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.
Farmers whose operations are incorporated would be banned from using cigarettes on their own property under a provision of the proposed smoking ban, according to an analysis of the bill prepared by the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency.
House Minority Leader Christopher Rants, R-Sioux City, promised Thursday that his party will attempt to win an exemption for farmers, and other lawmakers say the unusual provision is an assault on personal liberties.
“What we’ve been told is that this means a farmer who is in his tractor in the middle of a field, miles from anyone else, wouldn’t be allowed to light up a cigarette,” said State Sen. David Johnson, R-Ocheyedan. “That’s ridiculous.”
State Rep. Jeff Kauffman, R-Wilton, told eastern Iowa constituents in his weekly newsletters: “
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