BW INSIGHTS

What is the Manufacturing 4.0 Technology Investment Program?

The Iowa Economic Development Authority and Gov. Reynolds announced that an additional $2,000,000 of the funds provided by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) have been invested in the Manufacturing 4.0 Technology Investment Program. The program is intended to help small- and mid-size Iowa manufacturers invest in the adoption and integration of... Read More

2023 Iowa Legislative Session - Week 5 Summary

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

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

The Supplemental Register - What is it? How is the Supplemental Register Different than the Principal Register?

Wait! What? There are different kinds of federal trademark registers? The answer is Yes. There are two types of federal trademark registers – The “Principal Register” and the “Supplemental Register.” In this blog I hope to provide some insight on the differences between trademarks registered on the Principal Register and the Supplemental Register.... Read More

2023 Iowa Legislative Session - Week 3 Summary

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

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

Don't Be in the Wrong: How to Avoid Copyright Infringement

If you have ever been on either the sending or receiving end of a Cease-and-Desist Letter or a Copyright Infringement Notice, you know that it is not a pleasant feeling in either instance. Copyright issues pop up every day in our Internet driven lives and knowing the copyright basics can ensure that you stay on the right side of the law when... Read More

Three BrownWinick Attorneys Get Promoted to Members of the Firm

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

Affordable Care Act Deadline Extension

On December 15, 2022, the Internal Revenue Service issued final regulations extending deadlines for providing certain information statements under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The extension applies to Forms 1095-C, filed and issued by applicable large employers (ALEs), who are subject to the ACA Employer Mandate. The extension also applies to... Read More

Government Relations Update - 12-15-22

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