The Voice of Iowa Business

May 31, 2018

Legislative News

Governor Signs Historic Tax Legislation

Wednesday in Hiawatha Gov. Reynolds signed the first income tax reduction and reform legislation in 20 years. In addition to income tax rate reduction and eventual elimination of federal deductibility if revenue targets are met, the legislation includes substantial changes to Iowa's sales tax law. The bill modernizes items subject to sales tax and provides a mechanism for the state to capture increased revenue if the challenge to Quill Corp. v. North Dakota is overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. Quill effectively prevents states from collecting sales tax on internet sales, unless the business has a physical presence in the state. Besides individual income tax cuts and sales tax changes, the legislation also includes a corporate rate reduction that will take effect in tax year 2021. To read the Governor's release click here . For more information about the legislation, click here . ABI staff and members appreciated the opportunity to be present for the historic bill signing ceremony.

Des Moines Register: Reynolds signs largest state tax cut in Iowa history. Here's how much taxpayers could save.
KWWL: Governor Reynolds signs state's largest tax cut

ABI Attends Five-year Celebration of Nutrient Reduction Strategy

On Tuesday, ABI participated in an event celebrating the progress made since the beginning of the Nutrient Reduction Strategy. Since its inception, ABI and ABI members have been involved with the Nutrient Reduction Strategy, from the point-source perspective. During the event, Gov. Reynolds, Lt. Gov. Gregg, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, DNR Division Administrator Bill Ehm and EPA Region VII Administrator Jim Gulliford all talked about the successes of the strategy and the priority of water quality to Iowans. ABI public policy team members Jessica Hyland and Nicole Crain were present for the event and had the opportunity to see one of the projects first-hand. ABI member companies were also noted for the progress they have made in reducing phosphorus and nitrogen and the millions of dollars invested in additional monitoring. ABI looks forward to continuing to work with the DNR as the strategy continues to evolve. The Governor's statement can be found here .

ELECTION UPDATE: Iowa Primaries on Tuesday, June 5

Remember, polls are open from 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. on Tuesday, June 5. If you plan to vote in the primary, you must be registered with a political party. The party affiliations are as follows: Democrat, Libertarian and Republican. You will only be allowed to vote for the candidates in your registered party. Don't forget to visit the IAVotes.com

Election Center.

Here is a brief snapshot of the contested primaries:

Governor: Contested for Libertarians and Democrats
Secretary of Agriculture: Contested for Republicans
Secretary of State: Contested for Democrats
Congressional District 1: Contested for Democrats
Congressional District 3: Contested for Democrats
Congressional District 4: Contested for Republicans and Democrats

Be sure to vote early if you're headed to the ABI annual conference! Keep reading.

Join ABI for Legislative Wrap-up Call on Monday

The public policy team will lead the final legislative call on Monday, June 4 at 10 a.m. It was another great session for the business community, and you will certainly want to sign up for the call to learn about the results and to provide feedback or ask questions. Please contact Michelle Vollstedt at mvollstedt@iowaabi.org or at 515-235-0561 to RSVP.

Your Chance to Win!

ABI's annual conference in Coralville is nearly upon us. We hope you visit our public policy booth to pick up information about how to get more involved or to learn about the past legislative session. Drop off your business card for a chance to win a free registration to our 2019 legislative reception!

Federal Spotlight: Commerce Department Launches Investigation into Imports of Vehicles

President Trump recently ordered Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to launch an investigation into the import of automobiles and auto parts based on national security concerns. The authority is granted to the Commerce Department to launch these kinds of investigations via section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. All of this comes as the U.S., Mexico and Canada continue to work on renegotiating NAFTA. Many in the business community fear this could hamper those talks and potentially lead to retaliation from other countries if the U.S. was to impose tariffs on auto imports.

Leadership for Iowa Award

Lashier Honored with Leadership for Iowa Award

Leadership Iowa has named Jack Lashier of Des Moines as the recipient of its annual Leadership for Iowa Award. The award honors a distinguished alumnus of the ABI Foundation's Leadership Iowa program. Lashier was a member of the 1989-90 Leadership Iowa class. Read the news release.

He will receive the award on June 7 at the Taking Care of Business Conference in Coralville. Please join us at 9:05 a.m. in the Coral Ballroom as we honor Jack's commitment to promoting Iowa and enhancing the state's quality of life.

From the Desk of...

4 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your ABI Conference Experience

Kathy Anderson

Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI)

kanderson@iowaabi.org

The upcoming Taking Care of Business Conference in Coralville will bring together over 500 business leaders from across the state of Iowa. From June 5-7, you'll make connections with attendees representing a wide variety of industries, across a myriad of positions and experience levels. But with so much to do and so many people to talk to, how can you get the most out of your ABI conference experience? Follow the tips below to help ensure you take full advantage of this unique opportunity. Keep reading.