Stay Informed, Give Input on Government with ABI

Regional Meetings

Every year, post-legislative session, ABI plans regional meetings to discuss both what happened during the legislative session and what is on the minds of ABI members as they look forward to the next year. Grassroots participation by our members drives our policies. Please plan to participate in one of these meetings held around the state, and give your input on the direction in which ABI should move. To sign up for a regional meeting, visit www.iowaabi.org and go to the “Events” page. We look forward to seeing you there!

Elections

In addition to a wrap-up of the 2018 session, ABI’s policy team will provide members with a preview of the general election in November. With many retirements of pro-business legislators and an uncertain political atmosphere, it is critical that we work hard to elect legislators committed to sustaining a favorable business climate in Iowa.

Primaries are June 5, and many races have multiple candidates from the same party vying for a place on the ballot. Notable primaries include the Democratic ticket for governor, the secretary of agriculture, three of Iowa’s four congressional districts and several key legislative seats. ABI will track these races and inform you who makes the ballot.

Between now and November, representatives from ABI and other Iowa organizations will interview candidates about important business issues and review incumbents’ voting records as we prepare to endorse candidates ahead of the Nov. 6 election.

Rulemaking

We have written about ABI’s work on rulemaking and the important impact rules can have on Iowa businesses. That is why ABI’s policy team closely monitors rulemaking that relates to issues important to business. Each month the Administrative Rules Review Committee (ARRC), made up of legislators assigned by their caucuses to this permanent statutory committee, meets to hear agencies present their proposed rules and to hear from members of the public who would like to make comments on those rules.

Just like with legislation, we have a chance to weigh in on how a rule is crafted and let legislators, regulators and the governor’s office know what impact rules have on businesses. Rulemaking work goes on year-round, in contrast to the legislative session, which continues for only several months of the year. Each month, ABI’s policy team reviews and comments on any rules that are positive, negative or could need changes or clarifications from the business perspective. Recently, ABI has been particularly active on Iowa Workforce Development rules because IWD has been systematically reviewing and moving forward a significant number of rule changes.