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.
State lawmakers will discuss rules governing public disclosure of lobbyist-sponsored legislative parties Wednesday at 11 a.m.
Iowa law currently dictates that lobbyists file disclosure reports within five business days following the date of receptions they host during a legislative session where all lawmakers are invited. Those reports must be filed with the legislative ethics committee.
House Study Bill 506 changes to deadline from five business days to 21 calendar days. But the report must now be filed with the nonpartisan Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board (IECDB), a key change good-government advocates say will drastically improve the process.
In 2005, lawmakers stripped the IECDB of its oversight authority of lobbyist-funded events, and the result, some say, was a dramatic drop in the number of “session reports” being filed. There were 117 reports filed in 2005. That number dropped to 101 in 2006 and 104 in 2007. By 2009, only 90 reports were originally filed concerning lobbyist-sponsored functions held during the legislative session where all lawmakers were invited. That number increased to 101 after problems with the system came to light.
The situation came to a head after state Rep. Kerry Burt, D-Waterloo, was arrested last year for drunk driving the same night he attended a reception at Embassy Suites in downtown Des Moines that was paid for by the Iowa Pharmacy Association (IPA). The reception was attended by 20 lawmakers and Gov. Chet Culver.
It took five months for the IPA to file its “session report,” and it only did after reporters began asking questions about the party in light of Burt’s arrest.
The legislation being discussed Wednesday does not appear to address another concern with current rules governing lobbyist parties. Section 68B.31 of Iowa’s campaign law lays out the powers, responsibilities and format of the legislative ethics committees. It can prepare rules relating to lobbyists and lobbying activities, issue non-binding advisory opinions interpreting the intent of constitutional and statutory provisions, recommend legislation and hear complaints against legislators or lobbyists. But neither the House nor the Senate has the powr to initiate an investigation on their own, meaning someone has to discover a violation took place and file a complaint before the ethics committees can get involved.
UPDATE AT NOON: The House Ethics Committee passed HSB506 unanimously.
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