January 24, 2019
LEGISLATIVE NEWS
ABI, Business and Agriculture Organizations Pen Letter to EPC
ABI and several other organizations submitted a letter to members of the Environmental Protection Commission urging their denial of a petition to establish numeric nutrient criteria for lakes. The EPC would have received and discussed the letter at the meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 23, but the meeting was canceled due to inclement weather. The letter pointed out several legislative and regulatory initiatives that have taken place to improve Iowa’s water quality.  Read the letter . This is just one example of action ABI is taking to ensure the Regulatory Reform priority is accomplished for 2019.

Insurance Commissioner Speaks to House Commerce
On Tuesday, Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen provided an update to members of the House Commerce Committee about the Insurance Division. Commissioner Ommen discussed the economic footprint of Iowa’s insurance industry, stating that 43,000 jobs are tied to the industry and it ranks second in terms of GDP output for the economy. Read more .

ABI Comments Before Subcommittee on Security Breaches
Members of an Iowa House Commerce subcommittee met Wednesday to hear from the attorney general’s office regarding  HSB 14 . HSB 14 expands notification requirements when a security breach occurs. Section 3, which deals with reducing the current exemptions provided to certain businesses, and Section 4, which adds a new requirement for employers to notify the AG’s office if an employee’s information has been subject to a breach, are especially problematic. The ABI public policy team, as well as other business groups, voiced those concerns during the subcommittee. The legislation did not advance out of the subcommittee.

Packed Meeting on Iowa’s Bottle Deposit Law
Members of a Senate Natural Resources subcommittee met late Wednesday afternoon to discuss  SF 59 , which increases the amount paid to redemption centers from one penny to two pennies and gets the cans out of grocery and convenience stores. ABI spoke specifically in opposition to the section of the bill that increases the handling fee for ABI’s bottler members. We expect more bills to be filed and this issue to receive a lot of attention in the 2019 session. 

Federal Spotlight: U.S. Chamber Urges Government Be Reopened
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently submitted a  letter  to the president and members of Congress requesting the government be opened as soon as possible citing effects the shutdown is having on the economy and the business community. We are now almost five weeks into the partial shutdown, which is the longest in American history. The impasse is occurring largely because of differences regarding appropriations for border security. Read more .
ABI UPDATE
First Legislative Update Call Tomorrow Morning
Nicole Crain and Brad Hartkopf will lead the first legislative update teleconference call tomorrow at 8 a.m. The public policy team will share information about key bills and provide the latest news concerning Capitol business that affects ABI members. Following the update from Nicole and Brad, those on the call will be able to ask questions or share concerns. The calls are for ABI members only. If you haven’t registered already, you can do so by contacting Michelle Vollstedt at  mvollstedt@iowaabi.org  or 515-235-0561.
FROM THE DESK OF...
How Important is Vocal Quality in Communication?
Rowena Crosbie
Tero International

We frequently underestimate the power of the voice and the power it has in communication. The same regions of the brain that process intonations in our voice also play a large role in figuring out and creating emotions. Because the region of the brain that processes vocal tone also processes and creates emotion, your voice tone has a huge impact on another person’s emotional state. Read more .
MEMBER NEWS

CLA to Host "Wayfair 2.0" Webinar on Jan. 31
States across the country have rushed to enact new sales and use tax legislation in the wake of the Supreme Court decision. This flurry of rules and regulations can easily overwhelm business and nonprofit leaders as they try to figure out whether their organization meets the nexus threshold in a particular state or not. Join CLA’s complimentary " Wayfair 2.0: States Respond to the Wayfair v. South Dakota Supreme Court Decision" webinar on Jan. 31, which will outline the latest state legislation and the most efficient way for your organization to stay in compliance. Learn more and register .

"Attack the Hack: Rebounding from a Breach" Event is Feb. 12
Join ACS, BrownWinick and Strategic America on Feb. 12 in West Des Moines for an informative discussion on cyber incident response. Experts in data security, law and privacy issues, and communications will share valuable information and best practices to help prepare your business in the event of a data breach or cyberattack. Learn more and register .
Draper Among Venture University's Third Cohort
Venture University announced last week that Des Moines businessman Chris Draper is one of the 25 individuals making up its Cohort 3. Draper will serve as a VC Investor apprentice focused on emerging technology startups in Chicago and the wider Midwest. Venture University  is a multi-stage investment fund and trade school for angel investing, venture capital and private equity.
R&R Names Top Producers of 2018
R&R Real Estate Advisors, a subsidiary of R&R Realty Group, recognized its top-producing brokers of 2018 yesterday. Senior Vice President Adam Kaduce was named 2018’s Top Producer for closing 50 deals and leasing 279,696 sq. ft. of commercial space. For closing 35 deals and leasing more than 107,783 sq. ft. , Commercial Real Estate Manager Jonny Bosworth was named 2018’s Rising Star. Read the full news release .

ADM Named to Most Admired Company List for 11th Consecutive Year
Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) was named one of the world’s most admired companies in the food production industry by Fortune magazine for the 11th year in a row. Fortune ranked companies in 52 major industries on nine criteria—from investment value and quality of management and products, to social responsibility and ability to attract talent. Read the full news release .
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