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What you should know about the 2017 Iowa legislature

January 11, 2017

The dust has finally settled (kind of) after historical elections across the country surprised the masses. The most surprising result for many was the win of President-elect Donald Trump. Many in Iowa, however, were surprised that same evening over Republicans gaining control over the Senate, and the defeat of former Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, a Democrat who served in the Senate since 1985.

The Iowa legislative landscape has shifted, and it is critical for the startup community to understand the implications and effects these changes will have.

Prior to the 2016 elections, Iowa had a split legislature (meaning the Democrats controlled the Senate and the Republicans controlled the House of Representatives) since the 2010 election. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Iowa was one of eight states in 2016 to have a split legislature.

For the past six years, the split legislature structured how business was conducted under the golden dome. It required unlikely coalitions and alliances on issues in order to get any legislation through both chambers and on to the governor. Now, the Senate, House of Representatives and the Office of the Governor are controlled by the same party.

Once the landscape changes, so do the way things work in the General Assembly. Things will likely move faster than they have in recent years, as there are many priorities that were stifled for Republicans while the Senate was controlled by the Democrats. Ultimately, Senate leadership refused to consider legislation passed from the House until the legislation missed deadlines for consideration or died upon adjournment. Don’t be surprised if this same strategy is used in the 2017 session, and don’t forget that it is used by both parties.

Senate leadership also announced that they will be eliminating the Economic Growth Committee, as they believe every committee is charged with economic growth in Iowa. Historically, many of the legislative priorities in the technology and startup community fell under the jurisdiction of the Economic Growth Committee. The House of Representatives is keeping their Economic Growth Committee, which means if legislation originates in the House, it will now likely go through the Commerce Committee in the Senate.

Key Players to Know

Here are the elected officials who lead each chamber and the committees that will likely have jurisdiction over legislation relating to technology and startups:

House Leadership:

Rep. Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake (Speaker of the House)
Rep. Chris Hagenow, R-Windsor Heights (Majority Leader)
Rep. Mark Smith, D-Marshalltown (Minority Leader)

House Economic Growth Committee:

Rep. Mary Ann Hanusa, R-Council Bluffs (Chair)
Rep. Shannon Lundgren, R-Peosta (Vice-Chair)
Rep. Mary Gaskill, D-Ottumwa (Ranking Member)

Senate Leadership:

Sen. Jack Whitver, R-Windsor Heights (President of the Senate)
Sen. Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock (Majority Leader)
Sen. Robert Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids (Minority Leader)

Senate Commerce:

Sen. Bill Anderson, R-Pierson (Chair)
Sen. Michael Breitbach, R-Strawberry Point (Vice-Chair)
Sen. Janet Peterson, D-Des Moines (Ranking Member)

This list includes members that hold the most power over moving legislation in these certain jurisdictions, however, it doesn’t mean that other House and Senate members don’t have interest in these issues. Senators and representatives give more weight to constituent concerns over lobbyists any day. Let this be an encouragement to use the experience and insights gained from working in the startup community to impact change in Iowa.

To find your legislator:

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/find

Committee Assignments:

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/committees

Susan Gentz is the deputy executive director for the Center for Digital Education and a contributing writer for Clay & Milk.

What you should know about the 2017 Iowa legislature | Clay & Milk
A central Iowa ag-tech accelerator has secured more backers and finally has a name. The Greater Des Moines Partnership first announced the accelerator last year, naming four initial investors. On Monday, the Partnership said the program will be called the "Iowa AgriTech Accelerator" and named three new investors. The new investors include Grinnell Mutual, Kent Corp. and Sukup Manufacturing, all Iowa companies. They join investors Deere & Co., Peoples Co., Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Co. and DuPont Pioneer. Each investor has agreed to put up $100,000 for the first year of the accelerator. Startups entering the program will receive $40,000 in seed funding in exchange for 6 percent equity. Tej Dhawan, an angel investor and local startup mentor, is serving as interim director until the AgriTech Accelerator names a permanent leader. Dhawan held a similar role with the GIA before Brian Hemesath was named as managing director. As interim director, Dhawan said his main job includes hiring the accelerator's executive director, establishing a business structure and initial recruiting for the first cohort. The accelerator will place few filters, such as location and product, on the applicant pool, Dhawan said. "When you’re seeking innovation, innovation can come from every corner of the world so why restrict ourselves," he said. One area the the AgriTech Accelerator won't recruit from is biotech. For its first cohort, the AgriTech Accelerator will work out of the GIA's space in Des Moines' East Village, Dhawan said. A future, permanent home is still to be decided. The accelerator's program will host startups from mid-July through mid-October, ending with an event connected to the annual World Food Prize. The GIA, which the AgriTech Accelerator is based on, also ends with presentations at an industry event. The accelerator has also started lining up a mentor pool. The Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Pork Producers Association have agreed to provide mentors, as has Iowa State University. While the AgriTech Accelerator is loosely based off of the GIA, it will differ in its business structure, Dhawan said. The GIA runs through a for-profit model for both operations and its investment fund. The AgriTech Accelerator will have a nonprofit model for its operations and a for-profit setup for its fund. Dhawan said the nonprofit model is being used so the accelerator can better work with other nonprofit partners, such as trade associations. "These are all organizations that are nonprofits and can be amazing stakeholders without ever having to be investors in the accelerator," he said. "It becomes easier to work with trade associations in their nonprofit role when we are also a nonprofit." When it's up and running, the AgriTech Accelerator would be one of a handful of ag-focused startup development programs in Iowa. Others include the Ag Startup Engine out of Iowa State University and the Rural Ventures Alliance from Iowa MicroLoan. Matthew Patane is the managing editor and co-founder of Clay & Milk. Send him an email at mpatane@clayandmilk.com.
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