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.
Iowa’s gaming industry has its eyes on a New Jersey lawsuit that could open up sports betting to the Hawkeye State, according to Doug Burns at Iowa Political Alert.
Wes Ehrecke, president of the Iowa Gaming Association, which represents Iowa’s 17 state-regulated casinos, told Burns his organization is certainly interested in the case and could take a more activist role in seeking to open up an option for sports betting in Iowa.
Ehrecke said legalized sports betting in Iowa would clearly mean more money for the casinos and the state through the taxes levied on the industry. And the state is looking to tie its fortunes even tighter with gaming houses. Gov. Chet Culver is now seeking to fund a $750 million infrastructure-and-jobs revitalization plan by financing bonds with casino revenues.
The New Jersey lawsuit claims that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, a law that outlawed sports betting nationwide, violates the commerce clause of the Constitution by failing to impose uniform standards throughout the country. There are four states allowed to have government-sanctioned sports betting because the practice was already in place before the federal law was passed — Nevada, Oregon, Delaware and Montana.
If overturned, the state would have the option of allowing citizens to bet on sporting events at casinos. But that outcome is still a long way from reality, Ehrecke said, since the lawsuit was just filed and many questions remain unanswered.
Follow Jason Hancock on Twitter
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.
Sign up for our email newsletter