Adjourning the Legislature - Monday Memo 4/26/21
April 26, 2021
Will the General Assembly Adjourn this Week? No.
At this time of the year, ABI members ask about the work of the Iowa General Assembly and when it will adjourn. Though it is scheduled to adjourn this week, it will not.
Editor’s Note: When I wrote that heading and first paragraph yesterday afternoon, I was pretty confident. When I woke up and checked Twitter this morning, I saw a post by a legislator who said there WAS an agreement on the budget that had been developed over the weekend. I hope that is true and that what I wrote yesterday is wrong. For now, I’ll stick with I wrote above, however.
As you read in the most recent edition of the ABI newsletter, there has been no agreement related to the state budget. Until that happens, the legislature will not adjourn. The good news is that ABI’s public policy team of JD Davis and Brad Hartkopf has been doing its usual terrific work. Significant bills related to broadband development, child care, housing, and many other business-related issues have been passed. We’ll continue to work on unemployment insurance until the end of session and expect to count that among ABI’s successes when all is said and done.
Thank you to JD and Brad, and to all of you, for your support during the session and for your work with legislators throughout the year.
Next ABI Legislative Update, Regional Public Policy Meetings Set
As you know, during the Iowa legislative session, ABI hosts bi-weekly legislative updates via Zoom. The next edition of the updates will take place a week from Friday, on May 7. Watch for more information soon.
Related to that, ABI has established dates for the annual regional public policy meetings. The meetings will take place by Zoom on May 12, 18, and 19, assuming the legislature adjourns by then. Click here and scroll down for more information and to register: https://www.iowaabi.org/events/.
ABI Board Meeting May 13 at Embassy Suites in Des Moines
ABI Chair Steven Bradford (HNI Corporation, Muscatine) and the ABI Board of Directors will meet on Wednesday, May 13. The meeting will begin with lunch at 11:30 a.m. at the Embassy Suites on the River Hotel (just blocks from the ABI office in Des Moines’ East Village.
Look for your usual packet of meeting materials to arrive in your email in-basket about a week before the meeting. This will be the final meeting of the board prior to the annual conference and it is hoped it will come after adjournment of the 2021 Iowa Legislative Session, so I hope you can attend. If you haven’t already done so, please reply with your participation plans. Thank you.
Nominating Committee Meets Next Week
As Immediate Past Chair of ABI, Cindy Dietz (Collins Aerospace, Cedar Rapids) also serves as Chair of the 2021 ABI Nominating Committee. The committee will meet a week from Wednesday, on May 5th.
The committee includes representatives of each of ABI’s five Iowa districts. Thank you to Cindy and to these other ABI leaders for serving on the association's 2021 Nominating Committee: Andy Bramstedt (SSAB, Muscatine), Tim Conlon (Conlon Construction, Dubuque), Michele Farrell (Measured Intentions, Urbandale), Connor Deering (CemenTech, Indianola), and Molly Varangkounh (Hy-Capacity, Humboldt).
If you wish to nominate someone for board service (and self-nominations are welcomed and encouraged), please contact one of the committee members or me. ABI members will vote on the slate of nominees at the annual conference in June.
Take Annual ABI CEO Survey Now
It is time for ABI’s Annual CEO Survey. ABI surveys member CEOs regarding issues important to them and their businesses. The survey is available now and your participation is encouraged and desired. It will take no more than 5 to 10 minutes and your input is appreciated.
If you haven’t yet completed the survey and need the link to do so, please reply to this memorandum and I’ll get it to you at once. Read the June Business Record Iowa for results.
Don’t Miss ABI’s 2021 Taking Care of Business Conference
Finalize your plans now to attend the annual conference, which will be held June 8-10 in Coralville/Iowa City. Only a little over a hundred spots remain, as the conference must observe a one-time cap on attendees. You don’t want to wait to register for this terrific event! On behalf of ABI Chair Steven Bradford (HNI Corporation, Muscatine) and conference Committee Chair Janice Konchar (Allsteel, Cedar Rapids), thank you in advance for your attendance.
Use this link to register, find hotel information, review the jam-packed agenda, and more: https://web.cvent.com/event/18a9fddc-ffbe-43b5-8d37-7ce44f411fd1/summary. I look forward to seeing you in Coralville/Iowa City in June.
Maximize your ABI Membership Event Tomorrow
At ABI, we are focused on value for members. If you have ever wondered how you can get even more value out of your ABI membership investment, we have an event for you.
ABI is hosting in a series of even designed to maximize your ABI Membership. The first in the series will be held tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. It will be presented virtually for your convenience. Find more information and register by clicking on this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrduuprD4pH9d_TuCwaYLAT8tbZCrDGomw.
Special thanks to ABI Executive Vice President Nicole Crain, who developed this program.
Mark Your Calendars for ABI Executive Open
One of ABI's most popular events each year is the annual Executive Open. This year's open will again be played at one of Iowa's truly fabulous private courses, Des Moines Golf and Country Club (http://www.dmgcc.org/). If you are not a member, it can be difficult to get the opportunity to play it. Well, here's your chance.
Assuming public health conditions are such that it is possible, registration will soon be open for this event, which will be held on August 30. For now, please save the date on your calendar. This event sells out every year, so make your plans now and look for registration information in an upcoming edition of this memorandum.
Foundation Program Nominations, Elevate Scholarship Nominations All Due by May 1
As you have read in previous editions of this memorandum, now is an important time for programs of the ABI Foundation. Foundation programs such as Leadership Iowa, Leadership Iowa University, and Business Horizons are all accepting nominations for participants in the next session of each program. And, ABI’s Elevate Advanced Manufacturing initiative is accepting nominations for its annual community college scholarships.
To nominate worthy individuals for the programs, please go here: https://www.iowaabi.org/abi-foundation/about/. To nominate students for a scholarship, please go here: https://www.elevateiowa.com/about/elevate-scholarship-program. Thank you for your nominations!
NAM Report: All Arrows Up for Manufacturing
The National Association of Manufacturers’Monday Economic Report documents further positive data points in its latest edition. Data points for U.S. manufacturing and manufacturing in other parts of the globe are all trending upward. Consumer confidence and consumer spending are up significantly over last year. Manufacturing production rose from last month. And other metrics, too, are on the rise. Good news. As always, reply to this memorandum if you wish to read the report for yourself and I’ll get it to you at once.
Sukup Manufacturing Makes Another Acquisition
Longtime ABI member Sukup Manufacturing Co. was in the news again last week. The company made another acquisition, this time acquiring certain assets of Global Fabrication in Hampton. You can read about the acquisition here: Sukup Acquiring Assets of Global Fabrication - Sukup. This is a big deal and as Sukup President and CEO Steve Sukup (Sukup Manufacturing Co., Sheffield) noted, this is the SECOND big acquisition the company has made in 2021! Congratulations to Steve, to his brother company, Sukup Chairman and former ABI Chair Charles Sukup (Sukup Manufacturing Co., Sheffield), and everyone at the company!