October 1, 2025

Iowa’s Reliance on Washington: Why a Shutdown Should Worry Us All

The federal government has officially shut down, and while the headlines focus on Washington, the real consequences are being felt here in Iowa. In Fiscal Year 2024, the State of Iowa received $13.2 billion in federal funds. Compare that to the legislature’s $9.4 billion state budget, and the picture is clear: Iowa relies heavily on Washington for many government programs. Cities collected another $545 million from the federal government just last year, adding to the dependency.

John Hendrickson and Sarah Curry, DBA Taxes, Spending, & Budget
May 22, 2024

Legislation in Iowa Bans Universal Basic Income Programs Amidst National Debate

A version of this article appeared in Real Clear Markets. The solution for reducing poverty does not reside in UBI programs. The best path to reduced welfare is the ready availability of jobs. Persuaded that universal basic income (UBI) programs would do more harm than good, the Iowa Legislature has passed a bill to ban such initiatives at the local […]

John Hendrickson and Sarah Curry, DBA Taxes, Spending, & Budget
December 15, 2023

Setting the Stage for the 2024 Legislative Session: Iowa’s Fiscal Foundation is Strong

Revenue is falling more slowly than initial estimates, and there is still room for more tax cuts. Heading into the 2024 legislative session, Iowa is in a strong financial position. This was the message from the Revenue Estimating Conference (REC), which is tasked with the difficult job of predicting state tax revenue. Even with phased-in tax reductions, Iowa revenue remains […]

John Hendrickson and Sarah Curry, DBA Taxes, Spending, & Budget
July 15, 2022

The Latest Assault on our Constitution and the States

Once again it appears that policymakers in Washington, D.C. are trying to further centralize power and squeeze the sovereignty of the states. Federalism, which refers to the division of power between the federal government and the states, is a pillar of American constitutionalism.  The United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee has a bill before them that would set a dangerous precedent regarding tax policy if enacted.  It’s called the STAMP Act which stands for ‘Stop Taxes Against Menstrual Products Act of 2022’. It would tell states and local governments that they cannot levy a sales tax on the retail sale of menstrual products.

John Hendrickson and Sarah Curry, DBA Governance
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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