BW INSIGHTS

2021 Iowa Legislative Session - Week 14 Summary

By BrownWinick | 04.19.2021

Last Thursday Senate Republicans introduced one of the final major budget bills for the coming fiscal year. The Health and Human Services (HHS) appropriations bill, SSB 1267, sets funding levels for the Iowa Department of HHS, Department of Public Health, Iowa Finance Authority, Department of Veteran Affairs, Iowa Veterans Home, Department of... Read More

NLRB Acting General Counsel Calls for “Vigorous Enforcement” and Expansion of Employee Protections

By BrownWinick | 04.15.2021

On March 31, 2021, Peter Sung Ohr, the Acting General Counsel for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), issued a memorandum calling for the “vigorous enforcement” of employee protections under the National Labor Relations Act. The memorandum forecasts a significant shift in strategy for the NLRB’s policing of employee relations in union and... Read More

2021 Iowa Legislative Session - Week 13 Summary

By BrownWinick | 04.12.2021

Governor Kim Reynolds’ broadband expansion proposal is gaining ground in both chambers. Last Tuesday the Senate unanimously passed HF 848, which would establish a grant framework to rapidly extend broadband access to underserved rural areas. Two days later, House Republicans moved to fund the program, earmarking $100 million in their... Read More

2021 Iowa Legislative Session - Week 12 Summary

By BrownWinick | 04.05.2021

Last Friday marked the end of the second legislative funnel, clearing the way for lawmakers to focus primarily on budget issues for the remainder of the session. Most bills that didn’t pass either the House or Senate plus committee in the opposite chamber are now “dead” through the end of the session. The main exceptions are bills dealing with... Read More

2021 Iowa Legislative Session - Week 11 Summary

By BrownWinick | 03.26.2021

Lawmakers are once again stepping up committee work to beat the second legislative funnel deadline. Most bills that haven’t passed one chamber plus committee in the other by Friday, April 2 will be dead for the rest of the session. The main exceptions are tax, spending, and government oversight legislation. After that, the legislature will focus... Read More

Don’t Jump the Gun on COVID-19 Recovery: Employers and Business Owners Should Review OSHA Compliance

By Benjamin Merrill | 03.24.2021

In February, a U.S. House sub-committee launched an investigation into how major meat processors and OSHA responded to COVID-19. During the prior administration, OSHA issued only eight COVID-related citations. With a new administration in charge, we anticipate renewed energy and enforcement from OSHA in the coming year. Employers should make a... Read More

IWD Adopts New Rule in Response to COVID-19 and the Federal CARES Act

By Casey Alesch | 03.23.2021

Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) has adopted a new rule in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the federal CARES Act that requires employers to notify their employees of the availability of unemployment insurance upon separation or a reduction of hours. Prior to the emergency enactment of this new rule in August of 2020, Iowa employers were... Read More

2021 Iowa Legislative Session - Week 10 Summary

By BrownWinick | 03.19.2021

Following a surprise move by Democrats, the Senate unanimously passed a bill that would gradually eliminate Iowa’s inheritance tax and remove the required revenue benchmarks the state must reach before 2018 tax cuts take effect. Although Democrats initially opposed SF 576 in committee, they supported the measure on the floor, which passed 46-0... Read More

2021 Iowa Legislative Session – Week Nine Summary

By BrownWinick | 03.13.2021

Lawmakers are shifting their focus toward floor debate following last Friday's procedural deadline for most committee work. That includes the House overwhelmingly passing two bills aimed at increasing child care access across the state. HF 712 would offer developers tax credits for building child care facilities. Sixty percent of the funds would... Read More

2021 Iowa Legislative Session - Week Eight Summary

By BrownWinick | 03.08.2021

Lawmakers raced to advance dozens of bills in an effort to beat last Friday’s “first funnel” procedural deadline. Most bills that didn’t pass both subcommittee and full committee in either the House or Senate by March 5 are now “dead” for the remainder of this legislative session. The main exceptions are bills dealing with taxes, spending, and... Read More