Marion, IA – Marion Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO) released the Marion Community Index for the first quarter of 2024. The report is informed by a business survey that allows MEDCO to measure the health, challenges, optimism, and opportunities of the organization’s business partners. Thirty-five companies participated in Q1 2024, a 17

We're quickly approaching the end of the 2024 Legislative Session, with only days left until the scheduled conclusion on April 16th, the 100th Session Day. Come that day, legislators will lose both their per diems and their clerks. Despite the unlikelihood of wrapping up on Tuesday, there's considerable pressure to expedite proceedings, which gives us a

We’ve passed March 15th! March 15th was a big day for the 2024 Legislative Session with four deadlines converging on this single day. Those include: First, The End of the Second Funnel – All policy bills needed to be approved by a committee in the chamber opposite from where it was introduced in order to stay alive. Tax and spending bills are

The Business Voice Call program (formerly referred to as Business Retention and Expansion program) included 105 in-person visits from January 2023 to December 2023. Interviews were completed with over 200 individuals representing local employers and entrepreneurs working in our local communities. The graphs in this document show the percentage of

Welcome to the second half of the 2024 regular session of the Iowa General Assembly! Monday, March 4th will mark Session Day 57. We continue to inch closer to that April 16th 100th day of the session when per diems expire for the year. The Iowa Legislature wrapped up its 8th week of session, having debated a combined 162 bills over the past two weeks.

Monday, February 19th will mark Session Day 43, almost halfway to the end of the 100-day scheduled session. First Funnel Arrives On Friday, February 16th, we reached the first legislative funnel deadline. The funnels are procedural mechanisms employed by the Iowa Legislature to winnow away policy bills that are not showing forward progress. Policy bills

Content provided by Professional Developers of Iowa Lobbyist, Craig Patterson The session began January 8th and is scheduled to last 100 days. Every session’s first day starts with speeches from the leaders in both chambers. The first week is typically filled with largely ceremonial activities, including speeches from the Governor, the Chief Justice,

Marion Economic Development Corporation and its Board of Directors believe our K-12 education system plays a vital role in equipping the next generation of community leaders to be future ready. Strategic capital investments in school facilities are essential to supporting that mission. On March 5, 2024, voters in both the Marion Independent School