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.
Iowa Gov. Chet Culver will sign legislation on Monday requiring anger management and other training for bar bouncers in Polk County.A ceremony will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Monday at the Kennedy Conference Room at the State Capitol. The quest for the bouncer training began after the 2000 death of Charles Lamont Lovelady, 26, an African-American man who died after an altercation with two white bouncers. A Polk County jury acquitted the bouncers for their role in his death.
“I’ve been working on this issue ever since 2000, when Charles Lovelady died of suffocation after untrained bouncers put him in a choke hold, working to make Iowa a leader in requiring bouncer training,” said state Rep. Wayne Ford, D-Des Moines, in a press release. “This will be the first law like this in the nation.”
The bill creates a 2 1/2-year pilot program in Polk County. Bars that charge at least $5 and serve more than 200 patrons will be required to have one trained bouncer on duty. Under the training program, bouncers are required to take an eight-hour course, including safely removing people from bar premises, use of force, anger management, civil-rights awareness and de-escalation techniques, among other things. Iowa legislators will receive a report about the program’s effectiveness in 2011.
Iowa Workforce Development’s division of labor services will administer the training program.
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter