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.
David Miles
The two Regents have also indicated that they will wholly resign as soon as replacements are named for their seats, according to a morning report in The Gazette.
Miles decision was announced Monday morning by way of a letter he authored to other Regents in which he described Branstad’s request as “unprecedented.” Miles said, after receiving the May request, he communicated with other Regents.
“Not unexpectedly, the feedback was mixed, with some placing a higher priority on attempting to improve the working relationship with the Governor’s office through a leadership change, and others favoring continuity of leadership as a way of protecting the independence of the Board,” Miles wrote in his letter to the Regents.
Ultimately, he had concerns that the rift was a distraction for members, and felt that he and Evans should resign.
Jack Evans
Branstad spokesman Jimmy Centers told The Gazette on Friday that the office was “going to wait until any action is taken by the Regents before we comment on the situation.”
The leadership changes fall days ahead of an Iowa Education Summit called by Branstad and scheduled for July 25 and 26 in Des Moines. The purpose of the summit, according to its website, “is to build a consensus for how to give all students a world-class education, no matter where they live.”
Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds have scheduled a series of town hall meetings and roundtable discussions in advance of the Summit. The only Regents member on the roundtable discussion schedule is Katie Mulholland, superintendent of Linn-Mar Community School District and a recent Branstad appointee to the Board. No Regent members appear on the agenda for the actual Summit.
The lack of Regent participation would likely have raised few eyebrows due to the inclusion of others in the higher education community — at least until the news broke that Branstad had encouraged the Board’s two leaders to step away.
The Summit, however, has not been free from controversy. At Branstad’s request, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a sought-after 2012 presidential prospect for some Iowa Republicans (complete with a helicopter controversy) and a former U.S. Attorney that bilked taxpayers on travel expenses, will provide an address on the first evening of the Summit, “2011: The Year of Education Reform in New Jersey.”
Reforms being proposed by Christie in New Jersey include a push for more charter schools, a voucher system as well as private, for-profit take overs of failing public schools. In the Garden State, some have questioned if Christie’s past associations as a lobbyist for for-profit education are having undue influence, and in Iowa some have questioned why Branstad would want to politicize his own Summit.
The Regents are expected to meet by telephone Tuesday morning, at which time it is anticipated a new president and president pro tem (vice president) will be named.
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