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.
In an open letter to Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, freshman Republican state Rep. Kent Sorenson of Indianola says his constituents are troubled and puzzled over poor decision made by the “statewide standard bearer for our party.”
State Rep. Kent Sorenson, R-Indianola
The letter, which was published on the conservative blog Iowa Defense Alliance, points to numerous votes and statements Grassley has made in recent years that have upset conservative voters.
Sorenson cites Grassley’s vote for the $700-billion bank bailout last fall as a violation of the Republican Party’s convictions.
“You expressed remorse that you were asking hard-working Iowans to bailout Wall Street, but you voted with Tom Harkin anyway,” he said.
Grassley’s statement to The Des Moines Register that he needed time to think about the Iowa Supreme Court’s ruling legalizing gay marriage in Iowa also bothered Sorenson, as well has his statement later that county recorders were obligated to follow the law and issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Social conservatives were outraged with Grassley’s statements at the time, with one prominent leader even predicting it could result in Iowa’s senior senator facing a primary.
“The last time I read our state Constitution, I was working in the only prescribed body for the making of laws, and lawmakers didn’t vote to legalize homosexual marriages on any day of the session I attended, and I attended them all,” he wrote.
Sorenson ended his letter by calling for Grassley to join him in advancing the GOP platform.
“I wish to partner with you in advancing that platform if you’re interested in offering the principled and bold leadership Iowans need,” he said.
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