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.
During a taping of Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” today, Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, said the expanded Democratic majorities would revisit changes to the state’s labor laws.
According to The Des Moines Register:
LABOR LAWS: It’s probable that lawmakers will take some action on labor law issues, Gronstal said. Iowans sometimes confuse them, but are two separate issues. One is a proposal to give public employees the right to discuss more items at the negotiating table. The other is a proposal to give labor unions the option to charge non-union members fees for certain services, such as for representation for a non-union employee when she faces being fired. Gronstal wouldn’t predict whether lawmakers would pass one or both. Instead, he said: “I think it’s highly likely there will be something.”
Gronstal also said the state would have to delay reconstruction of the Wallace Building but would move forward on the $131 million Fort Madison prison reconstruction.
Democrats would also have to look at trimming the budget, with a possiblity of raising taxes.
BUDGET TRIMMING: Budget trimming is expected. “We do have a difficult budget ahead of us, and anything that isn’t kind of nailed down is probably going to get cut,” Gronstal said. Democrats will spend money to keep their commitments to their “priorities,” such as teacher pay and a “social safety net,” Gronstal said. He vowed to again pass a balanced budget.
TAXES: Whether or not lawmakers will raise taxes remains to be decided, Gronstal said. He said “some people are saying” they’d like to increase the state gas tax to help pay to rebuild Iowa roads now that gas prices are down under $2 again.
The state may have to tap into its Rainy Day Fund, Gronstal said, in order to help with recovery efforts from this summer’s floods.
“Iowa Press” will air tonight at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m. on IPTV.
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