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.
Tom Shaw, a former Republican county chair who announced last year that he would seek the Iowa House District 8 seat as an independent, has changed course and will now run on the GOP ticket.
Shaw said his change of heart stems from the Iowa Family Policy Center (IFPC) and state Rep. Kent Sorenson, R-Indianola, publicly endorsing Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats, and in doing so, vowing never to support his chief rival for the party’s nomination, former Gov. Terry Branstad.
Tom Shaw
“The leadership Sorenson and IFPC have demonstrated has convinced us there are too many issues at stake for Iowa’s future to further confuse voters by running as an independent at this time, because it’s clear that grassroots Iowans are rising up to take a stand and we want to join that fight,” Shaw said in a statement Wednesday night. “We must also acknowledge the steadfastness of the Republican Caucus of the Iowa House. However, being a Republican is not an unconditional allegiance for us. Should the party establishment succeed in further marginalizing grassroots Iowans we reserve the right to respond accordingly.”
Shaw wanted to make it clear he did not come to this decision because of any promises or favors from the Republican Party of Iowa.
“In fact, for several months we have rebuffed numerous attempts by the Republican Party to get us to run as Republicans,” he said. “We are only doing so now for the reasons I just listed.”
In September, Vander Plaats garnered headlines when he endorsed Shaw’s independent candidacy, which is based around his opposition to same-sex marriage, support of Iowa’s “English only” laws, opposition to labor legislation and opposition to abortion.
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