BW INSIGHTS

2023 Iowa Legislative Session - Week 5 Summary

By BrownWinick | 02.13.2023

State funding for Iowa’s K-12 public schools was increased by 3 percent on Tuesday when Governor Kim Reynolds signed Senate File 192 into law. The Senate passed the bill last week with a 34-15 vote, and the House passed the bill on Tuesday morning with a 59-40 vote. With the new law, the state will see an increase of $222 per student, resulting in... Read More

2023 Iowa Legislative Session - Week 4 Summary

By BrownWinick | 02.08.2023

The Legislature continues to move tort reform through the chambers. House Study Bill 114 proposes to limit non-economic damages to $1 million in lawsuits involving commercial vehicles; along provisions addressing employer liability for hiring practices. The bill passed through the subcommittee on Monday, and the Senate’s version, Senate Study Bill... Read More

2023 Iowa Legislative Session - Week 3 Summary

By BrownWinick | 01.27.2023

The pace at the Capitol definitely picked up this week with many bills swiftly passing out of subcommittee and Committee. The first funnel is on March 3 and we typically see this pace closer to this first important deadline. This is in part a reflection of Leadership telling Committee Chairs to keep bills moving and so many new members anxious to... Read More

2023 Iowa Legislative Session - Week 2 Summary

By BrownWinick | 01.20.2023

The Governor’s priority education savings accounts bill took huge steps forward this week in both the House and Senate. On Tuesday, the House held a public hearing to allow both supporters and opponents of the bill to advocate on the bill. More than a hundred individuals signed up to speak for up to two minutes each. The bill, now House File 68... Read More

Three BrownWinick Attorneys Get Promoted to Members of the Firm

By BrownWinick | 01.03.2023

Recently, BrownWinick elevated three attorneys to the position of members at the firm. BrownWinick would like to congratulate Kirsten Johanson, Samantha Norris, and Jonathan Soike on this achievement and for their continued pursuit of client service. “Each of these three was selected for admission as members because of their commitment to the... Read More

Government Relations Update - 12-15-22

By BrownWinick | 12.19.2022

The Revenue Estimating Conference (“REC”) comprised of a three-member panel (Kraig Paulsen, David Underwood, and Jennifer Acton) met Wednesday (12.14.22) as part of their standard schedule of meetings to estimate future state revenues. A summary of the information discussed during the meeting is below, along with the attached spreadsheet... Read More

BrownWinick Hosts Second Wills for Veterans Event

By BrownWinick | 11.17.2022

In honor of Veterans Day, BrownWinick held its second “Wills for Veterans” event to benefit Iowa veterans. Several attorneys and staff partnered on this event to provide complimentary basic wills and powers of attorney documents for 30 Iowa veterans and their spouses. “These Veterans and their spouses have served our country with honor. Finding a... Read More

Government Relations Update - Iowa General Election Summary - 11-9-22

By BrownWinick | 11.15.2022

Iowa Republicans enjoyed a strong election night as they swept the federal races and nearly swept the statewide contests. U.S. Senator Charles Grassley was re-elected to his eighth term and all four GOP congressional candidates prevailed. Additionally, Governor Reynolds and Lt. Governor Adam Gregg handedly defeated Deidre DeJear and Eric Van... Read More

Government Relations Update - 2022 General Election - 11-02-22

By BrownWinick | 11.04.2022

As the 2022 general election is less than one week away, candidates across the state are making their final push for support. At the federal level, U.S. Senator Charles Grassley (R) is running for his eighth term in the U.S. Senate. He is being challenged by retired Navy Admiral Mike Franken (D). A recent Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll... Read More

BrownWinick Hosts Scale DSM Minority Business Accelerator Program

By BrownWinick | 10.10.2022

BrownWinick recently partnered with the Greater Des Moines Partnership to host a half-day seminar for individuals participating in the Partnership’s new Scale DSM Minority Business Accelerator. This event included presentations from BrownWinick attorneys Dani Smid on Navigating Employment Law Issues During an Economic Downturn, Nate Borland on... Read More