The Revenue Estimating Conference (REC), which is tasked with estimating revenue for the State of Iowa, met last week and continued to project healthy revenues for both Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023. “Six and a half months from now, there’s going to be a pretty significant ending balance and so I think the General Assembly and the governor are in […]
Today is the start of a busy week. Whether you’re spending this week at the office, on the road, or hosting family and friends at your place, we hope you will be able to enjoy the Christmas holiday. Since you might be getting pulled in a lot of directions, we’ll keep our takes short and to the point today. But […]
By John Hendrickson, Policy Director for ITR Foundation, and James Broughel, Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University Governor Kim Reynolds and the Republican-led legislature have enacted prudent budgets and lowered tax rates in recent years. Iowa’s economy is in a better position because of these sound fiscal policies. But eliminating burdensome regulations that hinder […]
The Tax Foundation has released the 2022 State Business Tax Climate Index today and for the second year in a row, Iowa has moved up two spots. Out of all 50 states, Iowa is now ranked 38 after landing at 42 in 2020’s rankings. As a result of the comprehensive tax reform law in 2018 and other recent reforms, Iowa’s […]
By John Hendrickson, Policy Director for ITR Foundation, and Dean Stansel, Ph.D., Economist at the Bridwell Institute in the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University A major trend from the Census is the growing number of individuals who are voting with their feet against bad economic policies. States with high tax and regulatory burdens such as California, […]
Iowa is going to have 1.8 billion reasons for tax relief and President Biden might end up planting a kiss on Senator Joe Manchin. Keep reading to learn why… Did you know the state of Iowa has a fund called the Taxpayer Relief Fund? It’s true, that’s the actual name. While we are fans of almost everything with “tax relief” […]
Did you know the state of Iowa has a fund called the Taxpayer Relief Fund? It’s true, that’s the actual name. While we are fans of almost everything with “tax relief” in its name, that’s not even the best part. Right now, that Fund has a balance of $1.1 billion. But it gets better: by the end of the […]
ITR Foundation Deputy Director Walt Rogers recently interviewed Dr. Ernie Goss, a professor of economics at Creighton University Heider College of Business. They covered many topics facing our economy today. Among them were: Supply chain: We do a monthly survey at Creighton University of supply managers and manufacturers, and we’ve been doing it for 25 years. This is the […]
Pro-growth tax reform is on the move in several states. This year 14 states have enacted tax reforms, which would have been unheard of just a year ago. The good news about tax reform doesn’t end with 2021, though. It appears that many states, including Iowa, are poised to keep reducing the tax burden on their citizens. Voters in Louisiana […]
The Conservative Iowa Budget helps limit government spending so that there are more opportunities for tax relief and for widespread prosperity for Iowans now and for generations to come.
ITR Foundation Deputy Director Walt Rogers had a great interview discussing education with Jeff Stein on 1540 KXEL this week. Here is some of what Walt had to say: Connecting school choice to taxes: “If we’re going to advocate for the taxpayer, we should be looking probably at the #1 eater of tax dollars, which is public education. We should […]
“School choice shouldn’t be limited to those who have the financial means or are lucky to live in a district that’s confident enough to allow open enrollment. So, let us make choice an option for everyone.” – Governor Kim Reynolds Recently, Governor Reynolds became the first Governor in the nation to sign the Education Freedom Pledge. The American Federation […]
When will the supply chain crisis be resolved? Americans are being told that they will just have to “deal” with empty store shelves and are starting to realize that “Build Back Better” is more of a wrecking ball. “Thanksgiving turkeys may be more expensive and harder to find. Buy your bird now, the experts say,” ran a headline in the […]
“School choice shouldn’t be limited to those who have the financial means… So, let us make choice an option for everyone.” -Governor Kim Reynolds Recently, Governor Reynolds became the first governor in the nation to sign the Education Freedom Pledge. The American Federation for Children sponsors the pledge. The pledge states: “I pledge to support policies that promote parental rights in education and […]
Nothing from the local elections here in Iowa, nor races across the country, will have changed the perception that this political environment is toxic for those who want to push a tax and spend agenda. Tuesday’s elections in Iowa and across the country are now in the books. Iowa voters went to the polls to elect candidates to school […]
The Republican Ascendancy of the 1920s is associated with a return to conservative politics with the presidential administrations of Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover. Warren G. Harding, who was elected President in the election of 1920, initiated an era of conservative government based upon policies that were rooted in constitutional limited government. Harding was a constitutional conservative […]
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) is a leading conservative who is fighting for the America First agenda. Recently, Senator Hawley introduced the “Make in America to sell in America Act,” in an effort to address the supply chain crisis and the troubling dependency upon foreign countries for necessities. Americans are being confronted with increasing prices due to inflation and a clogged […]
Governor Kim Reynolds and the legislature will have an opportunity to enact significant tax reform in 2022. Iowa’s fiscal house is in strong condition with a $1.24 billion surplus and the recent Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) projections show strong revenue growth for Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023. This is a historic opportunity to lower Iowa’s high income tax rates and […]
Before President Biden left for a trip to Europe on Thursday, which will include climate talks and a meeting with Pope Francis, he was negotiating a new tax and spend plan with members of his own party in Washington. Apparently, Iowans weren’t the only ones opposed to his $3.5 trillion Build Back Better plan, as the President was trying to […]
Keeping your economy open, conservative spending, and lowering tax rates. This is the economic formula that is building a solid fiscal foundation for Iowa. It is also the formula that 53.7 percent of Iowans support. A majority of Iowans, 59 percent, also support continued tax relief. This is the direct opposite of the tax and spend “shifting sand” agenda that […]
Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation released our inaugural poll last week. After learning which lawmakers Iowans favor, it is no surprise to learn how they feel about policy issues. The results show that Iowans want lower taxes, less spending, and more choice in education. Here are some of the highlights… Our Lawmakers: Governor Kim Reynolds has the highest (+21%) favorability rating […]
ITR Foundation Poll shows strong support for cutting taxes and school choice The inaugural ITR Foundation Poll conducted in partnership with Cygnal reveals 54 percent of Iowans think the state is headed in the right direction. However, they are pessimistic about their personal economic outlook and say their income and property taxes are too high. ITR Foundation (formerly TEF Iowa) […]
School Choice: Fighting Fear with FactsMarch 14, 2022Opponents of school choice want you to believe that school choice will hurt our public schools and that public money should not be used for private institutions. ITR Foundation Deputy Director Walt Rogers sat down … Parents Look to Take Back Local SchoolsOctober 12, 2021Parents are fed up with mask and vaccine mandates, […]
Our friends in Texas have published a new report entitled Reversing the Recovery, that details how the proposed Build Back Better spending plan could affect our national economy, including how it would impact each individual state. Their conclusion? Iowa would be responsible for shouldering $43 Billion in new debt and lose 51,000 jobs. From the report: “This plan includes heavy […]
Did you know that in 1934, Iowa implemented the first sales and income taxes to lower property taxes? It is never a good policy to create new taxes or raise existing taxes to reduce another tax and today, Iowans suffer from high property taxes and sales and income taxes. Property taxes in Iowa primarily are the major sources of funding […]