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.
With unemployment still hovering in double digits and no real relief in sight, a group of 30 Senate Democrats, including Iowa’s Tom Harkin, is urging party leaders to extend emergency unemployment benefits through the end of 2010 — 10 months longer than current law dictates.
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., the lawmakers argue that shorter extensions might be cheaper, but they leave state budgeters in a state of constant uncertainty.
Short term extensions, while still helpful to families, only add strain to state agencies that must constantly re-tool their computer systems, and at the same time, continue to assist the millions still searching for work. As our economy continues on a path to recovery, we need a robust extension of safety net programs that have provided a lifeline to families since the recession began.
In addition to Harkin, signing the letter were Democratic Sens. Bob Casey (Pa.), Jack Reed (R.I.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio) , Chris Dodd (Conn.), Jay Rockefeller (W.Va.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), Al Franken (Minn.), Carl Levin (Mich.), Frank Lautenberg (N.J.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), Roland Burris (Ill.), Arlen Specter (Pa.), John Kerry (Mass.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Ron Wyden (Ore.), Edward Kaufman (Del.), Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.), Barbara Boxer (Calif.), Patrick Leahy (Vt.), Robert Menendez (N.J.), Herb Kohl (Wis.), Tom Udall (N.M.), Ben Cardin (Md.), Robert Byrd (W.Va.), Daniel Akaka (Hawaii), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Barbara Mikulski (Md.), Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) and Michael Bennet (Colo.), as well as Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.).
Democratic leaders are working on legislation to tackle the continuing problems related to the economic downturn. The package is widely expected to include an extension of unemployment insurance, COBRA health benefits, food stamps and help for states faced with budget crises. They’d hoped to have health care reform out of the way first. Now, that’s looking unlikely.
Mike Lillis covers Congress for The Washington Independent, a Center for Independent Media site.
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