In an Op-Ed published on his Web site, King said his idea would “level the playing field for law-abiding American employers and employees.” His plan is to “clarify” that wages and benefits paid to undocumented immigrants are not deductible for federal income tax purposes. He would also mandate use of “E-Verify,” an Internet-based system that allows an employer, using information reported on an employee’s Form I-9, to determine the eligibility of that employee to work in the United States. He would grant employers “safe harbor” if they discovered they had inadvertently hired someone illegally.

“President Obama and liberals in Congress continue to promote amnesty while overlooking the impact that illegal workers have on American unemployment,” King said. “Immigration laws protect American citizens, including legal immigrants, from losing jobs to those who have entered our country illegally. We must enforce our immigration laws and allow a sustainable number of legal immigrants into the country each year.”

King said there are 15 million unemployed Americans and 8 million undocumented workers holding “American jobs.” That figure is “mostly true,” according to the Pulitzer Prize winning staff of Politifact. The 8 million workers number is 20 months old, coming from research done when the number of unemployed nationally stood at 5.1 percent. That figure skyrocketed to 10 percent by December 2009. The researcher who did the research cited by King said the unemployment rate for immigrants, without regard to their citizenship status, has gone up faster than that of natives.

Rants, who is giving up his seat in order to run for the Republican nomination for governor, has been in office for 18 years including three years as House Speaker and two as minority leader. Woodbury County Democratic Party Chairman Dave Somsky told Hayworth that Carlos Venable-Ridley, who was defeated by Rants in 2008 by 14 percentage points, will run again in 2010. Rants said other Republicans may enter the race as well, and Sioux City businessman Steve Carlson said he is considering jumping in.

The western Iowa district is made up of 6,084 registered Republicans, 5,845 registered Democrats and 7,103 independents. With the veteran incumbent lawmaker and prolific fundraiser out, some political observers believe the district could become a targeted race for Democrats in 2010, although it would certainly be an uphill fight from the start.

On Tuesday, the Republican Party of Iowa and conservative group American Future Fund attacked Conlin, a Des Moines lawyer, for the $75 million in attorney’s fees awarded as part of the 2007 antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft Corp. Conlin served as co-lead counsel in the case.

Roxanne Conlin, left, and Tom Fiegen

Contrary to the attacks, though, the fees were not awarded solely to Conlin. They were set by a Polk County judge and went to pay 150 lawyers, law clerks and assistants who worked on the case at four different law firms over the course of the seven years. They also include $7.8 million the law firms spent on the case and a bank loan of $2 million taken out by Conlin.

Fiegen said Conlin’s “baggage” will continue to serve as ammunition for Republican attacks and as a distraction from the fact that “Sen. [Chuck] Grassley is part of the problem and not part of the solution for working Iowans.”

“The last thing we need is for another politician’s personal problems taking the focus off the needs of working families, and that is exactly what Ms. Conlin’s candidacy is unfortunately doing to this race,” Fiegen said. ”For the good of all Iowa working families, I am asking Ms. Conlin to reconsider her troubled candidacy.”

This isn’t the first time Conlin has been attacked by Fiegen, a former state senator and a bankruptcy attorney in Cedar Rapids. After her candidacy was endorsed by U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Waterloo, Fiegen accused Conlin of “strong-arming” elected officials to support her.

Conlin spokesman Mark Daley called Fiegen’s attack “appalling.”

“Roxanne Conlin secured one of the largest investments in history for Iowa schools and more than 114,000 Iowans got cash in their pockets because of her seven years of hard work and leadership,” he said. “Tom Feigan’s constant, personal attacks show clear signs of desperation. His conduct is appalling and he should be ashamed of himself.”

Also running in the Democratic primary is Bob Krause of Fairfield.

Roxanne Conlin, a Des Moines attorney and a Democrat running for U.S. senate.

The attorney’s fees, which a Polk County judge set at $75 million, returned to the headlines Tuesday when Gov. Chet Culver and Conlin announced another portion of the settlement — an agreement by Microsoft to provide half of the funds not claimed by consumers to Iowa public schools in the form of technology vouchers.

That amount totaled $60 million.

Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Matt Strawn called on Conlin, who served as co-lead attorney on the case, to donate a substantial portion of the fees to public schools.

“Roxanne Conlin got filthy rich from this case,” Strawn said, adding: “Meanwhile, Democrats have overspent the state’s resources and forced schools to make massive cuts, likely requiring property tax increases. Instead of ‘passing the buck,’ Democrats like Conlin should donate a million or two of theirs.”

Des Moines-based conservative nonprofit American Future Fund also attacked the attorney’s fees, saying Conlin “lined her pockets with a $75 million commission from the lawsuit.” Schools are facing deep budget cuts, the group said, and the settlement money won’t come close to solving their problems.

“And the truth is Roxanne Conlin profits while Iowa school children suffer,” the group said in a statement.

But the fees were not awarded solely to Conlin. They were set by the presiding judge and went to pay 150 lawyers, law clerks and assistants who worked on the case at four different law firms over the course of the seven years. They also include $7.8 million the law firms spent on the case and a bank loan of $2 million taken out by Conlin. As part of the settlement, attorney’s had to document and justify every dollar spent.

When the settlement was announced in April 2007, legal experts who followed the case said that because of the length and complexity of the trial, along with the difficulty of anti-trust litigation, the $75 million was not out of line.

William Raisch, who teaches antitrust law at Drake University School of Law, told The Des Moines Business Record shortly after the settlement was finalized that in addition to the going hourly rate for lawyers in the community, attorney’s fees also include “time and labor, the novelty of the case, the skill needed to be successful, the undesirability of the case and attorneys’ fees in similar cases.”

A spokesman for Conlin’s campaign said the Des Moines Democrat’s track record speaks for itself.

“Roxanne Conlin has worked her way from poverty to the top of her field nationally,” said spokesman Mark Daley. “Along the way, she wrote the first law of it’s kind protecting victims of rape, helped draft the Violence Against Women Act and obtained $60 million for Iowa schools to secure a brighter future for our kids.”

Conlin is one of three Democrats hoping to unseat U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley in 2010. The others are former state legislators Tom Fiegen of Clarence and Bob Krause of Fairfield.

The magnitude of the storm is predicted to be greater than the Hawkeye State has seen in 20 to 30 years.

An intense winter storm is affecting Iowa today as snow has already developed in southern Iowa. This snow will spread across the state and persist tonight before ending Wednesday. Around a foot of snow is expected across all of central Iowa with higher amounts from south central to northeast sections of the state. By late tonight...northwest winds will increase and become quite strong. Considerable blowing and drifting snow is expected with near blizzard to blizzard conditions by daybreak on Wednesday. Winds are expected to increase to 40 to 50 mph over the state after midnight tonight and continue for much of Wednesday morning and early afternoon. (Source: National Weather Service)

Gov. Chet Culver held a special media availability Tuesday afternoon, following remarks to the Iowa Taxpayers Association, where he discussed the snow storm expected to impact the majority of the state. Culver Communications Director Eric Seidler said that while it is not open yet, the Emergency Operation Center is preparing to open if it is deemed necessary.

Although snow fall has been moderate to light throughout the morning and afternoon, the National Weather Service is predicting high winds, greater snow total and blizzard-like conditions throughout the state tonight and tomorrow.  Or, as the National Weather Service advisory stated, “All indications remain on track for a high end … high impact major winter storm with potential crippling winter impacts.”

Travel, obviously, is not advised for tonight or tomorrow.

“Make the safety of yourself, your passengers and others sharing the roadway your number one priority,” said Dena Gray-Fisher, spokeswoman for the Iowa Department of Transportation. “Don’t take unnecessary risks.”

Members of the Iowa National Guard are reportedly going to work once again with State Troopers to help stranded motorists along interstates.

Iowans are asked to check on elderly and needy neighbors, and also to ensure that emergency equipment near their property, such as fire hydrants, are cleared of snow. Most Iowa cities, if they already have not, will announce snow emergencies and vehicles should be removed from those roadways to allow plowing.

Snowfall is expected to intensify throughout the day, with heavy snowfall occurring this evening. Southeast and northwest Iowa are expected to receive 4 to 6 inches, and the balance of the state could receive 10 to 15 inches.  Rural areas will likely see significant blowing and drifting throughout the day on Wednesday, which may lead to some road closing unexpectedly. Winds are expected to be steady at 25 to 30 miles per hour, with gusts between 40 and 50 mph.

Visibility could be near zero in many parts of the state. Iowans who must travel are encouraged to either phone 511 or log onto 511ia.org to view road conditions.

In April 2007, a Polk County judge approved a settlement where the software giant agreed to pay Iowa consumers $179.95 million. Attorneys had brought a lawsuit alleging that Microsoft overcharged Iowa consumers and businesses for certain products. As part of the settlement, Microsoft also agreed to provide half of the funds not claimed by consumers to Iowa public schools in the form of vouchers that may be used to purchase a broad range of hardware products, Microsoft and non-Microsoft software, and professional development services.

“These funds come at a critical time, not only in helping our schools improve access to the latest technology but to use that technology to implement the Iowa Core Curriculum,” Gov. Chet Culver said. “As we work to innovate and rethink our approach to education in Iowa, these funds will supplement our efforts to improve student learning.”

The lead attorneys for the plaintiffs, Roxanne Conlin and Rick Hagstrom, said in a statement that the funds “will enhance technology in our classrooms for many years to come.” The judge awarded the plaintiffs $75.5 million in attorney’s fees. After some questioned the size of the award, Conlin said her legal team — made up of more than 150 lawyers, law clerks and assistants — had invested the equivalent of $60 million in time and resources during the seven years it pursued the antitrust case.

Conlin is currently seeking the Democratic nomination for the U.S. senate.

Approximately 75 percent of Iowa schools, or more than 1,000 schools, will be eligible to take part in the program. The funds will be distributed to schools through vouchers for software and hardware product purchases.

Calling Souter “the only [Justice] that I voted for who really turned out different than what I anticipated,” Grassley said Sotomayor appears to share the former justice’s judicial philosophy.

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor takes questions from Senators on the second day of confirmation hearings on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Lauren Victoria Burke/WDCPIX.COM)

“He talked about the Supreme Court filling vacuums in the law if Congress hasn’t acted,” he said. “Well you know how our system works. The legislature makes laws, the Supreme Court interprets laws. Filling a vacuum because Congress hasn’t acted is legislating. I asked her about that, and I got a lot of gobbledygook along the same lines of what the Supreme Court is supposed to do or not do. And I see myself voting for another Souter if I vote for her.”

The Judicial Committee voted 13-6 to confirm Sotomayor on Tuesday, with Sen. Lindsey Graham the lone Republican joining all 12 Democrats on the panel. Grassley, who has served on the committee since 1981,  made his opposition to Sotomayor public Monday.

Sotomayor “changed her tune” during her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee when discussing previous statements, Grassley said, engaging in “a confirmation conversion.”

Addressing the Judicial Committee Tuesday morning, Grassley once again layed out his reasoning for opposing Sotomayor’s appointment to the nation’s highest court.

“I’m not convinced that Judge Sotomayor will protect important Constitutional rights, nor am I convinced that she will refrain from creating new rights under the Constitution,” he said. “I’m not convinced that Judge Sotomayor understands the proper role of a judge in our system of checks and balances, and I’m not convinced that she will not allow her own personal beliefs and preferences to dictate the outcome of cases before her.”

Politico’s Josh Gerstein reports that the former Iowa governor at first did not offer any details about the canceled contract or what it may have entailed, but later said it involved Stan Johnson, a former vice provost of Iowa State University who now serves as assistant to the dean at the University of Nevada at Reno’s College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources.

“I didn’t see any value to USDA from it. I will tell you it was rather startling to see that a substantial amount of money had already been spent on foreign travel under circumstances we did not think was appropriate,” [Vilsack] said.

Johnson reportedly did not return Politico’s email seeking a comment.

At least four others, however, are operating without a registering agent on file with the state and have been notified of pending state action.

Iowa law requires corporations to continually maintain a registering agent — a person in the state who is available to receive service of process on behalf of the company and who files required reports with the state.

The Iowa secretary of state has the authority to begin dissolution proceedings for any company that has operated for 60 days without such an agent. The proceedings begin with a warning letter, explaining that administrative dissolution will occur if the situation is not rectified within another 60 days.

According to documents filed with the state, Jay Eaton, an attorney with the Iowa-based Nymaster, Good, West, Hansell & O’Brien law firm, had served as the registering agent for eight companies with Rubashkin ties since February 2007. The companies are:

• Agriprocessors, Inc.
• Cottonballs, LLC
• Gemach Mamash Now Corporation
• Nevel Properties Corporation
• Amereeka Properties, LLC
• Lagoon Technology LLC
• Kosher Community Grocery, Inc.
• Best Value Distributors, Inc.
• Best Value Food Products, LLC

Eaton, who resigned as registering agent for the companies on Nov. 5, 2008, declined comment when contacted by Iowa Independent Tuesday morning, saying he did not feel it was appropriate to discuss client matters with the media.

Two months earlier, however, Eaton and Patrick White, another attorney with Nyemaster Goode, requested and were granted permission from the federal court to withdraw as counsel for Agriprocessors. Their written request to the court cited non-payment.

According to a spokesman in the secretary of state’s office, letters indicating the office’s intent to dissolve the companies were sent in early January.

Yesterday, Feb. 23, the office was notified that Charles Kelly, an attorney in Postville, would serve as registering agent for five of the companies — Agriprocessors, Amereeka Properties, Gemach Mamash, Lagoon Technology and Kosher Community Grocery.

As of today, the office had not received notification about who, if anyone, was serving as registering agent for the family’s other four companies: Cottonballs, Nevel Properties, Best Value Distributors or Best Value Food Products.

The companies have roughly two weeks to name a new registering agent or the secretary of state has the authority to dissolve the companies. A business dissolved by the secretary of state, according to the Iowa Code, continues to exist, but the only business it is allowed to conduct is what is necessary for liquidation. Companies can be reinstated by the state if the problems that led to the dissolution are rectified.

Prior to Eaton serving as registering agent for Agriprocessors, the company was administratively dissolved twice for not filing required reports with the state, once in 1994 and again in 2004. Both times the business was reinstated. The company, now the subject of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, lists its officers as Aaron, Hesky (sic) and Sholom Rubashkin on state documents.

Many of the companies tied to the Rubashkin family have similar corporate officers and/or use the same address as their principal place of business. For instance, Cottonballs, a poultry firm founded in late 2004, maintains the physical address of the Agriprocessors plant in Postville as its principal office. Cottonballs was also mentioned by a creditor in the Agriprocessors bankruptcy case.

Nevel Properties, in addition to filing with the plant’s physical address, lists its officers as Sholom Rubashkin (president and treasurer) and Tzvi (Heshy) Rubashkin (secretary). Allamakee County public records show Nevel Properties as the deed holder on 85 real estate interests in Postville.

Amereeka, which initially filed with the state on July 18, 2006, also lists the plant’s physical address as its principal place of business. The company is listed as the contract holder on eight Postville real estate interests and as the deed holder on two others, according to county records. All the properties were purchased from Ro-Ka Acres, Inc., a company founded in 1989 by Postville elementary school guidance counselor Ron Wahls, on July 1, 2006.

Gemach Mamash, founded in 1996, has Sholom and Tzvi (Heshy) listed as officers. Because of Jewish laws that prohibit charging interest on a loan to a fellow Jew, gemach are funds set up in Jewish communities to provide a source for interest-free loans. The fact that the Jewish religion encourages the lending of money but prohibits the charging of interest to fellow believers was a subject of interest in Sholom Rubashkin’s recent motion to have federal criminal charges against him dismissed.

Lagoon Technology was formed in April 2005 and uses the physical plant address as its home office. Given information in Postville City Council minutes and a state auditor’s special investigation report, Lagoon Technology was likely set up to provide reimbursements to the city in connection with agreed upon maintenance of the waste lagoons.

State filings for Kosher Community Grocery show the company was set up in May 2005, and list officers as Sholom Rubashkin (president and secretary) and Tzvi Rubashkin (president and treasurer). The two are also listed as officers for Best Value Distributors, formed in 2001. Best Value Food Products, also formed in 2001, also lists the same home office as Agriprocessors and the other companies.

At least three additional companies with ties to the Rubashkin family and registered in Iowa were not affected by registering agent resignation. Agri-Food Distributors, Inc., founded in 1994, Postville Rabbinical Academy, founded in 2000, and Best Value, Inc., founded in 2001, have not had their active status with the state interrupted. Sholom and Tzvi (Heshy) Rubashkin are listed as officers for all companies. Aaron Rubashkin is listed as president of Agri-Food Distributors, and, in the case of Best Value, Inc., a Joseph Rubashkin of Postville and a Guttel (sic) Goldman of Miami are also officers.

Goldman, a daughter of Agriprocessors founder A. Aaron Rubashkin, was listed along with Sholom, Heshy and Yossi Rubashkin as officers in the Florida-based company Shemesh, Inc., founded in 1999 as a distribution center for Agriprocessors kosher meat products. After failing to file mandated reports with the state in 2005, the company was administratively dissolved. When it was reinstated in 2007, only Sholom Rubashkin was listed as a company officer. Although a 2008 annual report filed with Florida in August 2008 also shows Sholom Rubashkin as the only officer of the company, an amended report, filed in December, removes Sholom from the company and names Goldman as the sole officer.

In highly controversial remarks in the campaign season King said that if Obama is elected “al-Qaeda and the radical Islamists and their supporters will be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on September 11.”

King told the World-Herald he’s standing by those words.

“I made my prediction,” King said. “I made it in March, and I stand by the words I said then.”