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.
Embattled state Rep. Kerry Burt, D-Waterloo, will not seek re-election after learning Wednesday that the Iowa Attorney General was charging him with two counts of tampering with records in connection with a school tuition scandal in Cedar Falls.
“In the last year, allegations have been made against my family and others concerning Price Lab School,” Burt said in a statement. “The charges filed by the Attorney General today will give me an opportunity to set the record straight and I look forward to my day in court. I believe I am innocent and strongly believe my name will be vindicated once all of the relevant facts come to light.”
The charges allege that Burt and eight other parents of Price Laboratory School students in Cedar Falls listed false addresses on school records to indicate their children lived in the Price Lab School zone when they in fact did not. The complaints and affidavits said students registered as living in the Price Lab School “residential or buffer zone” were charged much-lower fees than students who lived outside the zone.
Burt was also arrested for drunk driving last February, and later, police video emerged showing Burt repeatedly attempting to bargain with the arresting officer to let him off. While being held by police, Burt called House Speaker Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque, who did not answer, and Department of Public Safety Communications Director Courtney Greene. He eventually pleaded guilty to drunk driving charges.
If he had run for re-election, Burt would have faced a challenger in the Democratic primary in House District 21, Anesa Kajtazovic of Waterloo. Republicans John Rooff and Lyn Tackett running for their party’s nomination in the district.
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