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.
Tuesday night’s hearing on changing Iowa’s tax code and ending federal deductibility was brought to a halt after House Speaker Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque, ordered the public removed from the chamber.
A boisterous crowd of more than 500 people, the majority of which was made up of opponents of the tax plan, repeatedly interrupted the proceedings by loudly cheering speakers they agreed with and booing those they opposed.
After several warnings, Murphy cleared the crowd, later saying he should have made the move earlier when several speakers were booed. House rules prohibit demonstrations of any type from the gallery.
Only those scheduled to speak were allowed to remain, and the public hearing was finally resumed.
The hearing officially concluded just before 10 p.m.
Radio Iowa’s O.Kay Hendeson has audio recorded during the uproar. She also has audio of a confrontation between Murphy and Iowans for Tax Relief Presiden Ed Failor Jr., who said the Speaker “acted like a jack-booted Nazi.”
The bill being debated calls for the end of federal deductibility, a part of Iowa’s tax code that deducts federal taxes paid from a person’s adjusted gross income for state tax purposes. The effect is that income subject to state taxes is much lower, which in turn causes the state to institute a higher tax rate in order to generate enough revenue.
The House Ways & Means Committee approved the bill on a party-line vote Monday night.
Democrats plan to use the roughly $600 million that would be generated by ending the deduction to restructure the tax code. Republicans say the change is just a tax increase in disguise.
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