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 and New Hampshire should keep their position in presidential politics going into 2012, according to officials close to discussions.
The Associated Press reports that commissions set up by the Democratic and Republican parties to study the presidential election calendar agree that states like Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina should be allowed to vote in February, with other states starting in March.
Ned Helms, a member of the Democratic commission, said his group will recommend allowing Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada to vote in February, and opening it up to other states starting in March. The commission also will suggest giving other states incentives to hold later contests, so they won’t be bunched together on the first Tuesday of the month. …
… Concord, [N.H.], lawyer Tom Rath, a member of the Republican commission, said there has been a great deal of interest in moving the starting date from early February to early March, with exceptions made for New Hampshire and South Carolina. Iowa and Nevada, because they host caucuses instead of primaries, aren’t technically part of the Republican rules.
If these ideas end up becoming reality, Iowa can breathe a sigh of relief. Following the 2008 Caucuses, many feared the parties would rework the calendar and take away the Hawkeye State’s first-in-the-nation status. Critics argue that a rural, overwhelmingly white state shouldn’t be given such a prominent spot in presidential politics. There are also concerns that the caucus system leaves out many voters.
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