Legislative News
Administrative Rules Review Committee approves two key rules
This summer, ABI public policy staff has been busy reviewing state agency rules. Each month the legislative Administrative Rules Review Committee (ARRC) meets to discuss and take action on proposed rules. Last Friday, ABI Public Policy Coordinator Brad Hartkopf attended the the ARRC meeting where several rules of interest to Iowa businesses were considered.
 
The first rule of interest is ARC 3209 noticed by the Department of Public Health. The purpose of the rule is to implement legislation that was passed and signed earlier this year allowing employers to use hair for drug testing prospective employees. The rule makes amendments to conform Iowa Administrative Code to state law by adding hair to the definition of sample and it also updates references to forensic drug testing. Keep reading... 
 
Policy meetings kick off Tuesday 
A record number of ABI members have registered to attend the public policy committee meetings which begin next week. The meetings are a critical piece of developing the 2018 policy priorities for the association. In addition to policy discussion, members will hear from great speakers: Iowa's Economic Development Director Debi Durham, Workers' Compensation Commissioner Joe Cortese and DNR Director Chuck Gipp. Two additional policy meetings will be held on August 21 and 22. If you have not yet registered to attend, please click here to RSVP.  
 
Phil Miller wins special election for Iowa House seat 
On Tuesday, August 8 voters in Iowa House District 82 went to the polls. The district, which includes communities in Jefferson, Davis and Van Buren counties, elected Democrat Phil Miller to serve out the remaining term of the late Curt Hanson. Miller, a veterinarian and school board president from Fairfield, received 4,020 votes (53.8%). His closest opponent was Republican Travis Moulton who received 3,324 votes (44.4%). Also on the ballot were Libertarian Joshua Miller who received 71 votes and the Constitutional Party nominee Edward Hee III who received 58 votes. Both major parties fought hard for this seat as the voter registration totals of the district are fairly even. The result of the race does not change the balance of power in the Iowa House where the Republicans continue to hold a 59-41 seat advantage over Democrats.  
 
Federal Spotlight: EPA Administrator and Secretary of Agriculture visit Iowa
In the last week, several Trump Administration officials have visited Iowa. Last weekend, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue was in Iowa for the Iowa Agriculture Summit and toured ABI member company Sukup Manufacturing. Earlier this week, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt met with Governor Kim Reynolds, Lt. Governor Adam Gregg, U.S Senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey, and agriculture stakeholders to discuss the rolling back of the 2015 Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. The delegation answered questions concerning the rule during Gov. Reynolds weekly press conference. The rule, which was established under the Obama Administration, vastly expanded the definition of navigable waters under the Clean Water Act of 1972. ABI was opposed to the rule and joined several state and national organizations urging its repeal. Read the governor's statement here.
From the Desk of...
Sarah Walker
Sarah Charlier
Manager - Administrative HR Operations
Aureon
sarah.charlier@aureon.com

5 Tactics for Enticing Talent 

In an increasingly competitive labor market, top talent is a hot commodity. In the last several months, we've seen many stories about how large organizations are making their organization and culture more appealing to both prospective and current employees. Small and mid-sized business should take note of trends being set by these organizations, such as increased maternity and family leave, shorter work weeks, increased options for flexible work arrangements, and employee perks such as gym memberships, onsite daycare, and other services. While matching a large employer's full depth and breadth of employee benefits and perks is rarely feasible, smaller employers must become more articulate and intentional about their own competitive advantages in the labor market. Here are five tactics for differentiating your organization on the employment battleground.
  1. Give your Employment Brand a Facelift
Your employment brand is your reputation as an employer. The ability to be articulate and descriptive about what it's really like to work at your organization is an incredible advantage in recruiting top performers who also fit into your organizational culture. So, take a look at what you say online about working at your organization, what others say, and what your public-facing online presence reveals about the employment experience. Check or create your company profile on www.glassdoor.com , target candidates with social media posts, and update your company LinkedIn profile. Candidates are researching your organization, so make sure you know what they'll find.  
Top News
Doing Business with NAFTA Partners (Scarbrough International, Ltd. and partners) Thursday, November 9, 2017 

Luke T. Mohrhauser to Sit on Patent Q&A Panel (McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC)
Luke T. Mohrhauser is a mentor for Iowa AgriTech Accelerator and will sit on a panel for patent Q&A this Friday.

Fairfield Plastics Manufacturer Receives Renew Rural Iowa Entrepreneur Award (Iowa Farm Bureau)
Agri-Industrial Plastics of in Fairfield last week was presented Iowa Farm Bureau's Renew Rural Iowa (RRIA) Entrepreneur Award in recognition as a major regional employer and investor.
 
Internet-Connected Printer Vulnerabilities Exploited by Criminal Actors (U.S. Department of Homeland Security)
Over the past year, criminal actors exploited Internet-connected printers to manipulate print jobs and distribute violent threats or hate speech to US victims nationwide, according to multiple reports received by the FBI.
 
Recruiting and Employee Retention 2017 Fall Conference (Iowa Employment Conference) Our fall one-day conference highlights a hot topic that's currently impacting employers. It's a perfect choice for professionals wanting to gain more in-depth knowledge on a specific employment topic that is relevant to their current/future role or that they simply want to learn more about.
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