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.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said today that Iowa has “been fortunate” that emergency funding for highways is soon to arrive, while additional funds for teachers and low-income health programs will likewise prevent imminent job losses within the state. He forgot to mention that voted against the stimulus package that will provide that money.
In Iowa we’ve been fortunate that construction money for highways is going to get out very quickly. The governor is making decisions now on education funding and Medicaid funding, which are the other two big pots of money. So I believe you’re going to see the stimulus impact of that taking place pretty soon.
I think with, for instance, in the state aid money — I should say the stimulus money that’s going to go through the state aid formula — you’re going to find some teachers that might otherwise be laid off maybe won’t be laid off. And the Medicaid money — I think you’re going to find some cutbacks at the state level that would have happened without the stimulus package won’t have to happen now.
Grassley voted against the bill in February because, among other things, he said the package didn’t include enough tax cuts for small businesses.
Mike Lillis covers Congress for The Washington Independent, a Center for Independent Media site.
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