As Iowa’s legislature pushes toward adjournment, the focus is on finalizing the state budget and negotiations over property tax relief. The budget appears close to resolution, but property taxes remain the major sticking point. The Iowa Senate approved an amended property tax reform bill (SF 2472) 41–4 on April 8. This week, the House took up the Senate’s bill, replaced it with its own language, a...
An update on Iowa's property tax bill: The House picked up the Senate file, amended it with their own language, and passed it 64 to 23 — with three Democrats crossing the aisle — sending it back to the Senate. Chris and John walk through the standout moment from the House floor debate: Ways and Means Chairman Carter Nordman's defense of the 2% hard spending cap. His argument is the one that matter...
From a public policy standpoint, Iowa has become a national leader in conservative reform. On taxes, budgeting, regulation, school choice, and protections for life and civil liberties, the state stands in sharp contrast to neighbors such as Minnesota and Illinois. But policy alone does not fully explain why so many people love Iowa. “What happened this year went beyond Iowa nice. You showed a huma...
Property tax frustration is growing nationwide, and taxpayers are increasingly rejecting higher taxes while calling for stronger protections. Massachusetts’ Proposition 2½ shows how effective guardrails can work, as voters in South Hadley rejected major tax increases that could have raised bills by up to 50%. The message is clear: taxpayers expect governments to control spending and prioritize bud...
Federal spending and the national debt are on an unsustainable path, with rising deficits and interest costs forcing cuts that are already beginning to impact states. The states, including Iowa, are highly exposed, relying on billions in federal funds that can be reduced, restricted, or eliminated with little warning. Lawmakers can prepare by increasing transparency, oversight, and long-term plann...
Property tax reform can feel like fighting a war on a thousand fronts. Should the focus be on assessments, levy rates, or rollback? Or on Tax Increment Financing (TIF), targeted credits, and exemptions? School funding adds yet another layer. While all these factors influence property taxes, they often distract from the core issue that has undermined past reform efforts. That issue is government sp...
Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson are back at the Hendrickson Library for another episode of ITR Live, checking in on Iowa politics as the legislative session heads into its final stretch and the June primary begins to take shape. With 46 days until primary day, the race for governor is heating up — and candidates across the board are hitting the airwaves in chore coats and barn settings, leaning...
Federal deficit spending has reached unsustainable levels, with the national debt surpassing $39 trillion, driven by decades of expanding government involvement in the economy. Even small, well-intentioned programs, like federal grants to support young commercial fishermen, contribute to a broader pattern where nearly every challenge is met with new spending. When government spending replaces the ...
Momentum is building around the need for limits on local revenue growth. ITR has long advocated for a 2% property tax cap, and that idea is now central to the property tax debate. The Senate, Governor, and House proposals share common goals but take different approaches, including caps on local government revenue growth, changes to assessment practices, shifts in school funding, limits on TIF, and...