February 20, 2026

First in the nation: How Iowa can lead the country in welfare reform

Key takeaways: Download a PDF of the full report. Iowa’s welfare system is at a crossroads. What were once temporary safety-net programs designed to protect the truly vulnerable have steadily expanded into sprawling systems that now touch nearly every corner of state government—and consume an ever-growing share of taxpayer resources. Nowhere is this more evident than in Medicaid and food […]

Nic Horton and Hayden Dublois Taxes, Spending, & Budget
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Let’s be honest, big government is big bureaucracy, and common sense tells us big bureaucracy is ineffective. That’s why ITR Foundation works to:

  • Research principled solutions
  • Educate Iowans about our solutions
  • Activate Iowans in support of our solutions

By applying the principles of limited government, free enterprise, and the rule of law to public policy, we can ensure all Iowans will have the opportunity to succeed.

ITR Foundation set the policy groundwork for many recent taxpayer victories in Iowa:

  • Increased property tax transparency and spending restraint
  • A 3.8% flat individual income tax rate
  • Elimination of income taxes on retirement income
  • Elimination of inheritance tax
  • Creating a path to reduce corporate income tax to 5.5%
  • Phasing-out special tax incentives in the corporate tax code
  • Banning local universal basic income programs