A couple of major events are on my mind this month; The Iowa Biotech Showcase and Conference (IBSC) just wrapped, and despite inclement weather (ok a full-on blizzard) we managed to have an excellent event, with only a few changes to navigate on the fly. Thank you to everyone who planned, sponsored, pitched, spoke, attended or otherwise contributed their time, talents, or resources to make this a strong event for our membership. IBSC continues to be a valuable annual gathering of our biotech ecosystem.

The same week as our successful conference, we navigated the legislative First Funnel deadline, when most policy bills must be out of a committee in one chamber to remain alive. This is a very busy time, and a lot was on the line for our members in terms of legislation that was being considered. IowaBio worked hard to keep detrimental vaccine and animal research restriction bills from passing the funnel. Several of those bills we strongly opposed are now dead. We will continue to bring our members’ priorities and messaging to the capitol as the session progresses. For more in-depth updates on IowaBio’s legislative activities, sign up for our legislative newsletter or attend our Legislative Update calls.