Iowa Unemployment Rate Ticks Up, But More Iowans Entering the Workforce |
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The unemployment rate for the state of Iowa increased slightly for the month of June, going from 3.9% in May to 4.0% last month. However, that news is offset by the fact that 3,800 more Iowans are now in the workforce. The state’s jobless rate is significantly better than it was one year ago, when it hit 7.1%. Iowa’s labor force participation rate also increased from May, going from 66.4% to 66.6%.
There are still more than 70,000 open jobs for unemployed Iowans to take advantage of. Read more from IWD's press release.
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Okoboji CEO Forum + Preparing for 2022 |
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Weekly Business Report: ABI President Mike Ralston, ABI Executive Vice President Nicole Crain and ABI Director of Public Policy Brad Hartkopf discuss the upcoming Okoboji CEO Forum and the public policy committee meetings, set to begin Monday, August 9.
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After ABI's five public policy meetings wrap up, they will send policy recommendations to the Legislative Committee.
The Legislative Committee will then review the recommendations and also formulate priorities for 2022. The Board of Directors will meet in September to review and provide final approval of the priorities and policies for the coming year. This is your chance to have your company’s voice heard on what ABI should focus on. If you haven’t registered already, be sure to do that today!
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Reminder: DNR Air Quality Meeting Next Week |
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If you haven’t done so already, be sure to register for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources air advisory group meeting, which takes place Thursday, July 29th at 10:00 a.m. The purpose of the meeting is to learn more about and provide feedback on DNR's draft rule related to requiring electronic submittals on air emissions inventory, air permitting applications and air quality documents. The draft rule should be made available later today on the Public Participation website under Workgroups - Air Electronic Submittals Advisory Group. If you have any feedback, please provide that to Brad Hartkopf before the 29th.
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Finkenauer Announces Run for U.S. Senate |
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Abby Finkenauer, a former Congresswoman from Cedar Rapids, declared on Thursday that she would be seeking the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate race in 2022. Finkenauer was elected to the U.S. House in 2018 after defeating two-term Congressman Rod Blum. She would go on to narrowly lose her re-election bid in 2020 to then State Representative Ashley Hinson. Before serving in Congress, Finkenauer served two terms in the Iowa House. The incumbent, Senator Charles Grassley (R-New Hartford), has yet to declare whether or not he will seek an eighth term. He’s expected to make a decision sometime in the fall. Read more from Politico.
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If You Build It…
Bipartisan Federal Infrastructure Bill Delayed – Future Uncertain
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On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate held a cloture vote to bring up bipartisan infrastructure legislation for consideration and to set a time limit on debate and a final vote on the bill. A cloture vote requires 60 votes to pass, but this vote failed on party lines. Democrats had hoped that opening the debate on the measure would hasten a final agreement on the text of the bill. Republicans objected that the bill did not yet exist, no legislative language had been shared and none of its provisions could be scored for their cost over time. Likewise, none of the increased revenue collections used to pay for the measure had been shared in writing.
Republicans were also concerned that once they agreed to open a time-limited debate, their votes would no longer be needed to move the legislation to final passage, no matter the content. The bipartisan group of senators, who had agreed to the framework of the bill and secured the President’s endorsement, will now work to put details to paper. Look for more action next week and if there is no resolution at that time, all bets are off on the future of the bipartisan effort.
A description of the dollar allocations by infrastructure type is below:
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Transportation: $312 billion
- Roads, bridges, major projects: $109 billion
- Safety: $11 billion
- Public transit: $49 billion
- Passenger and freight rail: $66 billion
- Electric vehicles: $7.5 billion
- Electric buses/transit: $7.5 billion
- Reconnecting communities: $1 billion
- Airports: $25 billion
- Ports and waterways: $16 billion
- Infrastructure financing: $20 billion
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Other infrastructure: $266 billion
- Water: $55 billion
- Broadband: $65 billion
- Environmental remediation: $21 billion
- Power, including grid authority: $73 billion
- Western water storage: $5 billion
- Resilience: $47 billion
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Maximize your ABI membership! Take advantage of deep discounts through the Buy ABI program.
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ABI Manufacturing Leaders Recognized Nationally |
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The Manufacturing Institute recently named Iowans Lori Schafer-Weaton and Cindy Barnett to its 2021 STEP Ahead Award Honorees and Emerging Leaders. Schafer-Weaton and Barnett were among 130 women The Manufacturing Institute honored this year “for outstanding achievements in their companies, communities and industry.”
Schaefer-Weaton, a past ABI Board Chair is Agri-industrial Plastics Co.’s president and Barnett is the manufacturing manager of metal supply for Arconic Corporation.
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Click on the headlines to learn about the latest ABI member news
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Upcoming Nonprofit Webinar Series |
Eide Bailly is hosting two free webinars focused on considerations for nonprofits in the areas of cybersecurity and data analytics. Click on the title to learn more and register.
Tuesday, July 27, 2021 | 1 – 2 p.m. CDT
Wednesday, August 25, 2021 | 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. CDT
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TOP SUPPORTERS - GOVERNOR |
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TOP SUPPORTERS - EXECUTIVE |
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3M
Agri-Industrial Plastics Co
Altria Client Services LLC
Amazon
Ames Convention & Visitors Bureau
Aspire Resources, Inc.
AT&T
Baker Group
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Bayer Crop Science
BKD, LLP
Casey’s General Stores, Inc.
Delta Dental of Iowa
Diamond Vogel Paint
Eide Bailly, LLP
Emerson
Graham Construction Company
Holmes, Murphy & Associates, Inc.
Hormel Foods Corporation
Iowa American Water Company
Iowa Soybean Association
Jackson Mfg., Inc.
JBS USA
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Lumen
LyondellBasell Industries
Magna International
Manatts Construction Company, Inc.
Meredith Corp
Musco Corporation
Nationwide
Northeast Iowa Community College
Northwest Bank
Pratum
RSM US LLP
Saxton
Storey Kenworthy Office Interiors & Products
Taylor Management Systems, Inc.
TrueNorth Companies LLC
Unite Private Networks
United Equipment Accessories, Inc.
Universal Printing Services
Upper Iowa University
Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Iowa
Whirlpool
Wilson Trailer Company
Winnebago Industries, Inc.
Woodruff Construction, LLC
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