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.
Former Republican state senator Chuck Larson, who was appointed by President George W. Bush to be ambassador to Latvia, tells Lee Enterprise political reporter Charlotte Eby he will not run for governor in 2010, citing his two young children as the reason.
Larson becomes the latest in a series of Republicans to publicly put to rest rumors of potential gubernatorial aspirations next year. Monday, state Auditor David Vaudt said he would seek re-election rather than throw his hat in the ring to challenge incumbent Democratic Gov. Chet Culver. Former Gov. Terry Branstad and Vermeer Corp. CEO Mary Andringa said they were not running earlier this month, and Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey appears to be leaning towards running for re-election as well.
Meanwhile, former state Sen. Jeff Lamberti told Des Moines NBC affiliate WHO-TV that he is thinking about a run for governor. Lamberti, who co-owns the arena football team the Iowa Barnstormers along with Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Matt Strawn, said influential activists have been talking to him about running, and he will make a final decision by this fall at the latest.
Currently, two Sioux Cityans are the only Republicans publicly seeking support for a run, although nothing is “official” for either yet — businessman and two-time gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats and former House Speaker Christopher Rants.
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