The Voice of Iowa Business

June 21, 2018

We'll Miss You, Michael Sadler

Gentle giant. Quiet leader. Proud father. Beloved by everybody. These are just a few of the ways to describe Michael Sadler, who passed away yesterday.

Michael was a longtime ABI board member and a current member of the executive committee. His friendship and leadership--and especially his big smile--will be missed by many.

Legislative News

Convention News: Hubbell Selects Hart for LG, Naig Wins Sec. of Ag Nomination

Republicans and Democrats met last weekend for the state conventions. Delegates from around the state descended upon Des Moines for the bi-annual political functions. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Fred Hubbell selected Rita Hart of Wheatland to be on the ticket as his lieutenant governor. Hart is a state senator from Clinton County. She is also a former teacher and currently operates a family farm with her husband. Hart was up for re-election this year, which means her seat is now open since she is on the gubernatorial ticket. Democrats will hold a special nominating convention in the near future to select someone who will face Republican Chris Cournoyer in November. This state senate race will be one of the most hotly contested this cycle. Keep reading.

New Fast Track Filing System Now Available for Those Seeking to Start a New Business

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate announced on Monday that his office's brand new Fast Track Filing system is now online and available to use for new businesses. The system will let new businesses have their documents processed within a maximum of two days and a minimum of five minutes. It has been projected this efficiency will allow the secretary of state's office to annually reduce staff hours by more than 4,000. The system is accessible 24 hours a day at https://filings.sos.iowa.gov/Account/Login. The system was made possible through legislation signed into law in 2017. ABI worked on rules with many stakeholders and the ARRC to ensure the fees would be used for business services. ABI is pleased to see the system is up and running, and we believe this will help the business community. You can read the full press release here .

Federal Spotlight: ABI/U.S. Chamber to Host Congressman Young and Sen. Grassley

ABI is excited to partner with the U.S. Chamber on two upcoming events. In the next few weeks, Sen. Grassley and Congressman Young will officially receive the Spirit of Enterprise Award for their support of pro-jobs legislation. ABI would like to invite ABI members to these events. For more information, please reach out to Brad Hartkopf . ABI would also like to thank Sen. Grassley and Congressman Young for their support of the business community.

Federal Spotlight: Small Business Administration Iowa Roundtables in July

The U.S. Small Business Administration will host several roundtables across Iowa next month with the purpose of receiving feedback from individuals whose small businesses are affected by federal regulatory issues. Regulatory reform is a centerpiece of the Trump administration, and the SBA Office of Advocacy wants to hear from you. This is an excellent opportunity to provide input on how the federal government can ease the regulatory burden on your small business. The roundtables are free to attend and will be held in Council Bluffs (July 17), West Des Moines (July 18) and Dubuque (July 19).

Iowa State Supreme Court Expands Common Law Retaliatory Discharge

The Iowa Supreme Court ruling on a former Iowa Workforce Development judge's wrongful termination suit against the Department of Iowa Workforce Development and its former Director Theresa Walhert could have a broad impact on Iowa employers. The Ackerman v. Wahlert ruling, written by Chief Justice Cady, expands the common law (non-statutory) tort of retaliatory discharge, which was formerly limited to use by at-will employees who lacked other statutory protections, to also include contract employees. The case discusses state employees such as Ackerman, covered by collective bargaining agreements, but the ruling is broadly worded and appears to be designed to include all public and private contract employees. This creates, in essence, a third remedy at common law for these employees, in addition to contractual and other statutory remedies. The case can be found here . Keep reading.

Federal Spotlight: ABI Signs onto Tariff Letter to Congress

ABI has signed onto a letter in support of Sen. Bob Corker's (R-TN) amendment that would require the president to submit to Congress any proposal to raise tariffs in the interest of national security. The bipartisan amendment was filed to the National Defense Authorization Act. Many in the business community and in Congress are very uneasy with the Trump administration's efforts of unloading tariffs on our allies and top trading partners including Mexico, Canada, the European Union and China. Our friends at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have been leading this effort. You can read the letter here .

Federal Spotlight: Federal Rules Released on Association Health Plans

The U.S. Department of Labor published its long-anticipated final rule on association health plans Tuesday, relaxing the requirements for small businesses to band together to create health care plans that skirt certain Affordable Care Act requirements. The final federal rule will take effect in phases, with an effective date of Sept. 1, 2018, for all associations to establish a fully insured AHP; Jan. 1, 2019 for existing associations that have already established an AHP and want to start up a self-funded plan; and April 1, 2019, for all other associations to establish a self-funded plan. The Iowa Legislature passed a bill authorizing such plans in Iowa during the 2018 legislative session, SF 2349 , to provide additional health insurance options in the state. ABI recently commented on proposed Iowa Insurance Division state level rules implementing the plans.

Statewide Computer Science Standards Adopted; Professional Development Fund Available

The State Board of Education recently adopted new computer science standards, which can be voluntarily adopted across schools in Iowa. The board also announced the availability of a new $1 million Professional Development Fund designed to help prepare instructors of the courses. The standards and fund are part of an ABI-supported bill that was signed into law in 2017. The legislation is designed to encourage computer science courses in every school and help prepare students for 21st century jobs that often require an extensive knowledge of computer science. You can read more here .

Federal Spotlight: ABI Signs on to Career and Technical Education Letter

ABI, along with more than 400 organizations, has signed onto a letter in support of the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. ABI members traveled to Washington D.C. last October to visit our Congressional delegation, and this legislation was mentioned as a top federal priority for the business community. Wednesday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee marked up the bill. The legislation is set to help the nation's students obtain the skills they need to be successful in the 21st century economy.

Bringing Boji Back

Registration is Now Open

Registration is now open for the popular Connecting Statewide Leaders -- Bringing Boji Back event. Join us August 1-2 in Okoboji for an exclusive industry tour, valuable programming and networking with Iowa's top business leaders. Through July 6, discounted hotel rooms are available at the Arrowwood Resort & Conference Center . Learn more and register .

From the Desk of...

Make the Most of Your ABI Membership: Taking Advantage of Member Benefits

David Hildahl

Iowa Association of Business and Industry

dhildahl@iowaabi.org

ABI is all about you--and there are many ways for you to get involved and maximize your membership investment.

Some benefits you may already know about, like our annual conference, which offers the best business networking opportunities in the state of Iowa. Other benefits, like free or nominally priced space for meetings, may be new to you.

Take a look at our quick-reference benefits overview list. You'll discover valuable opportunities and find ways to make the most of your ABI membership. Keep reading.