Author: John Hendrickson

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May 12, 2022

The Fight To Preserve Iowa’s Voice

It appears the Republican Party will maintain Iowa’s first in the nation status for its 2024 presidential caucus, but uncertainty remains whether Democrats will continue to have Iowa leadoff their party’s nominating process. Iowa’s first in the nation presidential caucuses have become a tradition and are an integral part of the state’s political culture. As a reminder, Donald Trump won Iowa’s Republican caucus in 2020 and Pete Buttigieg was the choice of Iowa Democrats that year.

John Hendrickson Electoral College 0 4 min read
April 25, 2022

Iowa Poised to Make a Move

For fifteen years the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has produced Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index. This broad index measures 15 policy variables that ALEC has deemed important to economic growth, with a particular focus on tax and spending policies.

John Hendrickson Economy 0 3 min read
April 19, 2022

Foreign Acquisition of American Agriculture

The United States is growing more dependent on foreign nations for necessities, including potentially hostile nations such as China. As we examined last month, 2021 was the 10th straight year America’s trade deficit with the Chinese eclipsed $300 billion.  If that pattern is not alarming enough, though, there’s more worrisome activity being undertaken by China: the massive acquisition of American farmland.  By the United States Department of Agriculture’s own estimate, investments from China held $2 billion of American agricultural land at the beginning of 2020.

John Hendrickson Owning Our Future 0 3 min read
April 13, 2022

Truth-in-Taxation: A Rock Chalk Taxpayer Protection

March Madness wrapped up last week with the Kansas Jayhawks being crowned National Champions.  While there may not be many Iowans who joined Jayhawk fans in celebrating that victory, there was another win in Kansas that we can all be happy about: property taxes.  The map above identifies 21 Kansas counties that actually experienced a decline in property taxes this year.

Before examining what caused the big win in Kansas (the property taxes, not the basketball), we should reflect on the property tax situation in our state.  Iowans are demanding property tax relief and nobody can blame them.  Even before inflation reached record highs, putting a major squeeze on household budgets, Iowans felt the pain of having a heavier property tax burden than 40 other states.

John Hendrickson Property Taxes 0 2 min read
March 30, 2022

What Would Hamilton Say About China?

A few recent headlines have passed without much attention. The first story is our national debt has reached $30 trillion, while the second is the trade deficit for 2021 hit a record  $859.1 billion. Both stories were virtually ignored because the American people have just become numb to the topics, though they may be missing some wider ramifications, especially when it comes to trade.

John Hendrickson Economy 0 4 min read
March 23, 2022

Iowa’s Gold Standard Tax Reform

For several years we have praised North Carolina for its historic tax reform. The Tarheel State is the gold standard for prudent state tax policy that pairs conservative budgeting with shrinking tax rates. Governor Kim Reynolds and Iowa’s legislature have followed a similar path to deliver pro-growth tax reform by balancing restrained spending growth with income tax cuts. Years of prudent budgeting enabled the passage of historic tax reform this year, which will create a flat 3.9 percent income tax rate by 2026.

John Hendrickson Income Taxes 0 2 min read
March 22, 2022

Remembering Bob Williams

By John Hendrickson This past week we lost a champion of liberty with the passing of Bob Williams. Bob served as a state legislator from Washington and he founded two state policy think tanks, Evergreen Freedom Foundation and the Washington Policy Center. As a lawmaker and as a public policy professional, Bob Williams was a budget hawk and a defender […]

John Hendrickson Budget 0 1 min read
March 21, 2022

Budget Growth & Tax Cuts: A Win-Win for Iowa

Let’s make something clear right away: Iowa’s state budget is going to continue to grow in the coming years. The only reason that point may be in question is Iowa’s Revenue Estimating Conference (REC), which has the difficult responsibility of estimating revenue for the state, recently released updated projections. The REC increased the current fiscal year (2022) estimate by 4.2 […]

John Hendrickson Economy 0 3 min read
March 11, 2022

Somebody Must Call the Bingo Numbers!

Reports that the Iowa Legislature eliminated the retirement income tax so that there would be enough people around to call the Bingo numbers have proven to be false.  Okay, while that thought may have never actually crossed anyone’s mind, our elected officials were certainly thinking about how to keep retirees in our state when they eliminated Iowa’s tax on retirement […]

John Hendrickson Income Taxes 0 3 min read
March 10, 2022

Honesty is the Best Policy

Many people have been probably told by either a parent, grandparent, or even a teacher that “honesty is the best policy.” This rule should also apply to local governments. Taxpayers across the country are demanding answers on why local policymakers cannot deliver property tax relief. In response, a growing number of states are enacting strong Truth-in-Taxation laws that force local […]

John Hendrickson Property Taxes 0 5 min read
March 3, 2022

Governor Kim Reynolds: Defender of Freedom and Conservatism

Image: Governor Kim Reynolds   “This campaign is more than a contest between two men. It is more than a contest between two parties. It is a contest between two philosophies of government,” stated President Herbert Hoover in describing his differences with then-Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt. Governor Kim Reynolds, just as with President Hoover, offered a different philosophy of government […]

John Hendrickson Editorials 0 3 min read
February 25, 2022

Historic Tax Reform Achieved: Governor Reynolds and Iowa Legislature Deliver for Taxpayers

Yesterday the Iowa legislature passed a historic tax reform measure. Going into the 2022 legislative session Governor Kim Reynolds and the Republican-led legislature made tax reform a priority. The tax relief bill passed by both chambers phases in a 3.9 percent flat rate for individual income tax by 2026, a major reduction from today’s top marginal rate of 8.53 percent. […]

John Hendrickson Editorials 0 3 min read
February 17, 2022

Tax Rates Matter

Tax rates matter. Whether it is allowing individuals to keep more of their hard-earned income or creating a more competitive economic climate, tax rates have a significant impact on a state. States are in economic competition with each other for both businesses and people. It is important for Iowa not to become complacent as numerous states are looking at reducing […]

John Hendrickson Editorials 0 3 min read
January 14, 2022

Governor Reynolds Proposes 4% Flat Income Tax

Governor Kim Reynolds, in her Condition of the State address this week, delivered a Reagan-esque take on the finer points of governing.  “Under these ceilings, next to this marble, among these columns and portraits, it’s tempting to believe that nothing good happens unless we legislate it, regulate it, or fund it.  But in the small towns, around kitchen tables, in […]

John Hendrickson Economy 0 3 min read
December 20, 2021

Future Bright for 2022 Tax Reform

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 […]

John Hendrickson Income Taxes 0 2 min read
November 16, 2021

Tax Reform Is on the Move

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 […]

John Hendrickson Editorials 0 3 min read
November 5, 2021

Governor Kim Reynolds Stands with Parents and Educational Freedom

“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 […]

John Hendrickson Education 0 2 min read
November 3, 2021

Remembering Warren G. Harding: The Original America First President

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 […]

John Hendrickson Law & Policy 0 3 min read
October 29, 2021

America’s Supply Chain Crisis

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 […]

John Hendrickson Economy 0 3 min read
October 29, 2021

The Path to Repealing Iowa’s Income Tax

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 […]

John Hendrickson Editorials 0 5 min read