Governor Signs Two MBI Policy Priorities

With strokes of Governor Branstad's pens, two of MBI's top policy priorities for 2017 came to fruition. SF 413, a reduction in the statute of repose and SF 438, prohibition on government-mandated Project Labor Agreements were signed into law on Thursday, April 13, 2017.

The signing of SF 413 brings to a close MBI's multi-year effort to reduce Iowa's longest in the nation statute of repose. Interestingly, during the signing ceremony for SF 413, a lobbyist with the Iowa Engineering Society brought with him a picture of when Governor Branstad first signed a limit on Iowa's statute of repose. This bill signing was back 30 years in 1987, in which the bill created the current 15-year statute of repose. A previous effort to establish a time limit occurred in 1980, only to fail subject to Governor Robert Ray's veto pen. A later effort to reduce from 15 years to 8 years happened in 2000 in which Governor Tom Vilsack also sided with the trial lawyers in favor of a veto.

This time, Governor Branstad, like he did 30 years previously, enthusiastically endorsed the reduction.

Another bill that brought to a close one of MBI's longest running public affairs struggles was SF 438, which prohibits government-mandated Project Labor Agreements (PLAs). This bill provides legislative guidance in that government-mandated PLAs will no longer be legal in Iowa. This new law reverses the precedent created by the Iowa Supreme Court's decision in 2002, which legalized PLAs in Iowa. If you recall, MBI sued Polk County on its use of a government-mandated PLA on the Iowa Events Center. As a result of the ruling, MBI did pass a prohibition of government-mandated PLAs through the legislature during the 2003 session, but this bill also fell victim to Governor Vilsack's veto authority.

Though previous efforts came up short, the elections of 2017 created an opportunity to move these two important pieces of legislation. And even though MBI's lobbying team was able to close the deal this session, the effort to pass these two laws all started long before with members being active in supporting the MBI-PAC. Without the financial support of members to the MBI-PAC, MBI's lobbying team would have never been able to establish relationships with legislators and identify those who would advocate for MBI's positions.

These two new laws are a testament to MBI's persistence and patience in working towards what is right and good for the industry.