Chris Hagenow is joined virtually by ITR Foundation Research Director Sarah Curry for a focused episode on what's actually on Iowa's November ballot — all of it, not just the top of the ticket. Amendment One gets its regular plug: it's on the back of the ballot, and a yes vote makes it harder for the legislature to raise your income taxes. But Sarah is also tracking the other public measures — bon...
ITR has been crisscrossing the state for the constitutional amendment. If you want yard signs or want them to come to your community, reach out. On the campaign environment, Chris pushes back on the doom-and-gloom narrative taking hold in Republican circles. Then: a Capitol report from a property tax task force this week, an economic development story developing in southeast Iowa worth watching, a...
With Labor Day marking the official start of the campaign sprint, Chris and John survey the advertising landscape taking shape across Iowa's major races. What are prevailing themes in these campaigns, and what issues should candidates address?
Amendment 1 was the focus of Chris Hagenow’s recap of his Iowa Public Radio debate, where he thoroughly rebutted opposition claims of service cuts, police and fire defunding, and budget paralysis. Hagenow and John Hendrickson also surveyed the Iowa governor and Senate races ahead of Labor Day, shared national praise for Iowa’s conservative reforms, and closed on the national debt crossing $40 tril...
Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson are back in the Hendrickson Library for a wide-ranging episode — and opposition to the constitutional amendment is starting to emerge, which means it's time to sharpen the arguments. Chris leads with the amendment, because voices on the left are now claiming that protecting income taxes from a simple majority vote will somehow cause other taxes to go up. Chris a...
Sarah and Chris walk through what the symposium is and why it exists — local elected officials don't have the same depth of resources available to state legislators, and too often the information they do receive comes filtered through national associations with agendas that don't match Iowa. ITR Foundation is trying to fill that gap with practical, Iowa-focused content for the city council members...
The big news: ITR officially launched its campaign yesterday. The website is live at MakeTaxHikesHarder.com. The mission is straightforward — make sure Iowans know the constitutional amendment is on the ballot this fall, and know to vote yes. Chris walks through what the amendment does and why it matters.
The episode opens with a reflection on America's 250th birthday. Chris wanted more. The fireworks, the parades, the national moment — it didn't feel commensurate with what 250 years of the greatest experiment in self-government deserves. John connects the muted celebration to decades of failure to teach American history, and the two discuss why the left's framework for America — defined by grievan...
Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson are back in the Hendrickson Library for a special episode: the first public look at the ITR Foundation's June 2026 general election poll. These are, as far as Chris knows, the first published numbers of the cycle on Iowa's major statewide races — and the results are worth paying attention to.