BW INSIGHTS

Breaking: CTA is Back Again; Deadline Extended to March 21, 2025

By Brennan R. Block & Ellen M. Hames | 02.20.2025

As of February 18, 2025, all nationwide preliminary injunctions prohibiting the U.S. government’s enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) have been stayed. According to a notice issued by FinCEN (available here), FinCEN is providing entities who refrained from filing a CTA-mandated beneficial ownership report an extension until March... Read More

Iowa - Cookies & Similar Technologies

By Lee D. Henderson & Katelyn N. Larossa | 02.18.2025

1. Governing Texts 1.1 Legislation The Private Right of Action for Consumer Frauds Act, enacted in 2009 and found in §714H of Title XVI of the Iowa Code, provides a private right of action to consumers who have an ascertainable loss resulting from an unfair practice, deception, fraud, false pretense, or false promise, or the misrepresentation,... Read More

2025 Government Relations Legislative Update - Week Five

By Matthew H. McKinney, R.G. Schwarm & Julie A. Smith | 02.17.2025

Capitol Update New This Week. Newly elected Democratic Senator Mike Zimmer took the Oath of Office this past Monday. Zimmer was elected to fill the Senate seat previously held by Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer. In addition, Governor Reynolds set March 11th as the Special Election date to fill House District 100, a seat vacated by the sudden... Read More

2025 Government Relations Legislative Update - Week Four

By Matthew H. McKinney, R.G. Schwarm & Julie A. Smith | 02.10.2025

New This Week. Week 3 (last week) ended on a sad note with the sudden passing of Representative Martin Graber (R) on Friday, January 31st. The House didn’t gather in Des Moines on Tuesday of week 4 so that members could attend Representative Graber’s funeral. Graber, from Fort Madison, represented House District 100. He was first elected to serve... Read More

2025 Government Relations Legislative Update - Week Three

By Matthew H. McKinney, R.G. Schwarm & Julie A. Smith | 02.03.2025

Capitol Update New This Week. After Tuesday’s special election, a new State Senator will take the oath of office in Des Moines. Democrat Mike Zimmer, the Central DeWitt School Board president, won the seat for Senate District 35 in eastern Iowa. The district includes Clinton County and parts of Jackson and Scott Counties. Zimmer succeeds in the... Read More

Trump Removes NLRB General Counsel and Fires Acting Democrat Chair

By Danielle Smid | 01.28.2025

President Trump fired acting chair of the National Labor Relations Board, Democrat Gwynne Wilcox Monday night. Additionally, he removed General Counsel of the Board, Jennifer Abruzzo, who had become a strong advocate for unionization. The general counsel of the Board has sweeping authority to determine what types of cases are prosecuted by the... Read More

2025 Government Relations Legislative Update - Week Two

By Matthew H. McKinney, R.G. Schwarm & Julie A. Smith | 01.27.2025

Capitol Update Monday was a very busy day in D.C. with the inauguration of our 47th President, Donald J. Trump (and former 45th President). It was also Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and celebrations honoring Dr. King were held in Iowa and around the country. Hands-Free Legislation Passes First Subcommittee. Both the Senate and House are considering... Read More

2025 Government Relations Legislative Update - Week One

By Matthew H. McKinney, R.G. Schwarm & Julie A. Smith | 01.21.2025

First Day. The first day of the 91st General Assembly began on Monday, January 13, 2025. The State Constitution directs that session be held annually commencing on the second Monday of January and the Iowa Code directs that the general Assembly convene at 10:00 a.m. It was an exciting day for the newly-elected and reelected legislators who took... Read More

Supreme Court Clarifies Burden of Proof for FLSA Exemptions, Rejecting Heightened Evidence Standard

By Danielle Smid | 01.15.2025

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) exemptions do not call for heightened evidence standards. The appeal from a decision by the US. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, in which a three-member circuit panel held that employers must meet a “clear and convincing” standard to establish that an... Read More

Workplace Illnesses Exposure & Workers’ Compensation: A Key Iowa Case for Employers

By Benjamin Merrill | 01.03.2025

As workplaces navigated the challenges of COVID-19, a critical question emerged: when is a workplace liable for employees contracting the virus? Iowa's workers’ compensation system addressed this question head-on. A recent Iowa Court of Appeals case affirmed the Commissioner’s original decision that proving a workplace connection to COVID-19... Read More