This week is National School Choice week, which brings awareness to the importance of empowering parents to choose the best educational path for their children. To most parents, it is obvious that they should be in control of their child’s education. The problem is, in the collective mind of the education establishment, that is not so obvious. Remote learning caused […]
By John Hendrickson, Policy Director for ITR Foundation, and Jonathan Williams, Executive Vice President for policy and Chief Economist at the American Legislative Exchange Council. Governor Kim Reynolds and free-market legislators are working to make Iowa a pro-growth leader. Tax reform is a priority for 2022 – and rightly so. Even after successful tax reforms in recent years, more […]
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 […]
By John Hendrickson, Policy Director for ITR Foundation, and Dave Trabert, Chief Executive Officer of the Kansas Policy Institute Iowans are growing more frustrated with high property taxes. A majority of Iowans, 63.4 percent, believe that property taxes are too high. The concern over property taxes surpasses the rural-urban divide and political party identification. Taxpayers are often left wondering […]
Senator Dan Dawson, chair of the Iowa Senate Ways & Means Committee, speaking before the Iowa Taxpayers Association (ITA) stated that his tax policy goal for the 2022 legislature is to create a “21st century model” that will create the best tax climate in the nation. “We have the opportunity to do a tax reform moonshot here in Iowa,” stated […]
By John Hendrickson, Policy Director for ITR Foundation, and James Broughel, Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University Governor Kim Reynolds and the Republican-led legislature have enacted prudent budgets and lowered tax rates in recent years. Iowa’s economy is in a better position because of these sound fiscal policies. But eliminating burdensome regulations that hinder […]
By John Hendrickson, Policy Director for ITR Foundation, and Dean Stansel, Ph.D., Economist at the Bridwell Institute in the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University A major trend from the Census is the growing number of individuals who are voting with their feet against bad economic policies. States with high tax and regulatory burdens such as California, […]
Did you know the state of Iowa has a fund called the Taxpayer Relief Fund? It’s true, that’s the actual name. While we are fans of almost everything with “tax relief” in its name, that’s not even the best part. Right now, that Fund has a balance of $1.1 billion. But it gets better: by the end of the […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Keeping your economy open, conservative spending, and lowering tax rates. This is the economic formula that is building a solid fiscal foundation for Iowa. It is also the formula that 53.7 percent of Iowans support. A majority of Iowans, 59 percent, also support continued tax relief. This is the direct opposite of the tax and spend “shifting sand” agenda that […]
Iowans are known for being plain-spoken and clear-thinking. Perhaps that’s why President Biden’s approval rating in Iowa has recently sunk to a dismal 31 percent. Afghanistan and COVID notwithstanding, another of the Biden Administration’s promises that seems to have failed the believability test is his insistence middle-class Iowans won’t be hurt in the pocketbook by his $3.5 trillion budget blueprint. […]
President Joe Biden and the tax and spend Democrats could learn a lesson from Governor Kim Reynolds. Iowa will end Fiscal Year 2021 with a $1.24 billion surplus. Last year, Iowa’s surplus was $305 million. Since assuming office Governor Reynolds has pursed a policy of prudent budgeting and pro-growth tax reform that has kept Iowa’s fiscal house in strong and […]
The Des Moines Register released a new poll that shows a 53 percent job approval rating for Governor Kim Reynolds. This is up from 51 percent from the last poll. Governor Reynolds approval rating is even higher, 57 percent, when asked how she has handled Iowa’s economy. The poll affirms that Iowa supports the conservative pro-growth policy agenda that Governor […]
This past Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Pratt issued a temporary restraining order stopping the enforcement of the mask mandate ban that the Iowa Legislature passed, and Governor Kim Reynolds signed into law. This ruling sent Iowa parents into a quandary, wondering what to do next, finding their children are again being used in a cruel game of tug of […]
“Today’s legislation ushers in a new era of growth and opportunity in Iowa,” said Governor Kim Reynolds when signing the 2021 tax reform bill passed by the legislature. “But we are not done yet. Next year, I’ll be proposing additional income tax cuts as we continue to make Iowa the most attractive place in America to open a business, raise […]
Are you frustrated with high property taxes? Too often Iowans are told by local government officials that nothing can be done to lower property taxes. Governments, at all levels, often forget that the money they spend is generated from your tax dollars. It is not the governments money, yet policymakers have no shortage of reasons why they need to spend […]
“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. Perhaps now more than ever the nation needs to follow Harding’s advice. Instead of tearing down statues of the Founding Fathers we should be learning from their wisdom. Alexander Hamilton is one of the Founders […]
The national debt is rapidly nearing $29 trillion, which is 25% more than our entire economy, and is orders of magnitude higher if you consider unfunded liabilities of Social Security and Medicare. This threatens life as we know it and must be addressed now. Since the start of 2020, the debt has increased by $5.2 trillion. And President Joe Biden […]
Property taxpayers in Iowa keep growing frustrated and they are tired of the blame game that is played by local governments to avoid answering why tax relief is next to impossible. Property taxes fund local governments and often blame is shifted from one tax authority to another to justify why tax bills are high. In addition, local governments also respond […]
It is often forgotten, but America’s conservative tradition was not based on free trade, but rather economic nationalism. The American System became the basis of conservative economic policy. This economic philosophy was developed by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton and the Federalists, continued by the Whigs under the leadership of Henry Clay, and was eventually adopted by the Republican […]
Increasing access to quality health care in Iowa is a priority. Sadly, rural hospitals suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic as many could not offer out-patient procedures, which resulted in a major financial loss and forced some patients to go without care. Many rural hospitals also closed maternity wards and more mental health care providers are needed. To increase access to […]
Time has passed Iowa’s tax credit system by, and the time has come for a change. Over the course of decades, a succession of governors and legislatures have built a giant structure of special tax credits, abatements and other forms of targeted tax breaks that turn a system intended to raise revenue to fund public services into a mechanism for […]
Image: Official White House Photos by Shealah Craighead and D. Myles Culle Iowa is a beacon of liberty against an onslaught of poor federal policies. President Biden has already proposed $6 trillion in new spending during his first 100 days in office. Iowa is awash with federal stimulus dollars. Iowa is frequently overlooked, but Governor Kim Reynolds is an example […]