On August 10, 1874, Herbert Hoover was born in West Branch, Iowa. This year marks Hoover’s 152nd birthday, but it is also significant because it coincides with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the grand reopening of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum. It is fitting that the reopening of the Hoover Museum comes during the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Immigration policy has been a recurring subject of debate throughout American history, and for the past decade it has consistently ranked among voters’ top concerns. It has also become one of the most divisive issues within conservative policy circles. Some want to increase immigration levels as a way to bolster our workforce and grow our population, ultimately benefiting the broad economy. Others, like Patrick J. Buchanan, warn that an immigration policy focused solely on economics risks a situation where, “The commands of the market overrule the claims of citizenship, culture, and country.”
Florida voters will decide whether to dramatically expand the homestead exemption, eliminating much of the property tax burden on many owner-occupied homes while limiting how local governments can use the remaining property tax revenue. The amendment does not apply to school district property taxes, which typically make up 40% to 50% of a Florida homeowner’s property tax bill, meaning most homeowners would still pay taxes to support public schools. Taxpayers need to pay attention to how local governments respond, even as property taxes are reduced for many Floridians. Local governments may reduce spending, shift taxes to other property owners, hike other taxes and fees, or adopt some combination of those approaches.
Property taxes have become one of the few issues that unite voters across the political spectrum. The disagreement isn’t over whether there’s a problem, it’s over how to solve it.
That’s why a recent editorial from the Chicago Tribune caught our attention. We don’t typically look to the Tribune for insight on tax policy. But when an unexpected source reaches many of the same conclusions about property taxes that Iowa lawmakers acted upon, it’s worth paying attention.
The Tribune noted that high property taxes are not only a concern for citizens of Illinois but have become a significant issue across the Midwest. Most Iowans recognize that property tax reform was a central issue of our state’s legislative session this year. The Iowa Legislature debated three major property tax bills, and it took a lengthy period of negotiation before a good bill was passed.
“It is good to meet and drink at the fountains of wisdom inherited from the Founding Fathers of the republic,” noted President Warren G. Harding. Vice President JD Vance recently stated that conservatism would be better served with less Milton Friedman and more Alexander Hamilton when it comes to economic policy. This is not the first time that Vice President […]
Iowa agriculture remains under financial pressure, with farm incomes down 53 percent from 2022 to 2024 amid low commodity prices, rising costs, and trade uncertainty. The Iowa Farm Bureau’s 2026 Economic Summit featured competing views on trade, with Samuel Gregg criticizing tariffs while former U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer defended them as necessary to achieve balanced trade. The discussion highlighted the stakes for Iowa, where both agriculture and manufacturing depend heavily on international markets and future trade policy decisions.
“The founders of our republic under Divine inspiration” established a “great political system,” which is “unique in the world,” argued Hoover. However, Hoover understood that the principles of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were also based upon heritage. “God has blessed us with another wonderful word—heritage,” affirmed Hoover. Further, Hoover noted that the “great documents of that heritage” were “the Bible, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution, within them alone can the safeguards of freedom survive.”
The real driver of high taxes is high government spending. Lasting tax relief cannot be achieved by protecting government budgets or hoping for economic growth alone—it requires policymakers to control spending. Economic growth matters, but it is not a substitute for fiscal discipline. When government spending grows faster than the economy, taxpayers face increasing pressure and higher taxes that ultimately discourage growth. Minnesota Governor Theodore Christianson understood a timeless truth: the only sustainable way to reduce taxes is to spend less. His century-old message remains just as relevant for policymakers today.
Iowa’s pro-growth tax reforms are delivering results. Iowa climbed from 30th to 25th in the Rich States, Poor States rankings after enacting a 3.8% flat income tax, lowering corporate taxes, and implementing other taxpayer-friendly reforms that have strengthened the state’s economy and competitiveness. The work isn’t finished. While Iowa has made historic progress, other states are continuing to cut taxes even more aggressively. To remain competitive, Iowa must continue improving its tax climate rather than becoming complacent. Spending restraint is the key to lasting tax relief. Meaningful tax reform is only possible when government spending is controlled. Iowa’s new 2% cap on property tax growth builds on that principle and helps lay the foundation for long-term fiscal responsibility.
The national debt has grown from roughly $3 trillion when Ross Perot warned about it in 1992 to more than $39 trillion today, making it one of the largest long-term challenges facing the United States. Decades of deficit spending have pushed debt levels to record highs, and the true burden looks even worse when measured against federal revenues rather than the nation’s total economic output. Rising debt and interest costs threaten economic stability, higher taxes, reduced federal benefits, and difficult budget decisions for states like Iowa that depend heavily on federal funding.
For years, Iowa property taxpayers have watched their tax bills climb higher while relief remained elusive. Recently though, Iowa lawmakers and Governor Kim Reynolds changed that trajectory with one of the most significant property tax reform bills in state history. The new law, SF 2472, puts taxpayers first, which is a simple but important accomplishment. Previous reforms largely focused on assessed values and tax mechanics but did not constrain local government spending. For the past 20 years property taxes have increased over 107%, which surpasses the growth of population and inflation. This year, lawmakers decided taxpayers deserved better. The centerpiece of the reform is a 2% limit on the growth of city and county property tax collections. Rather than allowing an unlimited claim on taxpayers’ wallets, the law establishes a framework that allows revenue to continue growing while protecting property owners from the relentless increases they have experienced for decades.
Federalism was designed to ensure that every state has a voice, not just the nation’s largest population centers. The Electoral College helps preserve that balance by encouraging presidential candidates to build support across diverse regions, including rural America. As power becomes increasingly centralized in Washington, protecting federalism remains essential to preserving local self-government, state sovereignty, and meaningful representation for rural communities.
A new Fiscal Resilience Index ranked Iowa 8th nationally, reflecting the state’s strong fiscal position and ability to withstand potential disruptions in federal funding. The study warns that states have become increasingly dependent on federal dollars, leaving them vulnerable to Washington’s budget instability, policy changes, and growing national debt. Iowa’s combination of spending restraint, strong reserves, low liabilities, and sound fiscal management demonstrates how conservative fiscal policies can strengthen both state finances and state independence. “State governments today operate within a fiscal environment that is increasingly shaped by decisions made in Washington.”
Colorado’s Initiative 195 would replace the state’s 4.4% flat income tax with a graduated income tax and significantly increase the amount of revenue the state can retain and spend. The proposal represents one of the most significant challenges to Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), a constitutional limit on taxes and spending that has returned more than $12 billion to taxpayers since 1992. The debate highlights a broader national divide over fiscal policy, pitting advocates of higher taxes and government spending against supporters of taxpayer protections, spending limits, and voter control over tax increases.
States are increasingly divided between two fiscal philosophies: one focused on higher spending supported by higher taxes, and another centered on spending restraint, tax competitiveness, and economic growth. High-tax states such as Illinois and Minnesota continue to face budget pressures and are pursuing new taxes and revenue sources, while states like Iowa and Arkansas are using spending discipline to support ongoing income tax reductions. The debate over taxes is ultimately a debate over the role of government, with states increasingly choosing between higher spending and lower taxes.
States are moving in opposite directions on income taxes. Some states, including Washington, Hawaii, Maine, California, and potentially Colorado, are pursuing wealth taxes or higher rates on top earners, while others are reducing or eliminating income taxes. Tax-cutting states are emphasizing competitiveness and growth. South Carolina, Arkansas, West Virginia, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, and Utah all enacted income tax reductions in 2026, with several adopting revenue triggers that automatically lower rates when state finances allow. Some states are seeking constitutional taxpayer protections. Iowa, Missouri, and North Carolina are advancing constitutional amendments designed to make future tax increases more difficult and provide longer-term safeguards against higher income taxes.
Iowa has no constitutional or statutory limit on session length. The 100- and 110-day deadlines are informal benchmarks tied to per diem payments and staffing, not mandatory adjournment dates. The 2026 session lasted 112 days. Lawmakers worked beyond the traditional endpoint, finishing on May 3 after a marathon final push. Annual sessions have not always been the norm. Iowa moved from biennial to annual legislative sessions through a 1968 constitutional amendment, while still allowing lawmakers flexibility to extend their work when needed.
A century ago, Presidents Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge made balancing budgets, reducing debt, and limiting government growth national priorities. Their administrations did not just slow spending growth — they actually cut federal spending, reduced the national debt, lowered tax rates, and produced budget surpluses. Fiscal restraint was politically difficult then, just as it is today, but the Harding and Coolidge years demonstrate that disciplined budgeting and strong economic growth can coexist.
Iowa lawmakers advanced major taxpayer-focused reforms during the 2026 session, including a 2% cap on many local property tax levies, school funding reforms, a larger Homestead Exemption, and other changes projected to save taxpayers more than $4 billion over six years. The legislature also prioritized conservative budgeting by limiting state spending growth to 1.4% and advanced a constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds legislative vote to increase the income tax, giving voters the opportunity to strengthen long-term taxpayer protections. Lawmakers approved additional oversight of federal funds by requiring regular reporting on large federal grants, reflecting growing concerns about national debt, federal instability, and the long-term consequences attached to federal spending.
Iowa lawmakers approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would require a two-thirds vote of both legislative chambers to raise income taxes, giving voters the final say this November. The amendment is designed to place a higher barrier between taxpayers and tax increases by ensuring higher taxes cannot become the automatic response to budget pressures. The proposal reflects the long-standing vision of late ITR founder David M. Stanley, who believed constitutional taxpayer protections were necessary because government will always try to spend more and tax more unless meaningful limits are put in place.
Federal funds aren’t “free”—they come with strings attached, can drive higher state spending, and are increasingly unstable given Washington’s fiscal position and growing national debt. Earlier in the session, HSB 764 proposed a stronger approach with upfront reporting, full transparency, and legislative approval of major federal funds, ensuring lawmakers could evaluate commitments before they were made. Lawmakers ultimately passed HF 2800, which improves transparency by requiring notification of large or state-matched federal funds—an important step forward, but one that stops short of full oversight and approval.
The Iowa House is now advancing a proposed constitutional amendment, which would create a requirement that income tax increases receive a two-thirds vote in both chambers of the legislature. The proposed amendment has already passed the Senate and if it passes the full House this spring, it will appear on the ballot for voter approval during November’s election.
The most practical way to view the Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa is that it allows a broader range of ideas to flourish on campus. Reasonable people can disagree, and the center offers students an opportunity to engage more deeply with the nation’s history while participating in thoughtful, open discussion of important issues. That is, after all, a key tenet of higher education.
From a public policy standpoint, Iowa has become a national leader in conservative reform. On taxes, budgeting, regulation, school choice, and protections for life and civil liberties, the state stands in sharp contrast to neighbors such as Minnesota and Illinois. But policy alone does not fully explain why so many people love Iowa. “What happened this year went beyond Iowa nice. You showed a humanity that rivals what most of us have seen in our lifetime,” stated Gov. Kim Reynolds in her 2021 Condition of the State Address. Reynolds was referencing the numerous humanitarian acts in response to the COVID pandemic and the devastating storms. Across Iowa, individuals, organizations and businesses stepped up to help one another and their communities during these crises.
Property tax frustration is growing nationwide, and taxpayers are increasingly rejecting higher taxes while calling for stronger protections. Massachusetts’ Proposition 2½ shows how effective guardrails can work, as voters in South Hadley rejected major tax increases that could have raised bills by up to 50%. The message is clear: taxpayers expect governments to control spending and prioritize budgets, not simply raise taxes to sustain growth.
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:
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: