Farm subsidies for Iowa lawmakers raise question of double standard

Illinois state lawmakers weigh the possibility of creating a statewide public defender.

And dozens of Iowa state lawmakers from both parties get thousands of dollars from the federal government in the form of farm subsidies.

Host Jim Niedelman gets into both of these issues with former Iowa State Representative Elesha Gayman and Iowa Republican Party Chair Jeff Kaufmann.

“In terms of the merits of this… we’re talking about a bill that did not allow direct payments to individuals as opposed to a farm subsidy to individuals that have put forth millions of their own dollars at risk….” Kaufmann said.

“They basically banned the opportunity to do research to see if direct payments are helping or a minimum livable wages could be helpful to some communities,” Gayman said.

Hear what else our panelists have to say when you click on the video.

Local 4 News, your local election headquarters, is proud to present 4 The Record, a weekly news and public affairs program focused on the issues important to you.  It’s a program unlike any other here in the Quad Cities. Tune in each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. as Jim Niedelman brings you up to speed on what’s happening in the political arena, from Springfield, Des Moines, Washington, D.C. and right here at home.

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