Engaging Manufacturers and Manufacturing Employees in Public Policy

This edition of Business Record Iowa comes just one week ahead of the September ABI Board of Directors meeting. This meeting is the first for new board members, but the last step in the ABI policy development process. The board has the responsibility to approve the 2023 policy positions and priorities for the association. This year, when you include all members of the ABI Board of Directors, hundreds of employees of member companies have participated at some stage in the policy development process. This reflects strong participation by the ABI membership and includes a crosssection of members from every industry.

When we look back at the ABI policies and priorities prepared for both the 2022 Iowa Legislative Session and even years prior, the main concerns have been around workforce and taxes. Whether its child care, workforce housing, the reduction or elimination of corporate, unemployment or retirement income taxes, ABI has been at the forefront of those efforts.

ABI is also on the front lines when legislative and regulatory proposals threaten certainty and stability for employers and employees. We spend a lot of time educating legislators and regulators about the impact of certain proposals. And, thanks to the support and expertise of members, we have had success in providing certainty for employers.

One key piece to a pro-jobs environment is an engaged electorate. Iowa has some of the highest rates of voter participation in the country as 76 percent of registered voters participated in the 2020 election. But we can do even better, especially in off-year elections and when there isn’t a national candidate on the ballot. To vote, you need to be registered. This year, as in past years, ABI is participating in Employee Voter Registration Week. The goal is to increase the number of registered eligible private sector voters across the country. The initiative does not tell employees how to vote or who to vote for; instead, it provides information to help employers encourage voter registration. In a BIPAC survey, 96% of employee respondents from a company with a sustained engagement program voted early or on Election Day.

I hope you will encourage your employees to get registered to vote or update their voter registration during Employee Voter Registration Week 2022, September 26 – 30. If you don’t have something planned yet, it’s not too late. You can find more information and resources online at www.employeesvote.com, or you can contact me with questions at jddavis@iowaabi.org. With more employers participating, we can ensure more individuals are voting in the elections, whether it’s for the local school board, Iowa  Legislature, Congress or the Presidency