2019 Legislature Adjourned Saturday, April 27
The Iowa Legislature adjourned
sine die
on Saturday, April 27. After a session that started out with the business community playing defense, the year ended in a positive way with ABI’s key priorities advancing to Gov. Reynolds. Last Saturday, ABI sent out a
special newsletter
with an analysis of the legislative session. As you will read in the newsletter, 12 bills ABI advocated for passed both the House and Senate and are now being reviewed by the governor. Several bills, such as workers’ compensation idiopathic falls and e-notary, have already been signed by the governor. The governor has 30 days to review the legislation that was sent to her in the last three days of session. ABI will continue to update members in the weekly newsletter as key priorities are signed into law.
Regional Policy Meetings Begin May 20
The ABI public policy team will begin traveling around the state to share a comprehensive review of the 2019 legislative session with ABI members. The first meeting will be on
May 20 in Clarinda
, followed by
May 21 in Orange City
and
May 22 in Dubuque
. The road trip will conclude on
May 29 in Pella
. This is a great opportunity for you to hear a review of the 2019 session, share ideas for improving Iowa’s business and regulatory climate, discuss emerging issues for 2020, and talk about how ABI can help support your company. We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming meeting!
Governor Signs E-Notary Legislation
On Monday, Gov. Reynolds signed
SF 475
, which will allow electronic notarization for business transactions in Iowa beginning July 1, 2020. ABI was part of a coalition that met last summer and fall to review model legislation and propose language that would work for Iowa. ABI member Lender Close was present at the bill signing on Monday. See a
photo
of the signing. This legislation was part of ABI’s regulatory reform priority for 2019.
IIPAC Conference Recognition Deadline Approaching
The deadline to be recognized at the ABI annual conference as an IIPAC investor is fast approaching. So far, only 45 individuals have contributed to IIPAC in 2019. Last year, more than 145 individuals support the PAC. Please consider
renewing your personal investment
in ABI’s political action committee by
May 24, 2019
. All individuals who have contributed by May 24 will be recognized at the ABI annual conference. ABI staff will be sending emails and making phone calls in the next few weeks to request you renew your contribution. Get your name taken off the call list and
donate today
!
Gov. Reynolds Announces Expansion of Work-Based Learning at Future Ready Iowa Summit
ABI's Mike Ralston and Kathy Anderson attended the Future Ready Iowa Summit on April 30, where Gov. Reynolds declared a need to further develop career-oriented learning opportunities for K-12 students. The Department of Education is crafting plans to make these opportunities accessible to students across the state by the end of the year. Gov. Reynolds cited the necessity of adaptability and exposure to multitudes of post-secondary options.
Read more
.
Federal Spotlight: EEOC Reporting Rule to Take Effect
After the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) put a
hold
on the changes to the EEO-1 reporting form that mid- and large-size employers must fill out in 2017, a judge ruled last month the added requirement to report pay can move forward and is due September 30, 2019. The ruling provides employers approximately six months to comply and will be extremely costly for employers.
Read more
.
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Meet Our Newest ABI Members
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Caterpillar, Inc.
Decatur County Development Corp.
GrapeTree Medical Staffing
JE Dunn
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
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Knapp Tedesco Insurance
Miron Construction
MYA Logistics
RDG Planning and Design
Sebern Structural Services, PLLC
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Join Us for the Best Celebration of Iowa Business
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Mike Ralston
President
ABI
If you ask any of us on the staff here at ABI, we’ll tell you there are no better days than those we get to spend in a member manufacturing plant or other facilities. We have had a lot of those days lately. Seeing your operations and being around your employees always energizes us.
Read more
.
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Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative
Hosts Sen. Ernst
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Pictured: Kelly Gibbs, CFO; Ron Thielen, president; Sen. Joni Ernst; Jeremy Richert, CEO; Patty Manuel, director public relations
Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative (MVEC) recently shared the cooperative’s smart grid efforts with Sen. Joni Ernst, specifically how those efforts evolved to offer fiber to the home services. Launched in 2016, MVlink now provides up to one gigabyte of internet speed with a VoIP telephone option. MVEC is two and a half years into the four-year projected build-out of their service territory in eastern Iowa. Read the
full news release
.
Investigating Complaints in Today's Workplace Seminar is May 23
Fredrikson and Byron’s Des Moines-based
employment and labor
attorneys will provide the building blocks for an effective investigations protocol you can implement in response to harassment and discrimination complaints in today’s workplace. The free seminar is May 23, 8:30-11:00 a.m., at the Holiday Inn & Suites at Jordan Creek in West Des Moines.
Learn more
.
Google to Award $1 Million to Iowa Nonprofits with Bold Ideas to Boost Economic Opportunity
Last week Google announced the Google.org Impact Challenge Iowa. It will award $1 million to local nonprofits with big ideas to create economic opportunity in Iowa. A panel of statewide judges and the public will help decide the five winners. Applications are due May 17.
Learn more
.
UPDATE: Iowa Property Tax Appeal Deadline Extended Due to Disaster Declaration.
Due to a Federal Declaration of Disaster, the 2019 protest of assessment period has been extended to June 5, 2019, for 59 Iowa counties, and so your ability to evaluate your business property taxes may have also been extended. But, if an appeal is not filed by the new deadline, the opportunity to contest the assessment will be missed. According to JM Tax Advocates staff, their clients' property tax assessments are inaccurate 80% of the time. Contact
Nick Rhoad
for more information.
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Sarah Miller Appointed Partner at Performance Marketing Group
Performance Marketing–a West Des Moines-based, full-service marketing agency–has appointed Sarah Miller to the partnership team. Miller was officially named partner in early 2019 and joins four other partners in the new ownership role. Read the
full news release
.
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Coady Named ESGR Co-Vice Chair
Becky Coady, ABI Foundation vice president, has joined the Iowa Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) as co-vice chair.
Before joining the ABI Foundation, Coady was a program support manager for the Iowa ESGR. She and her husband, Mark, serve as ESGR volunteers in the Des Moines area.Congratulations, Becky!
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CHAIRPERSON'S CLUB SPONSORS
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Alliant Energy
Bankers Advertising/Tru Art
CIPCO
Collins Aerospace
Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Co.
Hy-Vee
Wells Fargo
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