Overwhelming Majority of IIPAC Candidates Won on Election Night |
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In a historic night for the business community, pro-jobs candidates won their races across the state, and pro-business majorities will lead both the Iowa House and Iowa Senate for the next two years. ABI's Iowa Industry Political Action Committee, IIPAC, had one of its most successful election cycles ever as 76 of 79 endorsed candidates won their races! 95% (19 out of 20) of Senate candidates won while 96% (57 out of 59) of House candidates won. The public policy team will also be working with several new members in the Legislature next year as there are 8 new faces in the Senate and 18 in the House.
In the House, Republicans added a net of 6 seats to their majority, which puts them at 59-41 going into 2021. On the Senate side, the GOP maintained their majority of 32-18. With Gov. Reynolds not up for re-election until 2022, Republicans will hold the trifecta for at least another 2 years. Given this, you can expect the GOP to offer bold legislative proposals in the 89th General Assembly.
Watch this video for an in-depth breakdown and analysis of 2020 election results from ABI's public policy team.
Iowa Voters – One for the Record Books
Congratulations to Iowa voters who have broken records for civic involvement by every measure. This year 94% of eligible voters were registered to vote. For the first time, all Iowa voters were sent absentee ballot requests this year and a record 1,001,840 voters voted absentee. With all counties reporting, more than 1,697,000 Iowans cast a vote in the election. At 76% voter participation, Iowa should rank in the top five states for voter participation.
Thanks to ABI member companies that have promoted this important civic duty through the voter registration, education and turnout tools provided at iavotes.com. Employers can and have played an important role in the engagement of their employees. Thanks for your efforts.
Governor Announces Earn and Learn Grant Awardees
On Tuesday, Gov. Reynolds declared that 46 awardees would receive funding from the Coronavirus Relief Fund Earn and Learn Grant totaling up to $5.85 million. The funding, which came through the CARES Act, will facilitate projects that expand training opportunities in high-demand occupations. Funding can be used for tuition, training, equipment, books, tools and more. Individual grants ranged from $10,000 to $250,000 and went to nonprofits, small businesses, post-secondary institutions, unions and adult training providers. The fund has been set up to help facilitate the goal of having 70% of Iowa’s workforce with education and training beyond high school by 2025. You can view those who received awards here.
DNR Air Quality Client Contact Meeting Coming Up Soon
In exactly two weeks, the Department of Natural Resources will host a stakeholder meeting concerning the air quality client contact bureau. The meeting will be held on Thursday, Nov. 19 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. The agenda includes EASY Air, Title V, Construction Permit, Dispersion Modeling, Planning/Rulemaking, and Compliance updates from DNR staff. There will also be an open discussion period. You can view the full meeting agenda.
Continuing Unemployment Claims and Trust Fund Payments Continue to Move Down
Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) announced there were 4,964 initial unemployment claims filed by individuals for the week of Oct. 25-31. Approximately $10.4 million was paid out of the state unemployment trust fund, which is about $900,000 less than the week prior. The number of continuing unemployment claims was 37,290, which is a decrease of 2,535 claims from last week. The top sectors that saw the most initial claims filed included manufacturing (1,227); construction (693); those not identified by industry including the self-employed, independent contractors, etc. (593); and health care and social assistance (441). IWD also reiterated that the work search requirement has been reinstated, which means most claimants seeking unemployment benefits must complete a minimum of two job contacts a week. There are currently 65,000 job openings at www.iowaworks.gov. Read IWD's news release.
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CCI Group
Conductix-Wampfler
Converse Conditioned Air
Des Moines Gaming Club
Northern Natural Gas Co.
Olsson
Quicken Loans
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Mike Ralston
President
ABI
At ABI, it's all about the members. As an organization, there are two groups of people that help make sure that focus is at the forefront of everything we do.
It starts at the top. The ABI Board of Directors is responsible for the success experienced by ABI in recent years. The board takes seriously its charge to lead ABI to growth and even greater impact. Over the past 15 years, I can't tell you how many times a board member has asked if a particular decision would mean better service for members. That question, or a variation, really guides the board.
The board is large—it is comprised of 62 Iowa business leaders from all over our state. (In addition, former chairs of ABI remain board members for life.) The board is diverse—it includes representatives of privately-held and publicly-held companies, of large and small businesses, of manufacturing companies and other types of businesses.
Even with its size and diverse perspectives, however, the board is united. It’s focused on advancing ABI members, serving business interests and growing economic opportunity for all Iowans.
The second group of individuals to which I referred to is the ABI staff. Our staff is comprised of some incredibly talented professionals.
At the request of members and at the direction of the board, while working on hundreds of things, the ABI staff stays focused on three primary program areas: 1) Public policy, 2) Member service and events and 3) The programs of the ABI Foundation.
As with any organization that is 117 years old, ABI changes with the times. That change is reflected in the way the three program areas above are administered. Our members demand, and the board directs, the change you see to increase the effectiveness of ABI.
What will never change at ABI is its focus on serving members and providing value to you for the investment you make in our organization every year. That’s because, at ABI, it's all about the members!
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Shive-Hattery Announces New President and Expansion Into New Markets |
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Shive-Hattery, a leading architecture, engineering and interior design firm, announced the election of Jennifer Bennett as president and expansion into the Madison, Wisconsin and Omaha, Nebraska markets. Bennett has served as executive vice president since March 2020 and has succeeded Jim Lee as president. Lee has served as president since 2012. Read the full news release.
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Professional Prospecting Seminar is Nov. 10
Are your salespeople failing at prospecting? Are you frustrated by time and resources wasted on unqualified prospects? Mastering systems and processes for prospecting will bring you consistent and long-term success. Learn how at a live and virtual Professional Prospecting Seminar, Nov. 10, 12:30-4:30 p.m., hosted by Sandler Training, Iowa/Nebraska. The seminar will be facilitated by Karl Schaphorst, CEO of Sandler Training, Iowa/Nebraska. Register now.
Sun Shines Bright in Alliant Energy’s Iowa Clean Energy Blueprint
Last week Alliant Energy introduced the Clean Energy Blueprint for Iowa, a path for accelerating its transition to cleaner energy for customers. The blueprint outlines the company’s plans to increase the use of renewable resources, including solar power, add more battery storage and build out the connected energy network. The company’s new roadmap also includes plans to discontinue coal generation in Lansing by the end of 2022 while transitioning its Burlington Generating Station to natural gas in 2021. Read the full news release.
Resources Available to Create Safe, Healthy and Productive Workforce
ABI is partnering with the Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest to provide you with helpful resources for creating a safe, healthy and productive workforce. Here are some timely topics that may interest you:
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