ABI Public Policy Priorities – Get Up to Speed, and Stay Up to Speed

Public officials in Iowa are listening to ABI members. By the second day of the 2023 Session, leaders of the Iowa House, Iowa Senate and Governor Reynolds had highlighted all four ABI priorities as shared goals. The ABI Board of Directors has established workforce, tort reform, property tax reduction and reform, and regulatory reform as ABI’s 2023 Legislative Priorities. Here’s an update on what’s happening with those priorities at the Capitol:

Workforce — Childcare, Housing, and Worker Education and Training 

To reduce overhead costs for childcare providers, Governor Reynolds proposes lowering the property tax for all childcare facilities to the residential rate, with a goal of making providing childcare more profitable.

To reduce locally incurred costs of building residential housing stock, the Senate is considering legislation to prohibit local ordinances from adding construction costs.

And, to meet the need for college educated workers in high demand vocations, the House is moving a bill that will provide tuition assistance to students at Iowa Regents institutions who are pursuing needed course work. The students would be paid again when they accept and hold a job in their field in Iowa.

Property Tax Reduction and Reform

Both the Iowa House and Senate have introduced property tax reform bills. Both chambers have identified this issue as a priority for 2023.

Tort Reform

The ABI Board of Directors has prioritized tort reform and recommends capping civil liability for non-economic damages. During her Condition of the State Address, Governor Reynolds called upon the legislature to pass tort reform to protect rural health care. House and Senate leaders share the priority and look to take early action on tort reform.

Regulatory Reform

Governor Reynolds has called for wholesale reorganization and modernization of state government, a task not undertaken since 1986. She seeks to reduce her cabinet from 37 to 16 department heads. Reynolds also signed an executive order to review all 20,000 pages of Iowa’s administrative rules and place a moratorium on any new rulemaking.

These are exciting times to advance the priorities of ABI with the leadership of our Board of Directors and strong leadership at the statehouse.

ABI members will want to stay up to date on the progress of ABI’s priorities by signing up for the biweekly Friday morning legislative updates. Please contact Michelle Vollstedt (mvollstedt@iowaabi.org) to do so.

To hear directly from our legislative leaders and the Governor, don’t miss Business Day in Des Moines on March 7. For more information, or to register, go to: www.iowaabi.org/events.