, including the New Hampshire Republican chair, expect the date to be Jan. 22 — the currently scheduled New Hampshire date. Talking Points Memo calls the New Hampshire-based announcement “a sign of chivalry to New Hampshire’s first-primary tradition.”In South Carolina, the parties set their own primary dates. South Carolina Democrats are still scheduled for Jan. 29, and according to a Democratic Party agreement, are supposed to have that date to themselves as the fourth contest. But the GOP-controlled Florida legislature moved that state’s primary to Jan. 29. Florida Democrats are working two tracks: asking the state legislature to return to the previously scheduled Feb. 5 date, and also asking the DNC for an exception to party rules. With an exception, Florida could keep its early date without suffering the penalty of lost delegates the DNC threatens for states that violate the carefully negotiated calendar.
South Carolina Republicans are concerned about preserving their “first in the South” date, prompting the likely move to Jan. 22. The South Carolina GOP played the lead role in the round of leapfrog in 1999 that led Iowa to reschedule the 2000 caucuses twice, moving from Feb. 7 to the eventual Jan. 24 date. South Carolina GOP chair Katon Dawson told the Union-Leader this year’s move is “prompted by a presidential process that has gone afoul.”
This could trigger a New Hampshire move to Jan. 15. The secretary of state is empowered to set the date himself, and state law requires New Hampshire to hold its primary one week before any “similar contest.”
The unenforceable self-declared supremacy of one state’s law over another may someday be an interesting court battle. But here in the real world, Iowa is bound by a similar law. The state parties set the Iowa caucus date, but Democrats and Republicans have cooperated and shared the same date since 1976. The likely Iowa move would be bumping back a week, from the currently scheduled Jan. 14 caucus date to Jan. 7.
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