Iowans know how to make the most out of our summers. We squeeze all of the warm weather and sunlight we can out of each day. Experience tells us that what looked like an endless season of baseball and softball games, trips to the fair, and family vacations will come to an end all too quickly. Soon enough the back-to-school preparations will begin in full force. Experience also tells us we are goin...
When a state moves away from sound tax policy, even if it does so with the best of intentions, unintended consequences inevitably follow. If you have kids in Iowa, you probably know that Iowa’s tax-free weekend always begins the first Friday in August. That means for 2024, the shopping holiday will start at midnight Friday, August 2 and run through […]
IRS Migration Data provides insight to where Iowa loses and gains residents. The IRS has released their annual migration data that outlines how people, and their incomes, moved from state to state. The newest data, measuring changes from 2021 to 2022, tracks closely with last year’s release. For Iowa, that means we again realized the most inward migration from Illinois, Ca...
The Republican Party is not breaking up with conservatives. It’s actually starting a reformation back to an older conservative tradition. This week, the Republican Party officially nominated former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance for President and Vice President. The Republican National Convention was the most unified and inspirational conventions in recent years. The Trum...
In fiscal year 2025, local governments will grow property taxes by more than 6%. The start of a new fiscal year on July 1 means the start of new property tax levies for cities, counties, and school districts across Iowa. ITR Foundation has compiled the year-over-year changes in both property taxes and population/enrollment for each of those taxing authorities in […]
This article was published in Corridor Business Journal. The real economic threat to individuals, families, and small businesses in Iowa is not from the fiscal conservative polices of Governor Reynolds, but rather the failed policies from the Biden administration. The May 2024 NFIB Small Business Economic Trends Survey demonstrated that not only are small business owners pessimistic about the eco...
The most recent Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation Poll, conducted by Cygnal, shows a majority of Iowans want protections from property taxes and income taxes, while also demonstrating that Donald Trump has widened his lead over Joe Biden as November’s election nears. Almost 70 percent (69.6%) of those surveyed want the State Legislature to limit the growth of property taxes […]
Midwest icon John Deere is the latest company to demonstrate the downside of “free trade” and tax credits. John Deere, established in 1837, is an iconic brand and a symbol of the American heartland. This is especially true in Iowa. John Deere machinery can be seen in fields, yards, and construction sites across the state, and their famous leaping deer […]
By Guest Columnist Kyle Wingfield If Chevron itself sounds arcane, know that it has unleashed unelected bureaucrats to wield legislative powers never intended for them. When the courts must settle a conflict between regulators (government agencies) and the regulated (citizens and businesses), common sense tells us there should be an equal playing field. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the ca...
Some counties may be holding on to more reserve funds than necessary. Why the numbers matter. High property taxes are the number one issue in most Iowans’ minds. When the Iowa Legislature attempts to fix this problem by lowering the amount of property tax counties and other local governments can collect, some claim they will have to cut emergency management […]