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 Secretaries of State of Idaho and Maine (Ben Ysursa and Matthew Dunlap, respectively) praised Iowa for instituting Election Day registration in a recent editorial:
Last month, Gov. Chet Culver of Iowa signed a bill authorizing Election Day registration, which allows previously unregistered voters with proper ID the opportunity to cast a ballot that day. This is a powerful tool to promote voting and, as secretaries of state of two states that already have this policy in place, we welcome Iowa in joining our ranks.
Young Iowans, in particular, would likely benefit from this change, they said. The Secretaries of State pointed to a recent study that predicted Election Day registration would up voter turnout by 10.7 percent among 18 to 25 year-old Iowans. They also tried to depoliticize the issue:
Though one of us is a Republican and one is a Democrat, we can attest that political affiliation isn’t relevant here: this is a policy that is good for voters, regardless of party, and good for our democracy. When it comes to elections, America is best served when all eligible voters cast their ballots — even those who missed the registration deadline.
There was a bit less bipartisanship in the Iowa legislature. This past Spring, Election Day registration passed the Democratic-led House and Senate without the support of Republicans. David Yepsen, at the Des Moines Register, described the political divide in detail at the time, though he casts the debate in more cynical terms than most Democrats would probably like.
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.
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