April 9, 2025

Nebraska’s Fiscal Crisis Is a Roadmap for What Iowa Must Avoid

Nebraska’s proximity to Iowa provides a sterling example of how taxpayers can win as state’s put forth competing tax policies.  In response to Iowa’s shrinking income tax rates and retirement-tax elimination, Nebraska’s legislature enacted significant income tax cuts of their own in 2023 to remain competitive with their neighbors to the east. But they failed to balance these cuts with corresponding spending restraint — a critical oversight that has led to financial distress.

Sarah Curry, DBA Property Taxes
January 24, 2025

The DOGE Task Force Should Focus on Spending

Governor Kim Reynolds recently joined several Republican governors in sending a letter to congressional leaders expressing their support for President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). President Trump appointed entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy (who has since departed the project) to lead DOGE, which is tasked with reducing bureaucracy, waste, and regulation within the federal government.

John Hendrickson State Spending
December 6, 2024

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 […]

John Hendrickson and Vance Ginn, Ph.D. Budget
October 16, 2024

Advancing Taxpayer Protections in the 2025 Legislative Session

Constitutional protections exist for other state funds, and it is time for Iowa taxpayers to receive that same benefit. Securing the tax reforms already enacted in Iowa by adding protections to the state constitution is essential to preserving the progress made since 2018. These reforms, particularly the shift to a flat tax, have transformed Iowa’s tax system into one that […]

John Hendrickson and Tom Sands Government Spending
October 1, 2024

Federal Tax Law Change Raises Cost of Refinancing Debt for State and Local Governments

State and local governments have enjoyed hundreds of billions of dollars in interest cost savings by refinancing their debt, but that all changed in 2018, costing taxpayers billions. Iowa’s state and local governments have almost $21 billion in outstanding debt obligations, with two-thirds of that total borne by local property taxpayers. The combined debt of Iowa’s cities, counties, and schools […]

Sarah Curry, DBA Federal Funds
May 8, 2024

Improving Iowa’s Future with Conservative Budgeting and Tax Cuts

This article was published in The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Telegraph Herald, and The Gazette. Unsustainable increases in spending can lead to severe consequences. Iowa’s success in maintaining fiscal discipline is a testament to its effectiveness. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and the Republican-led Legislature have emphasized conservative budgeting as a central priority. Such prudence in budgeting is the cornerstone of fiscal […]

John Hendrickson and Vance Ginn, Ph.D. Government Spending
April 24, 2024

Pro-Growth Policies and Conservative Reforms Stand Out in Session Recap

“The headline of this session is simple: Iowa’s income tax rate will be the 6th lowest in the country…” The Iowa legislature has adjourned, and this session has resulted in some important pro-growth policy victories that provide further tax relief to Iowans, while also making Iowa’s economy more competitive and government more efficient. As Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver said, “The […]

John Hendrickson Government Spending
April 4, 2024

Iowa’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Begins to Take Shape: Spending Will Determine Future Tax Relief

The goal of the FY25 budget should be to reflect the average taxpayer’s ability to pay for the budget. Sound tax policy begins with conservative budgeting. Last week both the Iowa House and Senate announced their budget targets for the Fiscal Year 2025 budget. Budget targets are used as benchmarks to determine how the various departments and programs within the […]

John Hendrickson Government Spending
January 4, 2024

Session Preview: Constitutional Amendments

Diverting Taxpayer Relief Fund dollars to property tax relief would simply be another instance of the state subsidizing local government spending growth. During the 2023 legislative session, the Iowa Legislature began to consider two important constitutional amendments that would provide protection for Iowa taxpayers. If lawmakers are interested in continuing to stand up for the taxpayer, they should again contemplate […]

ITR Foundation Government Spending
January 3, 2024

Session Preview: A Conservative Budget

Iowa’s status as a national leader on tax policy would not be possible but for the less-heralded fact that Iowa is a national leader when it comes to conservative budgeting, as well. Sound budgeting is at the heart of all good public policy. Pro-growth tax reform cannot occur without prudent budgeting and spending restraint. Thanks to the wise priorities of both Governor Reynolds and the legislature, Iowa’s fiscal foundation is strong.

ITR Foundation Government Spending
December 4, 2023

Iowa vs. Minnesota: The Future of State Fiscal Policy

This article was published in Real Clear Policy and Nation Review. When people vote with their feet, they prefer lower taxes and the slim, trim state government Governor Reynolds offers in Iowa.    “A tax-cutting wave is sweeping over America’s states,” The Economist claims in a recent feature, and Iowa, it argues, has “emerged as America’s tax-cutting champion, a paragon […]

John Hendrickson and John Phelan Government Spending
November 17, 2023

The 2025 Conservative Iowa Budget: A Plan for Continued Progress

The core principle is that an effective limit should reflect the average taxpayer’s ability to pay for the budget. Introduction The rewards of Iowa’s leadership in fiscal conservatism become more evident every year. Using a sustainable budgeting approach, the state has put its burdensome personal income taxes on a steady path of rate cuts. This proven pro-growth approach has worked over the […]

John Hendrickson and Vance Ginn, Ph.D. Government Spending
October 27, 2023

Pro-Growth Tax Reform Improves Iowa’s Tax Competitiveness

The Tax Foundation’s ranking, in combination with continuing surpluses, proves that fiscal conservatism is working in Iowa. Tax rates matter. They are a major factor determining the economic well-being of a state in both the money they leave in the economy and the impressions decision-makers have when comparing states. The Tax Foundation recently released its annual 2024 State Business Tax […]

John Hendrickson Government Spending
October 17, 2023

Iowa Revenue Keeps Growing With More Tax Cuts on the Horizon

Total FY2023 net revenue exceeded the REC’s March estimates. Iowa’s recently released revenue report for September revenue contains the final accounting for fiscal year 2023 (FY23). In early 2022, the Iowa Legislature enacted historic income tax reform reducing top rates and allowing taxpayers to keep more of their hard-earned income. The three-member Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) predicted Iowa would bring in less money in FY23 than the prior […]

Sarah Curry, DBA Government Spending
October 9, 2023

Governor Reynolds Brings Greater Accountability and Oversight to Government

This article was published in The Gazette. Governor Reynolds is working to reform state government and make it more accountable and efficient for the taxpayer. Former President Herbert Hoover chaired two commissions during the presidential administrations of President Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower. The Hoover Commissions were looking to make government more efficient. As a result of the […]

John Hendrickson Regulations
August 16, 2023

Protecting the Interests of the Taxpayer: Why the Taxpayer Relief Fund Needs Constitutional Protection

This article was published in the Washington Examiner. Too often the voice of the taxpayer is drowned out by louder special interest lobbyists. Protecting the Taxpayer Relief Fund in the Constitution would ensure that the interests of taxpayers — and their money — are secure. As a taxpayer, did you know that the state of Iowa is currently holding close […]

John Hendrickson Government Spending
July 18, 2023

Federalism Can Help Tame the National Debt

This article was published in National Review. On the current path, it seems inevitable that the federal government won’t live up to its obligations to the states. State policy-makers need to find ways to push back against Washington, D.C. The late constitutional scholar James McClellan described federalism as a principle that the American Founders had woven “into the constitutional fabric” of […]

John Hendrickson and Pete Sepp Federal
July 5, 2023

Tax Cuts Are Not the Problem

Instead of crying wolf every time a minimal amount is cut from their revenue growth, local governments should rein in their spending. The dust hasn’t even settled on a new property tax law that provides tax breaks to seniors and veterans and local governments are already crying wolf. An article published by Axios Des Moines claims the new property tax […]

Sarah Curry, DBA Government Spending
June 26, 2023

Blue State Budget Woes: States Cannot Tax and Spend Their Way to Prosperity

This article was published in The Cedar Rapids Gazette. Media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal are beginning to recognize that the Red-state model of limited spending and pro-growth tax reform is working. A recent editorial by The Wall Street Journal highlights several progressive Democrat “Blue” states confronting budget problems as a result of overspending and tax increases. States […]

John Hendrickson Government Spending

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