The panic and even hysteria over the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” and the proposed DOGE cuts demonstrate not only how dependent states and localities are on the federal government, but also how far we have drifted away from constitutional government.
With passage of the “Big, Beautiful, Bill,” Iowa taxpayers avoided a massive tax increase, but even with the positives of the measure there are still reasons for caution. Federal spending, along with the national debt, will both continue to increase and Iowa policymakers must begin to prepare for contingencies of potential cuts to federal funds.
This spring, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced she will not seek another term. Her time in office will be remembered as one of the most consequential in the state’s history. Reynolds has never apologized for her conservatism—even under sharp criticism. At a time when limited government is often more of a slogan than a practice, Reynolds has been the exception.
Iowa should continue to advance policies to protect agriculture, food production, and critical infrastructure and work to counter potential foreign threats in other ways.
The “elephant in the room” is government spending. This is why property tax reform is so difficult. Only by limiting spending will taxpayers finally see property tax relief.
Coolidge was often a lone voice calling on the nation to repent of progressivism.
The federal government exerts influence in nearly every policy area.
Constitutional protections exist for other state funds, and it is time for Iowa taxpayers to receive that same benefit.
Iowa’s fiscal house is in order. Despite tax cuts reducing revenue as planned, the state can meet its obligations.
Incentives may lure developers and data centers, but Iowa’s high property tax situation should be a “fire bell in the night” for local government officials. High property taxes will deter economic growth. They will discourage new residents, entrepreneurship, and force people to leave.
