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.
Work on Gov. Chet Culver’s $43 million disaster relief package is expected to begin this week, and legislative leaders hope a bill can be on the governor’s desk by the end of the month.
Week two of the 83rd Iowa General Assembly starts Tuesday.
In his Condition of the State address last week, Culver asked the legislature to appropriate the money out of the state’s $155 million economic emergency fund to bolster the rebuilding efforts after floods and natural disasters last year. The first $20 million would be used to create a funding source for communities to help replace lost revenue and property taxes. The rest would be used for assistance grants to home and business owners, non-profit assistance and skills training.
Democratic leaders in both chambers said last week that committees will begin discussing the proposal with the goal of getting a bill to the full legislature by early next week.
House Minority Leader Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, said he expects the bill to have smooth sailing.
“Yes, there is disagreement on how that will be split up, but we’re not at an impasse,” Paulsen said. “I think you’re going to see a bill that once it moves, it’s going to move quickly, it’s going to be meaningful and it’s going to have broad-based support. I expect it to be if not unanimous, a very close to unanimous bill once it finally moves.”
However, the second week of the General Assembly will be interrupted several times. The legislature will not convene on Monday due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Tuesday is President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration, and a special ceremony is scheduled in the afternoon to commemorate the occasion. Several members will also be in Washington to attend the historic event.
Cedar Rapids Gazette columnist Todd Dorman also points out that Sen. Mary Lundy’s funeral will be held on Wednesday, which will mean legislation work will “be on the back burner” that day as well.
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