Make Your Voice Heard on November 3rd
ABI will send out an email on Tuesday to remind individuals who have not yet cast their ballot in the general election to do so. For decades, ABI has worked to provide you with valuable resources when it comes to issue and election information. We strive to be the business community’s one-stop shop for policy and political information on the state level. To provide you with the best resources, we work with national partners like BIPAC, the National Association of Manufacturers and the U.S. Chamber to provide you with information that you can share with your employees. Although 2020 has been a year like any other when it comes to many things, we cannot underscore the importance of ensuring your voice is heard. If you plan to go to the polls and vote in-person, we want to share with you a message from the National Association of Manufacturers that it's sharing with its members. Keep reading.
Know Your IIPAC Friends of Iowa Business Candidates
Each year ABI’s PAC endorses candidates who will advance pro-jobs policies in Iowa for legislative and statewide races. With the presidential and Congressional races at the top of the ticket, don’t forget about the candidates down the ballot. Click here to see the full list of IIPAC Friends of Iowa Business candidates.
Find Your Polling Place
Election Day is next Tuesday, Nov. 3, and polls are open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Although almost 40% of registered voters have already voted absentee or early in-person, if you have not, click here to find your polling place. We also encourage you to print out a sample ballot from your county auditor website to research who you plan to vote for prior to arriving at the polls, especially because Iowa no longer allows straight-party voting. In other words, you can no longer fill in one bubble to vote for all the candidates of one party, so researching the candidates ahead of time is more important than ever. Click on the links to find out more about Iowa’s legislative, U.S. Senate and U.S. House candidates.
Federal Election Results Available on IAVotes.com
If you’re looking for a place to view results from around the country, we have teamed up with BIPAC to include the national map on our IAVotes.com website. You can view the results on election night by going here.
Timely Benefit for IIPAC Investors: Complete Breakdown of 2020 Election Coming Next Wednesday
ABI Vice President of Public Policy JD Davis and Director of Public Policy Brad Hartkopf will provide a deep-dive of the election results and what they mean for Iowa businesses for IIPAC investors on Wednesday, Nov. 4. The two will break down the most consequential Statehouse races, as well as provide a broader view of the federal results and what we can expect to occur on the policy side moving into 2021. The email analysis will go out Wednesday morning, including recorded commentary. These benefits are for IIPAC investors only! You won’t want to miss the analysis, so if you haven’t contributed to IIPAC this year, be sure to do so today by clicking here.
Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Opportunity
On Monday, Gov. Reynolds announced that $5 million would be available for another round of grants for broadband deployment across the state. The first wave of grants was approved in 2018. In the news release, Gov. Reynolds said nearly $200 million has been invested in broadband infrastructure via private and public funds. The time to apply for this round of grants is Oct. 29 through Nov. 22. The need for more robust high-speed broadband couldn’t be greater as we’ve witnessed businesses and schools utilizing it more than ever during the pandemic. ABI appreciates the governor’s steadfast prioritization and support of this issue.
Register for Upcoming National Apprenticeship Week Webinar
The State of Iowa will host a webinar in two weeks that aims to educate and recruit employers on how they can use Registered Apprenticeship programs to advance and build a skilled workforce in their communities. Registered Apprenticeship programs allow for an “earn and learn” model that has proven to be successful for those who take advantage of the program. The webinar will also give an overview of the programs available to adult learners as well as high school students. The webinar will take place on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 10 a.m. via Zoom. Check out Earn and Learn Iowa for more information. You can register for the webinar here.
Federal Spotlight: Barrett Confirmed to the Supreme Court
On Monday, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm 7th Circuit Court Judge Amy Coney Barrett to a lifetime appointment on the U.S. Supreme Court. In what became a very divisive and partisan matter, the Senate voted 52-48 with just one Republican, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, voting with Democrats to oppose the confirmation. Barrett, who will be an associate justice, is replacing the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who passed away in September. With her confirmation comes the solidification of the ideological balance of the U.S. Supreme Court being conservative or originalist in nature, which will have tremendous ramifications for decades to come. To counter this, progressive Democrats are calling for the court to be expanded should Democrats take control of the trifecta following the elections.
|
|
ABI Webinar Series Concludes in December |
|
ABI's popular inaugural webinar series comes to a close on Dec. 3 with these two presentations:
How to Diffuse Unconscious Bias that Damages Culture, Productivity and Brand
-
Time: 9 a.m.
-
Presenter: Claudia Schabel, president, Schabel Solutions, Inc.
-
Description: Explore the concept of unconscious bias and how it plays out in the workplace and marketplace, as well as its impact on your organizational culture, ability to attract and retain talent, productivity and brand. Plus, discuss strategies to mitigate your own unconscious biases to protect your organizational culture, productivity and brand.
Understanding Cannabis and Its Workplace Safety, Legal and Health Implications
-
Time: 11 a.m.
-
Presenters: Dr. Cindy Hanawalt, MD, PhD, physician, Unity Point Work Well Solutions; Terri Davis, attorney, senior vice president, Shuttleworth & Ingersoll, P.L.C.
-
Description: Understand the pharmacodynamics and health effects of cannabis. Review OSHA’s general duty clause. Learn about the National Safety Council's position/policy statement on cannabis impairment. And gain insight into the legal and safety issues associated with worker use of cannabis.
Register for these webinars here. Individual registration is required for each session and is $35 for members and $45 for not-yet-members.
|
|
|
|
2020 Iowa Trends in Talent Development Survey Reinforces Value of Talent Development |
By: ATW Training & Solutions
ATW Training Solutions recently released the results of its 14th annual “Iowa Trends in Talent Development Survey” conducted in partnership with New Horizons Computer Learning Center, the Association for Talent Development Central Iowa chapter (ATD-CI) and the Iowa Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) State Council. The survey, conducted between August 3-21, 2020, was completed by 117 respondents representing a variety of Iowa industries, companies and organizations.
Talent Development Budgets Hold Steady
Survey results indicate that 50% of respondents expect budgets to stay the same next year, down slightly from 53.2% last year. Only slightly more (26.9%) companies expect to see budgets increase next year than companies who expect to see budgets decrease (23.2% – significantly higher than last year). Overall, next year appears to be a “hold steady” year when it comes to budgets. Read more.
|
|
Iowa’s Newest Solar Garden Tests Battery-Storage Solution |
|
More than 9,500 solar panels now generate clean energy at Alliant Energy’s new Marshalltown Solar Garden. This pilot project combines solar power and a battery to generate, store and deliver electricity to customers. The Marshalltown Solar Garden sits next to Alliant Energy’s Marshalltown Generating Station, one of the most efficient natural-gas-fired facilities in the country. Both energy sources are part of the company’s diverse energy mix, helping Alliant Energy to continue providing reliable and cost-effective energy to its customers. Read the full news release.
|
|
Signs of Support Grants Awarded for Charitable Organizations
In June 2020, local sign company owner Kathy Evert of Signarama-Ankeny and YESCO Sign and Lighting Service of Des Moines announced a grant program to benefit local charitable organizations in Polk County. The 2020 recipients have been selected. “Our Signs of Support program is intended to assist charitable organizations in replacing or creating effective, affordable signage and graphics to help further their mission. I am excited to help people in the community that work hard at making this a better place to live,” said Evert. See the full news release.
Secretary Pate Partners with ABI Member Pratum to Protect Election Cybersecurity
Pratum, a cybersecurity firm based in Ankeny, is assisting the Secretary of State’s Office and all 99 counties to protect elections by helping with several initiatives aimed at securing the vote and preparing election officials. Secretary of State Paul Pate organized workshops in July where county auditors, emergency managers, IT directors, vendor partners and other stakeholders worked with Pratum to develop an incident response plan every county could utilize for a variety of scenarios. Read the full news release.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
