The Most Difficult Policy is the Most Important Policy: Conservative Budgeting in Iowa

By prioritizing taxpayer interests and limiting government expansion, Iowa has created an environment where economic freedom and opportunity can flourish. Fiscal restraint is essential to ensuring long-term fiscal health. Executive Summary Iowa’s steadfast commitment to conservative budgeting demonstrates how fiscally responsible governance benefits all, fostering an environment of economic prosperity and opportunity. By prioritizing disciplined spending over government expansion, Governor […]

A Pro-Taxpayer Budget

The 2022 legislative session was historic for Iowa taxpayers. Nearly two months ago the legislature passed the largest tax relief measure in Iowa history, which was signed into law by Governor Kim Reynolds on March 1. What too many people overlook is that significant tax cuts like Iowa’s are only made possible by years of prudent and conservative budgeting.

Since 2018, Governor Reynolds and the legislature have placed an emphasis on passing tax reforms and restraining the growth of spending. This legislative session delivered the third (and largest) round of tax cuts yet, which was accompanied by a budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 of $8.2 billion. This is a slight increase from the $8.1 billion FY 2022 budget and will likely mean yet another large budget surplus. 

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 […]

Iowa Budget Preview: A Roadmap to Historic Tax Relief

The roadmap to tax reform begins with a prudent budget and that’s precisely what Governor Kim Reynolds is planning for Iowa.  For Fiscal Year 2023, which begins this July, Governor Reynolds is proposing an $8.2 billion General Fund budget.  That amount equates to an increase of nearly $100 million dollars in new state spending for the budget as a whole. […]

Household Budgeting Should Apply to Government

Should we build our deck? This is the question that one Iowa family shared with us recently. For years, this family has been saving to build a deck on the back of their house, but with the current economic uncertainty they are trying to decide whether this is the best use their money.   Many Iowans can relate.  Maybe for […]

Iowa Governor Makes the Grade

The Cato Institute released their 2020 Fiscal Policy Report Card on American Governors, which “grades governors on their fiscal policies from a limited‐​government perspective.” The report utilized “statistical data to grade the governors on their tax and spending records — governors who have restrained taxes and spending receive higher grades, while those who have substantially increased taxes and spending receive […]

Conservative Budgeting Pays Off

Governor Kim Reynolds announced, Iowa will “end Fiscal Year 2020 with a balance of $305.5 million in its General Fund.” Governor Reynolds and the Republican legislature have been following prudent budget policies. This has been especially difficult considering the COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainty in the agricultural markets.   “Fiscal responsibility has put the state of Iowa in a strong position […]

Spending Restraint: A Conservative Budget

Crafting a state budget is never an easy process and this year was especially difficult with drafting a budget amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the COVID-19 emergency, Iowa was in a strong economic position with healthy and stable revenue growth. By March, all of this changed as the pandemic triggered an economic downturn and revenue uncertainty. In May, the […]