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 prevailing wage bill is about good jobs and fair pay, and, despite failing to garner the votes needed for passage in the Iowa House, it is not dead, Gov. Chet Culver said in a press release Friday night.
“And I want to be very clear; this is not over,” Culver said. “Key members of the legislature have yet to vote, and I commend Speaker [Pat] Murphy and the leadership for allowing them the opportunity to do so.”
Murphy has refused to close the voting board until Monday. The move means he or his designate will have to stay in the chamber over the weekend. Republicans will also have a member stationed in the chamber until Monday.
The bill failed 50-46 Friday night, but Democrat Geri Huser and three Republicans did not vote. Huser, who is traveling out of state, has long been considered an opponent of the labor legislation, so the move is more about changing the vote of a Democrat in dissent than about waiting for her to arrive.
“Our state is currently ranked 42nd in the nation for wages, and I am not going to sit by and allow that to be good enough,” Culver said. “As we work to improve our economy and invest in our public infrastructure, we owe it to the people of Iowa to make sure we are supporting good jobs. Iowans who work hard and play by the rules deserve nothing less.”
This also represents the first time Culver has come out publicly for this specific bill, saying he wants it passed through the General Assembly and on his desk as soon as possible. He had previously come out in support of the idea of a prevailing wage requirement.
If the bill passes the House, it is expected to easily pass the Senate.
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