BW INSIGHTS

2025 Government Relations Legislative Update - Week Eight

By Matthew H. McKinney, R.G. Schwarm & Julie A. Smith | 03.10.2025

Capitol Update Week #8 was busy! The first major funnel of 2025 is behind us. There were 165 different subcommittees scheduled between Monday and Thursday. For comparison purposes, last year’s funnel week had 99 subcommittees. Last week (#7) 192 different subcommittees were scheduled. The BW team doesn’t attend ALL of those subcommittees, but does... Read More

2025 Government Relations Legislative Update - Week Seven

By Matthew H. McKinney, R.G. Schwarm & Julie A. Smith | 03.03.2025

Capitol Update The pace quickened this week at the Capitol. The first major funnel deadline is next Friday, March 7, the eighth week of session. March 7th is the date by which Senate bills must be voted out of Senate Committees and House bills must be voted out of House Committees. However, there are certain committees that are not subject to this... Read More

2025 Government Relations Legislative Update - Week Six

By Matthew H. McKinney, R.G. Schwarm & Julie A. Smith | 02.24.2025

Capitol Update A Good Week for Governor’s Bills. The Governor held a Press Conference on Tuesday to discuss her new health care policy proposals. The bills, HSB 191 and SSB 1163 follow up on the goals the Governor discussed in her Condition of the State Speech to address health care workforce shortages and scarcity of care in rural Iowa. The bill... Read More

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