May 28, 2020
LEGISLATIVE NEWS
Legislature Comes Back into Session Next Week
The Iowa General Assembly will return to Des Moines next Wednesday to wrap up the 2020 legislative session. The Legislature is expected to meet Wednesday through Friday of next week and then come back on Monday and work through the rest of the week as policymakers usher through their priorities and the budget for FY21. It will certainly be an extraordinary scene at the Capitol as visitors must undergo temperature screenings before entering the building, social distancing efforts will be made and committee meetings will be held on the respective chamber floors as a means of providing members of the Legislature safety. ABI’s public policy team will be focused on pushing our key priorities over the finish line and to the governor’s desk for her signature.

REC Meets Tomorrow
The Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) will hold a special meeting tomorrow afternoon to provide new budget projections the Legislature will use to construct the FY21 budget. The REC most recently met in March, but that budget projection did not include any forecast or accounting for the economic effects of the coronavirus. COVID-19 has taken a hit on state tax collections across the country, which will mean a tighter budget for the new fiscal year. Expect an update on this in next week’s newsletter. 

IWD: New Initial Unemployment Claims and CARES Act Funding for Trust Fund Support
Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) announced today there were 14,586 initial unemployment claims filed by individuals for the week of May 17-23. That number is up by about 1,500 initial claims filed the prior week. $48.8 million was paid out of the trust fund for benefits. The number of continuing weekly unemployment claims was 180,679. Once again, the top sectors that saw the most initial claims filed included manufacturing (3,835); those not identified by industry including the self-employed, independent contractors, etc. (2,382); and health care and social assistance (1,399). IWD also recently announced Iowa’s unemployment rate was 10.2% for the month of April. Read IWD's news release .

Of importance to ABI members, Gov. Reynolds commented at her press conference last Friday that money Iowa will receive from the federal CARES Act can be used to restore Iowa’s unemployment trust fund. This is positive news for employers as hundreds of millions of dollars have been doled out over the last two months due to the coronavirus. ABI is hopeful at least part of the CARES Act funding will be used to replenish the trust fund as that would help alleviate any potential unemployment tax increases on businesses. Read more from  Radio Iowa .

Governor Allows More Reopenings
During Monday's press conference, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced more venues may reopen and resume business operations. As of Monday, June 1, outdoor performance venues, casinos, racetracks, bowling alleys, amusement parks, skating rinks, skate parks and outdoor playgrounds will be permitted to operate. As of today, bars, distilleries, wineries, breweries, and social and fraternal clubs are allowed to reopen under the same public health guidelines as restaurants as previously announced last week. You can view the  entire proclamation .

Be Sure to Vote in Next Week’s Primary
Iowa’s primary election will take place next Tuesday, June 2. Nominations for the Republican and Democratic parties for a number of offices will be decided by Iowa voters. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Voters are advised to take extra safety precautions as they cast their ballot due to the coronavirus. You can find your polling location  here. As a reminder, you must be registered with a party to vote in the primary election. You can change your party affiliation the day of the election. Also, the secretary of state sent absentee ballot request forms out to all active registered voters in the state. If you requested an absentee ballot, you  must  have it postmarked by Monday, June 1.

OSHA Reverses Guidance; Employers Must Record COVID-19 Cases
In a  memorandum  issued on May 19, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it would override its April 10 guidance and now require employers to record COVID-19 cases. OSHA also stated it would increase workplace inspections. It has instructed compliance officers to use the following considerations when determining whether or not an employer has complied with the newly revised policy:

  • The reasonableness of the employer’s investigation into whether the COVID-19 case was work-related
  • The evidence available to the employer
  • The evidence that COVID-19 was contracted at work

The agency provides scenarios of “certain types of evidence” to determine whether COVID-19 cases are likely work-related. You can read more from the  National Safety Council .
ABI UPDATE
Safety and Savings: 20% Off Bulk Hand Sanitizer from New Buy ABI Partners
The safety of your employees has never been more important. In response to COVID-19, Cedar Ridge Distillery and Mississippi River Distilling Company have partnered to offer bulk hand sanitizer for your business.

ABI members receive a generous 20% discount on one-gallon jugs from Cedar Ridge Distillery  (enter code “BuyABI” at checkout) and Mississippi River Distilling Company  (discount automatically applied using this link).

Additional sizes (quarts, drums, totes) are available at both distilleries, at ABI discounted prices. Contact  info@crwine.com  or  info@mrdistilling.com  for more size and price options.

Get deep discounts on a wide variety of valuable products and services through the Buy ABI program. View the full list of the program participants and savings .
FROM THE DESK OF...
Join Us–Virtually–for a Regional Membership Meeting
Mike Ralston
President
ABI

The past several weeks have been an incredible time for Iowa business leaders and their companies (and for the entire world, for that matter). During this time, the ABI staff has doubled-down on its efforts to provide meaningful assistance. We are eager to help you and to learn about what you are experiencing in your operations.

In that regard, ABI will host five regional membership meetings the week of June 9. The meetings will be held by Zoom. As always, the goal will be to provide information and assistance of value to you and your company.

Members in each ABI region will be given the opportunity to participate in the meetings. As you may recall, the five ABI regions are generally the northeast quadrant of Iowa, the southeast, the southwest, and the northwest. Polk County, due to its density of membership, is its own region. (View an Iowa map of the five regions .)

During each hour-long meeting, members of the ABI staff will share brief reports about the association and its operations, including those of the ABI Foundation. The ABI public policy team will provide the latest news from the Iowa General Assembly. And, we want to hear from you. Members will have an opportunity to share reports from their business, ask questions and compare notes.

Find the meeting for your region:
  • Northeast Iowa | June 9, 10-11 a.m. | Register
  • Southeast Iowa | June 9, 1:30-2:30 p.m. | Register
  • Northwest Iowa | June 10, 9-10 a.m. | Register
  • Southwest Iowa | June 10, 11 a.m.-noon | Register
  • Central Iowa (Polk County) | June 11, 10-11 a.m. | Register

We hope you join us. In the meantime, thanks to you and your employees for all you do, every day, to serve customers and grow Iowa.
MEMBER NEWS
Structural Engineering Firm Announces New Name, Rebrand
After a decade of operating, Sebern Structural Services (or s-cube) has announced a new name, brand identity and website. Effective February 2020, Sebern Structural Services will be called Vector Collaborative . “Our growing company and vision have changed over the years, and we determined that it was time for a new name and user-friendly website that aligns with who we are now,” said founder Kari Sebern. Learn more about the rebrand on the company's new website and read the full news release .

Apply for Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program
The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program is a great opportunity for business owners to gain access to tools and knowledge to grow their business. In professional workshops delivered in-person and online, business owners will learn from some of the strongest resources across the state, learn about access to financial capital and build a powerful network of professional support. The deadline to apply is June 25. Find an application and additional information at  https://10ksbapply.com/iowa/about . Contact Jacki Boldt at  jlboldt@dmacc.edu  with additional questions.

Upcoming Webinars Hosted by Members
Returning to the Workplace: Considerations for Your Organization's Assets – Your People
Friday, May 29 | 10-11 a.m. | Gallagher | Register

MākuSmart 2.0 – Making Real-time Wearable EHS Data Immediately Actionable
Tuesday, June 9 | 12-1 p.m. | MākuSafe | Register
GOVERNOR'S CLUB SPONSORS
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