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.
Forget blue and red: Iowa is showing shades of purple and violet.
Both Republican and Democrat lawmakers Thursday stopped short of giving wholehearted approval to the first proposed congressional and legislative redistricting map hours after its release that morning, but said the redistricting process is evenhanded and gives every voter a voice and opportunity for fair representation.
Mike Gronstal
Speaker of the House Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, agreed, adding the process of redistricting in Iowa is focused on “one person, one vote, (and) making sure Iowans are being fairly represented. Iowa is a true purple state.”
2010 U.S. census data for Iowa means shrinking the state from five congressional districts to four for the next decade. The redistricting proposals are drawn up by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency every 10 years, based on the census data. Three proposals are drawn up, though if the first map is rejected for a subsequent offer, the first map cannot be approved later on.
The first map would put U.S. Reps. Tom Latham, R-Iowa and Steve King, R-Iowa, in the new 4th Congressional District, which includes central and Republican-heavy western Iowa. As well, U.S. Reps. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, and Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, in what would be the 1st District, which is the eastern Iowa corridor and along the northeastern banks of the Mississippi River.
If approved, the two pairs would have to face each other in a primary for their districts, unless one or the other chose to move into a different district. Federal lawmakers said Thursday they are confident in the redistricting process remaining fair and the Legislature would approve a map that equally serves all Iowans.
“I know that the members of the Legislature will keep the best interests of the people of Iowa at heart as they move forward with the next steps of this redistricting process,” Latham, of Ames, said in a prepared statement. “Regardless of the specifics of the final map, I will continue to work on behalf of the interest of all Iowans.”
From the eastern side of Iowa, Braley, a third-term Congressman, said he would continue to tackle issues in D.C., including foreign conflict resolution and domestic budget work.
“This map is a first draft and the first step in a process that will determine new Congressional districts. We’ll all have to wait and see how the process plays out,” Braley said in a statement on his official website.
The proposed 2nd Congressional District would not have an incumbent representative, and U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Iowa, would also have no opponent in the third.
Gronstal remained vague over whether he was going to appeal to his caucus to approve the initial proposed map, and added Democrats “intend to take our time reviewing the first map to ensure that it meets all the constitutional and legal requirements” and collect political data in the next two weeks before approving or rejecting the map.
Though he indicated accepting the map’s new boundaries under the first proposal “may be a hard swallow to take” for some lawmakers, Gronstal added subsequent maps may find more distaste with individuals.
“Once we see all the data and can make an evaluation, it’s possible this map could be uncomfortable to some people, but a second map may be even more comfortable, and a third could be messy,” he said.
Kraig Paulsen
“I have no advice for my [caucus] members,” he added. “We’re all still digesting this, and I feel no pressure to make a decision right now one way or another. We’re going to let the process play out.”
On the legislative level, shifts appear to be minor. House Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer, R-Garner, would be one of three Republican incumbents in her district, along with Reps. Stew Iverson, R-Clarion, and Henry Rayhons, R-Garner.
Upmeyer appeared unfazed at the prospect, however.
“These are only maps,” she said. “This was just released today. I do not feel the need to make a decision about anything right now; I think we all need time to digest the map.”
As buzz spread between the House and Senate over the proposed map, some Democrats were critical of the Iowa House’s intent to debate the fate of late-term abortion Thursday afternoon, saying the release of the proposed redistricting distracted lawmakers.
“Last year at this time, we were effectively done,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Des Moines, said. “Right now, we’re seeing school districts hand out pink slips, and we have no road map from the Republicans on how we’re going to stop the bleeding within our school districts. And what do they want to do: debate abortion.”
Upmeyer said the debate and release of the map were coincidence, and abortion was not the only bill on the table for the afternoon.
“(The bill) is ready and we had time for it this afternoon,” she said, adding committees was also planning on taking up the indigent defense fund and a bill pertaining to federal block grant appropriations Thursday.
Follow Meghan Malloy 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