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.
A compromise was reached Wednesday on farm commodity payment reforms in the U.S. House Agriculture Committee.
The committee completed its work on the commodity title for the 2007 farm bill, and will continue debate on Thursday for other sections of the bill.
Rep. Leonard Boswell, who serves on the committee, told Iowa Independent via e-mail Wednesday that he is preparing for another big day ahead. “We are probably looking at a very late night tonight,” he said.
The commodity title of the farm bill was one of the main points of contention, and took up much of the committee’s time Wednesday. While many lawmakers had pushed for a cap of $200,000 in farm program payments per individual, Southern ag interests pushed back and forced a compromise.
The committee’s compromise bans a farm operator from receiving payments if gross adjusted income is more than $1 million per year, reducing that threshold from the current level of $2.5 million.
The amendment also states that a farm operator who makes between $500,000 and $1 million in gross adjusted income is only eligible for payments if two-thirds or more of the operator’s income comes from farming.
One of the major loopholes in the current farm program was also eliminated, a loophole that allows operators of large farms to maximize commodity payments.
The so-called “Three-Entity Rule” loophole will be closed as a result of the committee’s amendment.
The “Three-Entity Rule,” under current law, allows a farm operator to receive farm program payments directly and indirectly through up to two other entities, such as partnerships and corporations. With this loophole, farm operators have been able to double their take.
The committee is expected to complete its work on the farm bill Thursday, and will send its bill to the full House for a vote.
The U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee is expected to begin the markup of its version of the farm bill in early August.
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