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.
Two controversial labor bills – choice of doctor and Fair Share – were introduced in the Iowa House Wednesday morning.
House File 530 would give employees who are injured on the job the right to choose their own doctor. A version of the bill cleared the Senate Labor Committee last month.
House File 555, known as Fair Share, would allow unions representing government workers to collect a fee from non-union employees for certain services, like salary negotiations and legal representation. A version of this bill passed the Senate in 2007 before stalling in the House.
House Files 507 to 572, plus five Senate Files, were introduced to the House Wednesday morning in advance of next week’s “funnel” legislative deadline. Bills must be approved by at least one committee by March 13 to be considered alive for the rest of the session.
The House narrowly failed to pass another of labor’s priorities, prevailing wage, last month. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Des Moines, has said, however, that the measure is not dead and could be brought up later this session.
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