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.
A procedural move to force a vote on same-sex marriage in the Iowa Senate failed Tuesday morning when Republicans were unable to convince a majority to sign on to their petition.
Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley, R-Chariton, spoke on the Senate floor Tuesday urging lawmakers to sign a petition that would allow Senate Joint Resolution 2001, which would begin the process of amending the state’s constitution to ban same-sex marriage, to be brought to the Senate floor for a vote despite not being approved by a committee.
A similar move is expected to take place Tuesday morning in the Iowa House.
All 18 Republicans signed on to the petition, but 26 signatures were needed to force a vote. McKinley said one of the chamber’s 32 Democrats also signed the petition — state Sen. Tom Hancock of Epworth.
“While our bi-partisan effort fell short of gaining the 26 votes needed to proceed, the voters this November will have an opportunity to decide if they are content with the continued Democrat obstruction and inaction,” McKinley said in a statement shortly after the effort failed.
Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, has repeatedly said he will never allow a vote on same-sex marriage.
Below is video of Senate Republicans discussing their petition Tuesday morning.
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