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.
Sens. Becky Schmitz, D-Fairfield, and Bob Dvorsky, D-Coralville
“They’re probably being targeted at meetings like this,” state Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, said of “seven or eight rural members” who’d prefer a local control bill to the statewide smoking ban passed in the House last week. Bolkcom was being grilled by anti-smoking activist Beth Ritter-Rubeck as part of a monthly Johnson County ritual. Legislators’ weekends fill up fast during the session, and the Johnson County delegation has a standing commitment the last Saturday of each month of the session: The League of Women Voters legislative forum.
Five Democrats made it to the forum last Saturday (the three Republicans representing edges of the county usually don’t show). The delegation tries to cover the month’s progress and handle as many questions as possible. The tough questions generally come from Alisa Meggitt’s North Central Junior High students, who on Saturday covered teacher pay (twice), world hunger vs. ethanol production, wildlife habitat, minimum wage, the illegal production of the drug methamphetamine, population growth, the proposed bike tax (opposed), lead contamination and global warming.The smoking bill was on many minds, as most of the 50 or so in attendance at City Hall in Iowa City sported stickers from the local group Clean Air For Everyone (CAFE). Sometimes, however, the legislators have to bring home less than perfect news. “We don’t have the votes to pass what the House did,” Bolkcom said of the smoking ban. “I’m prepared to support what the House did, but it will not come to the floor unless we’re certain we have the votes.”
“My preference was for a statewide ban all along,” said Sen. Becky Schmitz, D-Fairfield, who said some senators are worried that the bill as it stands could prohibit some farmers from smoking on their own farms. Bolkcom said Senate Democrats will caucus early in the week to plan strategy on the bill.
Barbara Beaumont of North Liberty also got less of answer than she wanted on the VOICE campaign finance reform bill. “To be honest, I don’t believe our leadership on either side is supportive,” said Rep. Mary Mascher, D-Iowa City. Money is also an issue on this and many other issues.
“We have some fairly significant budget constraints,” said Bolkcom, “and will be saying ‘no’ to some worthy things that we just can’t afford.”
Still, election reform advocates got some positive news from Sen. Bob Dvorsky, D-Coralville. The Senate Appropriations chair hopes to get money to smaller counties to fund paper trails in time for the November election. “We have a tradition of open and fair caucuses, we need open and fair elections,” he said. On a more mundane matter, Dvorsky is also hoping to get the current year’s budget amended to get some more salt on icy roads.
Partisan humor sneaks into the discussion in heavily Democratic Johnson County. “There are a very significant number of people in the House who do not believe in any form of global warming and don’t believe it has any effect on us in our society,” said Rep. Dave Jacoby, D-Coralville. “The only way some of them might believe it, is if a polar bear knocks on the front door.”
But the partisanship is serious too. “The federal government is not going to help us” with brain-injury funding, Bolkcom told a questioner.
“This next election will change everything,” Mascher added. “In the present administration nothing will change. The next president will make very concerted efforts to take care of veterans.”
Sticking up for the home front also matters. “It looks good on paper,” Jacoby said of proposals to raise registration fees on new pickups to pay for roads. “But I struggle because a disproportionate amount of Johnson County taxpayer money would be used in 98 other counties. A significant part of the revenues raised here should stay in Johnson County.” He offered the same concern about taking the school infrastructure sales tax (SILO) that has passed all 99 counties and turning it into a statewide tax. “It is a targeted funding stream, but again I worry that a significant portion raised in our county would be spent elsewhere.”
Of course, every county has its own pet issue. Questioner Peter Hansen of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the forum’s co-sponsor for February, acknowledged as much when asking about university funding. “How do you sell the University of Iowa to other legislators to get more support?” he asked.
“We have students from every county here. We need to pick up a little more on the UI as an economic tool and an academic institution that benefits the whole state,” said Jacoby. “It’s a continual discussion with members.”
“Legislatures change over time, and not everybody’s knowledgeable,” Bolkcom said. “But we’re in a really good period now.”
Mascher said that was no coincidence: “Democrats know what their funding priorities are. Education, health care. The smoking ban would never have happened under previous leadership. People need to connect the dots.”
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