BW Insights (39)

2020 Legislative Session – Week 5

By BrownWinick | 02.17.2020

Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill last Thursday authorizing $21 million for ongoing flood relief in western Iowa. The Senate bill, SF 2144 initially called for $20 million in spending. But the House amended the measure, adding another $1 million. Both chambers unanimously passed the increased funding. Rep. David Sieck (R-Glenwood) said the... Read More

2020 Legislative Session - Week 4

By BrownWinick | 02.17.2020

Flood relief funding was a major focus for the Senate last week, with the full chamber passing a $20 million appropriation to fund those efforts. Damage estimates from last spring’s Missouri River floods range from $1.5 billion to $2 billion. Sen. Mark Costello’s (R-Imogene) district includes some of the flooded area. In a floor speech, he said... Read More

New Form I-9 Released

By BrownWinick | 02.03.2020

USCIS recently announced that a new version of the Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) with a version date of 10/21/2019 is available for use beginning 1/31/2020. Employers may use the prior version of the form bearing a version date of 07/17/2017 until 4/30/2020. After 4/30/2020, the prior version of the form will no longer be valid,... Read More

2020 Legislative Session - Week 3

By BrownWinick | 01.31.2020

House and Senate Republicans introduced their school funding proposals for the coming year. The House bill, HSB 587 would allocate $100 million for K-12 education—a 2.5% increase from last year. That’s slightly below the $103 million Governor Kim Reynolds called for in her Condition of the State address. The Senate measure, SSB 3096, would... Read More

Estate Planning Considerations for the New Year

By Robert Hodges | 01.24.2020

It's a new year and a new decade. It's the right time to review and update your estate plan. BrownWinick’s Estate Planning Group has three key goals — to ensure our clients and their families: are protected during life (powers of attorney); have a plan for minor children (guardians); and transfer assets in an efficient and organized manner (wills... Read More

2020 Legislative Session - Week 2

By BrownWinick | 01.24.2020

With subcommittee and committee work underway, moves to regulate vaping products are gaining steam on both sides of the aisle. In response to a new federal law raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21 years old, Iowa lawmakers are working toward codifying the change at the state level. Senate State Government... Read More

The U.S. Department of Labor Issues Guidance on Joint Employer Rule

By BrownWinick | 01.21.2020

The U.S. Department of Labor issued some much-needed guidance regarding the application of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act’s Joint Employer rule. The rule becomes effective on March 16, 2020. In the joint employer scenario where another person is benefitting from the employee's work, the Department is adopting a four-factor balancing test... Read More

2020 Legislative Session-Week 1

By BrownWinick | 01.17.2020

The first week of the 2020 Iowa legislative sessionstarted Monday with the swearing-in of a new House Republican leadership team. Rep. Pat Grassley (R-New Hartford) was officially named Speaker of the House, while Rep. Matt Windschitl (R-Missouri Valley) was sworn in as Majority Leader. Grassley listed workforce-related issues as his top concerns,... Read More

Waterloo Bans the Box - Other Employers Need to Think Outside It

By BrownWinick | 12.20.2019

On a final vote on November 4, 2019, the Waterloo City Council narrowly passed a city ordinance intended to help people with criminal histories find jobs by reducing the effect of the stigma of an arrest or conviction. The “Fair Chance Initiative” goes into effect on July 1, 2020. These types of measures, commonly called “ban the box” initiatives,... Read More

Another Final Rule from the DOL Regarding the FLSA - Effective January 15, 2020