The Voice of Iowa Business

November 29, 2018

Legislative News

Legislative Committee Leadership Announcements Made

Earlier this week, Speaker Upmeyer in the House and Majority Leader Whitver in the Senate announced new committee leadership. The makeup of committees in the House will change significantly in 2019. Key committee changes include: Commerce--Rep. Gary Carlson (R-Muscatine), Ways and Means--Rep. Lee Hein (R-Monticello), Economic Growth--Rep. Skyler Wheeler (R-Orange City), Judiciary--Rep. Steve Holt (R-Denison), Administrative Rules--Rep. Megan Jones (R-Sioux Rapids), Transportation--Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Marion). Read the full list of committee chairpersons . While there are several new faces in the Iowa Senate, there are just a few changes to committee assignments; most notably, freshman Sen. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Ottumwa) will chair the Human Resources Committee, and Sen. Michael Breitbach (R-Strawberry Point) had been named Appropriations Chair earlier this summer. Some Vice Chair positions have also shifted. Read the full list of the committee assignments in the Senate .

DOR Rules Hearing

On Tuesday, the Department of Revenue held a public hearing on proposed rules meant to implement changes from the state tax reform legislation passed last session. The rules pertain specifically to the definition of manufacturer and what entities can claim the manufacturing sales tax exemption. The law that was passed added language that specifically excluded some types of businesses from being considered as a manufacturer and put parameters around retailers who could potentially also claim the exemption. ABI spoke at the hearing to encourage the Department of Revenue to clarify the language and/or examples in the section of the rule that addresses construction contracting. ABI also provided comments about the importance of having multiple factors for a rebuttable presumption. Read ABI's comments .

Recounts Completed in HD55, HD82; Bergan and Shipley Declared Winners

The Secretary of State's office announced on Wednesday that Rep. Michael Bergan and Jeff Shipley had won their respective races for the Iowa House. Recounts had been requested in both races. GOP Rep. Bergan prevailed by beating Democratic challenger Kayla Koether in House District 55 by just nine votes, in a contest where almost 14,000 ballots were cast. Republican Shipley defeated Democratic Rep. Phil Miller in House District 82 by a margin of just 37 votes, in a race where just over 12,000 individuals voted. Now that these two races have been decided, House Republicans will officially head into the 88th General Assembly with a 54-46 majority.

State Executive Branch Budget Hearings

Each year, executive branch agencies present their projected budgets to the governor. During the last two weeks, ABI has attended budget hearings for agencies that interact frequently with Iowa businesses, such as the Department of Natural Resources, the Secretary of State, Department of Revenue, Iowa Workforce Development and the Iowa Economic Development Authority, to monitor the budgets and ensure we are aware of key programs or agency priority changes. The governor then constructs her budget with these numbers in mind. The Legislature will also develop their own budget and vet the state agencies and the respective appropriation requests through the legislative process. Although the governor's budget is published very early in session , there is typically a lot of give and take on budget discussions, and the budget bills are almost always the final pieces of legislation that are passed and sent to the governor.

IIPAC: Record-breaking Year, Resources Needed

ABI's PAC had another very successful election cycle as Friend of Iowa Business candidates won in races across the state. In fact, 87% of House candidates and 85% of Senate candidates that IIPAC endorsed won their races. IIPAC was able to disburse over $65,000 in contributions to individuals in 2018, which is one of our biggest years on record. We couldn't have done this without the collective investment of IIPAC donors, and for that we thank you! That said, the PAC is now depleted, and we need your support now more than ever. Your investment in IIPAC allows ABI to have a greater voice at the Capitol as we advocate for the business community. Help us keep the momentum going into 2019 by making a contribution today.

Sign Up for the Legislative Briefing and Reception

Registration is open for ABI's annual legislative briefing and reception. The 2019 briefing and reception is set to take place on Wednesday, Jan. 16, in downtown Des Moines at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center. The governor, lieutenant governor, department heads and all 150 members of the 88th General Assembly have been invited to attend the reception. The event provides an excellent opportunity for you to hear a preview of the legislative session from ABI's public policy staff, as well as the chance to develop relationships with your local legislators. With over 200 people already signed up, be sure to register and attend one of ABI's premier events.

Federal Spotlight: Mississippi Senate Race Decided; Senate Numbers Set, House Still Unknown

Incumbent Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi defeated Democrat challenger Mike Espy in a runoff election for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday night. Hyde-Smith received a plurality of the vote on November 6th, but Mississippi law requires a runoff between the top two candidates if no candidate receives a majority of the vote on the day of the original election. With this race now in the books, Republicans will control the Senate in the 116th Congress with a 53-47 majority. There are still a few outstanding races in the House, but it's clear at this point that Democrats are in the majority and will set the agenda for the lower chamber. RealClearPolitics currently has the Democrats at 234 seats, while Republicans are at 200 seats.

Workshop Proposals Due

Annual Conference Workshop Proposals Due on Saturday

Can you deliver dynamic, engaging sessions with a strong emphasis on takeaways? ABI is accepting workshop proposals for its 2019 Taking Care of Business Conference through Dec. 1. Email Emily Betz , conference programming co-chair, with questions.

From the Desk of...

How Quickly Do People Form an Impression of You?

Rowena Crosbie

President
Tero International
[email protected]

Most people remember their very first kiss. People experience heightened attention in the first few seconds of exposure to something new or novel. Research from Harvard University reveals that people will form an opinion of you in about two seconds.

This first impression is embedded more deeply in the brain due to the chemicals or neurotransmitters that are present at this time. And that impression, favorable or not, will be long-lasting. Keep reading.