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 resolution scheduled to be voted on tonight by the Sioux City council opposing same-sex marriage endorses discrimination and should be rejected, the ACLU of Iowa’s Executive Director Ben Stone said today.
“The resolution contains language stating that it is about ‘respect [for] the rule of law and majority opinion,’” Stone said. “Such rhetoric was commonly used by the cowardly defenders of prejudice and bigotry in the 1950s and 60s, and its use in this context is unfortunate. History reveals that many laws in American history were immoral despite their support by majority opinion, and Iowa’s so-called ‘Defense of Marriage Act’ is among them.”
Councilman Brent Hoffman authored the resolution, which would have very little real impact since cities lack authority over marriage. But with a decision on the state’s same-sex marriage pending from the Iowa Supreme Court, the hope, Hoffman said, is that the Sioux City vote will spark discussion of a statewide vote for a Constitutional amendment, a process that takes at least two years.
The council will meet tonight at 4 p.m. in Council Chambers, fifth floor of City Hall, 405 6th St., Sioux City.
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