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 Miller
Iowa’s Sierra Club affiliate wants state officials to launch a formal investigation of the two egg producers and feed mill that have been implicated in one of the nation’s largest Salmonella outbreaks.
Wallace Taylor, legal chairman for the group and a resident of Cedar Rapids, authored the organization’s letter to Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, which calls out Wright County Egg, Hillandale Farms and the Quality Egg LLC feed mill by name. All of the businesses have direct connections to the Austin “Jack” DeCoster family, which has several times run afoul of state and federal agribusiness regulators.
“We believe enough information has been published in the press and on the [U.S.] Food and Drug Administration website to warrant serious penalties against Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms,” wrote Taylor.
“From all accounts, Jack DeCoster has had a troubled history with respect to following the law concerning his animal operations both in Iowa and out of state. … Over a long period of time, Mr. DeCoster has shown a wanton disregard for the law with respect to his businesses; the situation surrounding the egg recall is more of the same behavior.”
If the state decides to open an investigation against the businesses, Taylor and the Sierra Club hope that it is done “with an eye toward internal policy changes, legislative needs, and administrative rule changes.” They believe state agencies need to review existing policy and that “legislation needs to be undertaken.”
Those items singled out by the Sierra Club as in need of review are:
“The bad apples, including the companies involved in the egg recall, must be stopped,” wrote Taylor.
Miller recently returned a $10,000 2005 political donation from Jack DeCoster’s son, Peter, who has served as the day-to-day manager at Wright County Egg.
Although the exact details and breadth of an ongoing federal investigation remain unclear, both Jack DeCoster and Orland Bethel, owner of record for Hillandale Farms, have been called to appear before Congress.
Follow Lynda Waddington on Twitter
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter