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.
Iowa House Republicans have pushed through three pieces of legislation that focus on private schools and parents who teach their children at home.
House File 584, which passed in a 59 to 35 Wednesday and now heads to the Iowa Senate, would allow home-schooling parents to teach driver’s education if they use approved course materials, have a valid driver’s license and have a clear driving record. Democrats in the state Senate have already voted down similar language when it was introduced earlier this session as an amendment to another bill.
Republicans also passed House File 588, which allows parents to teach up to four unrelated children in their home.
In addition, on Wednesday the Iowa House passed House File 583, which would mean Iowa would no longer require state accreditation of private schools. Instead, private schools could go to one of five approved private organizations for accreditation. Schools could now be accredited by Christian Schools International, The Association of Christian Schools International, The National Accreditation Commission of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, The Independent Schools Association of the Central States or The North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement.
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