A Safe Space for Innovation

A streamlined path to market leads to greater innovation, more economic growth, and lower prices for consumers. The concept of a regulatory sandbox has emerged as a popular way to promote innovation and experimentation while still operating within the confines of government oversight. A regulatory sandbox is essentially a controlled environment where businesses can test ideas, products, and services without […]

Making Iowa More Competitive Through Occupational Licensing Reform

This article was published in the Des Moines Register. Occupational licensing reform creates a more transparent process reviewing licenses and their associated requirements to see if they are appropriate or if they serve as a barrier making it more difficult for individuals to enter into a certain occupation. Governor Kim Reynolds is working hard to grow Iowa’s economy and she […]

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.

Certificate of Need Law Reform Could Save Lives

CON laws have decreased competition in Iowa’s healthcare field, resulting in higher medical costs and reduced healthcare access. The news has recently been telling stories about Iowa nursing homes closing and rural hospitals at risk. Iowans are facing higher healthcare costs and fewer options, and one reason is an extremely burdensome regulation called Certificate of Need, or CON. Healthcare providers […]

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.

Iowa Rising: Governor Kim Reynolds Continues to Champion Conservative Policies

Governor Kim Reynolds, after winning reelection in a landslide, delivered her sixth Condition of the State address where she continued to outline a conservative policy agenda. Governor Reynolds has led the state through natural disasters, the COVID pandemic, and through our current uncertain national economy. Since assuming office, Governor Reynolds has been a champion of conservative policies that place the taxpayer first and protect and defend traditional values. As a result, Iowa’s economy is strong, the tax code is more competitive, and as Governor Reynolds stated the state is “a beacon for freedom and opportunity.”

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.

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.

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 Forgotten Tax: The State’s High Regulatory Burden

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 […]

Iowa Needs Job Licensing & Board Reviews

During the last legislative session, the legislature passed, and Governor Kim Reynolds signed a historic occupational licensing reform measure.  The law allows for universal recognition of out-of-state licenses, waives licensing fees for low-income individuals, and establishes a standard for a fairer review process if a license is denied based on past criminal convictions. Policymakers have an opportunity to build upon […]

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 […]

Cut Red Tape to Grow Iowa’s Economy

By James Broughel   Like most of the country, Iowa is facing two problems. First, the coronavirus is threatening the lives of its residents. Second, the response to the virus, in terms of lockdowns and social distancing, has been a threat to the state’s economy. The balancing act is figuring out how to keep the virus in check without destroying […]

Small Business Recovery after COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is precipitating an unprecedented economic downturn, and small businesses are likely to bear the brunt of it. Mandatory shutdowns and social distancing are forcing many small businesses to shut their doors, leaving millions of people out of work and driving down sales. Even when governments begin lifting social distancing restrictions, the residual effects of unemployment and disrupted […]

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 […]