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Today
is: March 26, 2009
Welcoming
New ABI
Members
- Embassy
Suites on the River
- Precision
Development
- The
Powers of Communication
- Iowa
Jobs for America's Graduates
- UBS
- Medo
Health Solutions, Inc.
- EnviroNET,
Inc.
- Montezuma
Manufacturing
- Smart
Solutions Group, Inc.
- TrueNorth
Companies, Inc.
- BASE
- First
National Bank Iowa
- Bankers
Trust Company
- Management
Development International,
Inc.
- Central
Lighting & Equipment
(C.L.E.)
- Hovda
& Assoc., Inc. -
InsideOutLeadership
Fairfield Line
Inc.
- Roquette
America Inc.
- Woodruff
Construction, LLC
- Princor
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June
9 - 11, 2009
2009
venue offers prime exposure for
exhibitors!
Each
space includes:
1 - 6 ft
table
1
waste basket
2
chairs
Exhibition
booth hours:
Wed.
June 10 8-4 p.m.
Thur.
June 11 8-3 p.m.
Reserve
your booth today
($1,500)
Haven't
registered to attend convention? Register
Now>>> |
9th
- Des Moines, Jasper Winery
April 17,
2009
"Flourishing In Tough
Times" by
Jane Applegate
12
- 3 p.m. | Cedar Rapids
No
Charge | Lunch included
HR
Hot Topics
-"Surviving
in the New Legislative
Landscape"
9
a.m. - Noon (lunch
included)
Registration
available
3.27.09
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Have you
ever taken a tour of the
Capitol?
No,
but I want to (33.3%) |
To
foster a favorable business, economic,
governmental and social climate within the State
of Iowa so that our citizens have the opportunity
to enjoy the highest possible quality of
life. |
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Legislative
News
House
Passes Lawsuit for "Loss of Enjoyment of
Life"
Representative Lance Horbach (R-Tama) got the
final word of opposition on HF
758 late Tuesday night with the statement,
"The banks got a stimulus package, the
automakers got a stimulus package, the states
got a stimulus package and now the trial
lawyers' have their stimulus package." Continue reading>>>
2nd
Annual ABI Day on the Hill A
Success
A
BIG thank you to ABI members who participated in
ABI Day on the Hill Tuesday. After an
issues update at the ABI Offices, members
ascended the Capitol to lobby individual
legislators on issues of importance to Iowa
business. Continue
reading>>>
Federal
Deductibility Elimination
Proposed
On
Thursday, Legislative leaders introduced a plan
that would eliminate the ability of Iowans to
deduct federal income taxes from their state
income tax returns. They would also lower
the top tax rates by 2% - a move they say will
make Iowa more competitive for economic
development projects because of our artificially
high income tax
rates.
The
Senate has approved SF413 which would pierce the
corporate veil for wage claims if enacted.
Under the bill, if an employer knowingly
fails to pay wages to an employee, the owner or
individual with controlling interest in the
company can be held personally liable. Under
current Iowa law, only the corporate entity can
be held
liable.
Governor
Signs Unemployment Insurance Modernization
Legislation
On
Wednesday, March 25, Governor Culver signed into
law SF197. ABI Board Chair
Charles Sukup, Sukup Manufacturing Co. in
Sheffield and ABI President Mike Ralston were
present for the bill-signing in the Capitol
rotunda. The legislation makes Iowa
eligible for $71 million of federal unemployment
funds. Continue
reading>>>
Subcommittee
Held on Local Tax Increase
Legislation
On
Thursday afternoon, a Senate subcommittee
considered SSB
1308 to allow local governments to impose a
number of local taxes with a portion of the new
revenue going to property tax relief. All
the measures would require voter approval to
implement. Included in the bill are: Continue
reading>>>
Near
Billion Dollar Budget
Shortfall
The Revenue Estimating Conference met last week
with bad news for Iowans. The REC
projected that an additional $130 million
shortfall exists in the current FY '09 budget
and lowered its FY '10 revenue estimate by an
additional $270 million. Continue
reading>>> |
Top
Tips -- Major Changes in Continuation of Health
Coverage are Effective March
1
The
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
(the "Stimulus Bill") signed into law on
February 17, 2009 includes the most significant
changes to COBRA continuation coverage since its
inception in 1985. The Stimulus Bill
provides a temporary subsidy for COBRA
premiums. In addition, the subsidy program
applies to continuation coverage under similar
state laws.
Therefore, Iowa
employers who are not required to comply with
COBRA because they have fewer than 20 employees
will still be subject to the subsidy provisions
if they offer group health insurance to their
employees.
A
summary of the key subsidy provisions of the
bill follows.
Amount.
Effective
Date.
New
Enrollment
Opportunity.
Payroll
Tax Credit.
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 From
the Desk of...Johnne
Syverson
 In
the past few years we have seen a greater number
of Iowa business owners thinking about their
need for Succession Planning. Once of
the puzzling elements in beginning this process
is to select a progressional Succssion Planning
team. Our experience has shown that
many business owners who have achieved a high
level of financial and business succeess
are much warmer, more sensitive, and more loyal
to business friends and strategic partners than
the general public wants to recognize. So,
for whatever reason(s), they tend to look for
advice from people who don't always have their
best intersts in mind. As an example...continue
reading>>>
To
learn more about the unique aspects of quality
Succession Planning, there is still time to
register for ABI's Succession Planning Workshop
to be held on Thursday, April 9th at the Jasper
Winery in Des Moines from 3:30 - 6:00 p.m.
The professionals presenting this workshop will
be: Donald Doudna, PhD and Johnne
Syverson, CFP® of Syverson Strege & Company;
William Brown, JD with Brown Winick; and Jeff
Bartling, CPA from LWBJ Financial, all of whom
are members of ABI's Advisory Council.
Register>>>
Did
you miss the Monday memo from ABI President,
Mike Ralston? Click
here
for this week's memo. |
ABI
Foundation: Annual Silent Auction
Items
 Once
again the ABI
Foundation
will be conducting a silent auction fundraiser
during the 2009 ABI
Convention
in Okoboji. This is the ABI Foundation's
marquee fundraising activity during the
year.
Items are being solicited for the
following categories: Electronics, Golf
packages, Backyard BBQ, Around the House, Gift
baskets, Sports tickets, Jewelry, and For the
Office. If you would like to donate an
item(s) valued at $100 or more, please contact
Wade Den
Hartog.
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