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 a little more than four months to go before the Republican gubernatorial primary, the issue of same-sex marriage continues to be at the center of debate for the four men hoping to unseat incumbent Democratic Gov. Chet Culver.
State Rep. Chris Rants, R-Sioux City, told the Mason City Globe-Gazette Monday that as governor he would veto every single bill, including the budget, until lawmakers passed legislation amending the state’s constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
“I would even veto bills to hold the Legislature in session until such a vote took place,” Rants said. …
… Rants isn’t looking for a fight, he said, but a governor has to be prepared to go to the brink to get legislative leaders to respond to what he said is the will of the public.
Beyond a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, conservative blogger and former Republican Party of Iowa political director Craig Robinson debated Iowa Family Policy Center spokesman Bryan English for two hours Monday night over numerous gay-marriage related issues, most importantly, it appears, whether conservatives should push for a constitutional convention.
Every 10 years the state’s constitution allows the public to vote on whether or not to re-write the constitution at a statewide convention. In the aftermath of last April’s Iowa Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, many pointed to this avenue as a way forward that was much quicker than amending the constitution, which would take a number of years.
Some conservatives, including the Iowa Family Policy Center, fear this option because if Republicans don’t win back the legislature it will be Democrats in charge of the convention. Robinson argues that marriage is an important enough issue to take the risk.
Like those at the Iowa Family Policy Center, I too would prefer to pass a constitutional amendment through the legislative process. However, as in the 1850’s, we have legislative leaders who are thwarting the will of the people. We have legislators who refuse to put the will of the people above the desires and politics of their leaders. The legislative process has failed the people of Iowa. That leaves the people only one option to pass a constitutional amendment that would define marriage – a constitutional convention.
In short, if the legislature will not listen to the people of Iowa, we must go around them by using the only constitutional route provided to us.
Robinson and English also squared off on the idea, pushed by gubernatorial hopeful Bob Vander Plaats, that the governor can overturn the Supreme Court’s decision with an executive order. Constitutional scholars, and most Republicans, agree that this option is not possible because the governor does not have this type of authority. But Vander Plaats has promised to issue the order on day one of his administration, even if it results in him being impeached.
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