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.
UPDATE: Friday, March 21, 9:02 a.m. Republican senators remained in caucus this morning with no immediate plans to return to the floor as part of their efforts to stall a vote on changes to state collective bargain laws until Monday. Republicans shared a delivery from Pizza Hut last night and then spent the evening watching the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament on their laptop computers.
Below is the original report from Thursday evening:Democrats and Republicans were unable to end a stand-off that has stalled debate over a controversial collective bargaining bill. No action is likely on the Senate floor Thursday evening, Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal announced to reporters at about 8:50 p.m. Thursday night. He said the earliest that debate over the bill could occur is 8 a.m. Friday morning and many members of the body are going home for the night.
Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, said it’s not unlikely that lawmakers will remain at the statehouse through the Easter weekend.
Gronstal said earlier Thursday that he expected debate over the bill to begin at around 5 p.m. But Senate Minority Leader Ron Wieck, R-Sioux City, called his members into caucus just after 4 p.m. Staffers say the Republican senators aren’t coming out until Gronstal agrees to formally delay the vote on collective bargaining until Monday.
Republicans say they want a chance to allow Iowans to learn more about the collective bargaining proposal and to hear from constituents before a final vote is held on the issue.
Gronstal said he had planned to refer the bill to the Labor Committee on Thursday, allow it to be debated and amended, a call for a final vote on it before the Senate dismissed for the holiday weekend.
“We invite them to debate the issue,” he told reporters at about 6:15 p.m. Thursday night. “This looks to me like a stalling tactic (and) I’m willing to stay here all night.”
Senate pages delivered about two dozen pizzas to the Democratic Caucus room at about 6 p.m. Republican senators are reportedly leaving their caucus in small groups to get dinner and enjoy a change of scenery.
Gronstal said that caucus meetings are traditionally held to discuss legitimate issues among party members and that Democrats have never used the meetings as a stalling method.
“Eleven hours in caucus and not one amendment offered,” Gronstal said. “This is a stalling tactic.”
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