Iowa Should Look to Ohio in Advancing Pro-Growth Regulatory Reform

Ohio passed a bill resulting in a 30 percent reduction of regulations by 2025 making Ohio’s businesses more competitive and spurring economic growth. Policymakers in Iowa should look to this as a model that further reform can be built upon.

Governor Kim Reynolds is prioritizing making Iowa’s economy more competitive. This year the Governor is focusing on reducing the regulatory burden in Iowa. In January, Governor Reynolds issued an executive order to begin to reform regulations in Iowa. In her Condition of the State address she said that the intent of the executive order is to “begin the process of lifting this dead weight from our economy over the next four years.” In advancing regulatory reform Iowa policymakers should consider Ohio’s successful efforts to eliminate burdensome regulations. Ohio serves as the gold standard for state regulatory reform.

Three Pillars of Regulatory Reform

Iowa’s Administrative Code contains over 20,000 pages and 190,000 restrictive terms. Utilizing the three pillars of regulatory reform to re-shape Iowa’s regulatory system is a way to propel our state ahead. We all remember our civics and social studies classes that taught us about government, don’t we?  We learned the separation of powers between the three branches of government- Legislative, […]

Reducing the Regulatory Burden for Iowa

Governor Reynolds has issued an executive order that places a moratorium on new regulations and requires a review of existing rules. These are the exact reforms Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation have offered in the past. A reduction of the barriers of “red tape” will add to and amplify other reforms, moving Iowa toward a more-competitive economic climate.

Removing Economic Handcuffs Through Regulatory Reform

Regulations are a necessary part of society, but too much regulation can hinder economic growth and prosperity. Lowering tax rates, limiting spending, and eliminating burdensome regulations was the Trump Administration’s formula to produce pro-growth economic policy. The last item–regulatory reform–is often a forgotten pillar of economic growth. Regulations can be roadblocks for both individuals and businesses, which is why regulatory reform can help further boost Iowa’s state economy.

Food Freedom Law Appetizing to Entrepreneurs and Home-Based Businesses

By Sarah Curry, DBA Everyone loves a good farmers’ market on a hot summer afternoon, and Iowa has a long history with these classic representatives of direct retail. The first one in the state began in 1858 at the Dubuque city hall building, where it still operates today. This summer, however, Iowa is home to only 172 farmers’ markets across […]

Removing Regulatory Roadblocks to Home-Based Businesses

A Des Moines Register headline from September 2020 posed a question that is already being answered in the affirmative: As working from home becomes routine, will others follow? It’s not just large corporations in Iowa’s biggest city that have shifted where their employees work, but employers of all sizes in every corner of the state have developed flexible and remote work options. Just three years ago, 13 percent of Americans were working from home. At the height of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, that number had grown to nearly one third of Americans. It is natural to assume that out of necessity or opportunity, a similar trend has occurred among entrepreneurs.

Program Integrity and Work Requirements

In Iowa, Medicaid is not only one of the most significant drivers of the budget but also one of the fastest growing. Medicaid is a shared expense between states and the federal government, but recent policies on the national level, especially the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, have led to an expansion in recipients.

Getting Iowans Back to Work through Unemployment Reform

Iowa employers currently have numerous jobs available illustrating that a major problem confronting businesses is the need for workers. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Iowa’s labor force and as the economy works through that impact, it will be important to encourage people to move back into the workforce. An area of reform that should be considered is Iowa’s unemployment guidelines.

Creating Opportunity by Removing Barriers

The ability for Iowans, as well as those who relocate to Iowa, to earn a living will be greatly improved due to 2020’s historic occupational licensing reforms passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Kim Reynolds. Those reforms allow for universal recognition of out-of-state licenses, waive licensing fees for low-income individuals, and establish a standard for a fairer review process if a license is denied based on past criminal convictions. Reforming occupational licensing expands liberty and makes Iowa a more competitive state.

Reducing Regulatory Burden Spurs Economic Growth

“Regulations influence behavior. When we want less of something, we regulate it. For the sake of our families, young people, and low-income workers, we must not regulate jobs out of existence,” stated Rea Hederman, Executive Director of the Economic Research Center and Vice President of Policy at Ohio’s Buckeye Institute for Public Policy. Reducing the regulatory burden on an economy will also spur economic growth, as President Trump demonstrated when his administration combined tax cuts with eliminating unnecessary regulation. That type of free market reform would be particularly powerful in Iowa, since we are home to some of the highest levels of state regulation in the Midwest and across the country.

Iowa’s Roadmap to Economic Growth

On January 11, 2021 the Iowa legislature is scheduled to convene. A major priority of the legislative session will be taking measures to aid in the COVID-19 economic recovery. The pandemic continues to cause uncertainty as the virus is once again intensifying throughout the Midwest. To help Iowa’s economy recover and to create economic growth, policymakers should center their efforts […]

Advancing Freedom with Occupational Licensing Reform

The ability for Iowans to earn a living and those who relocate to Iowa will be greatly improved due to the historic occupational licensing reform passed by the legislature. Governor Kim Reynolds, who made occupational licensing reform a priority in her Condition of the State address, is expected to sign the legislation. The reform will allow for universal recognition of […]

First, Do No Harm

By Matthew D. Mitchell, Senior Research Fellow, Mercatus Center   COVID-19 presents a challenge of extraordinary scale and complexity. State policymakers across the country, like so many of us, want to know what they can do to help our nation’s healthcare professionals rise to this challenge. Their first task should be to eliminate or suspend laws that stand in the […]

Coronavirus and Occupational Licensing

States Lead The Way in Coronavirus Crisis With Emergency Removal of Occupational Licensing Obstacles—Why Not Make Them Permanent?   Today, Vice President Mike Pence announced that the Department of Health and Human Services is considering a national emergency order that would allow doctors throughout the country to practice across state lines. This would be a good move, and luckily, many […]

Removing the Occupational Licensing Wall

Iowa, along with several other states, is considering occupational licensing reform. Reducing occupational licensing barriers will provide new opportunities for workers, attract new people to Iowa, and create a more competitive business environment. One aspect of occupational licensing reform is establishing reciprocity, or a universal licensing recognition, for out-of-state licensees. The Iowa legislature is currently considering reciprocity as part of […]

Iowa’s Gambling With Your Health

The Des Moines metro is growing and evidence of this growth can be seen through numerous construction and building projects. Recently, MercyOne hospital in West Des Moines announced a $13 million project to create a new maternity and infants care center. This is in response to the demands of a growing population. MercyOne is filling a need by meeting the […]

Occupational Licensing

Reducing barriers will provide new opportunities for workers, attract new people to Iowa, and create a more competitive business environment.   Among Iowa policymakers and business leaders, a consensus exists that a major problem for the state’s economy is a shortage of skilled workers. In fact, this need for workers often overshadows Iowa’s low unemployment rate. One area of regulatory […]