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.
Gov. Chet Culver has fired the manager of the Iowa Film Office following allegations of misconduct surrounding a state tax credit program he administered.
Tom Wheeler, who was put on paid administrative leave on Friday after problems were discovered in the Film, Television and Video Promotion Program, has been dismissed effective Monday afternoon, the governor said in a statement. Wheeler was in charge of negotiating tax-credit deals with filmmakers and was running the tax credit program single-handedly.
In addition, the governor has accepted the resignation of Vince Lintz, deputy director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development. That department oversaw the Iowa Film Office. The director of IDED, Mike Tramontina, resigned on Friday.
IDED is currently reporting to Richard Oshlo, director of the Department of Management, while new leadership for the department is being considered.
The controversy surrounding the tax credits emerged last week after an internal audit discovered problems in the program such as filmmakers claiming payments for themselves for multiple production jobs and for the purchase of luxury vehicles that were not associated with film production.
The governor’s political rivals are already pouncing on the controversy. In a joint statement to the media, House Minority Leader Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, and Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley, R-Chariton, said Culver’s lack of oversight and failure to properly manage the film tax credit has not only put the program in jeopardy “but already wasted millions in taxpayer money.”
The two GOP lawmakers also sent a letter to Senate President Jack Kibbie, D-Emmetsburg, and House Speaker Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque, asking that the Legislative Oversight Committee investigate the tax credit scandal.
Culver asked Attorney General Tom Miller and Auditor David Vaudt to assist in investigating the program Monday morning. No time frame has been set for that probe.
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