Why lawmakers are acting now: Iowa legislators have been considering oversight measures in Medicaid and SNAP to strengthen program integrity, prevent fraud, and prepare for new federal policies that will penalize states with high error or fraud rates. National problems highlight the risk: Large-scale fraud uncovered in states like Minnesota, and an estimated $186 billion in improper payments natio...
Soon, you will receive a proposed property tax levy and public hearing notice. It is confusing and doesn’t let you know how much your property tax bill will increase. So, after you receive this notification, use ITR's calculator below to see how your tax bill will change.
Populism reflects real frustration with cultural decline and economic instability — but the solution matters. The key divide is whether populism empowers people or expands government power. National conservatism risks centralizing authority, using executive power, tariffs, and industrial policy in ways that blur constitutional limits and shift decision-making from citizens to politicians. Freedom ...
National conservatism argues that conservatism must prioritize the nation’s common good, restoring sovereignty, moral order, and national cohesion after decades of emphasizing individual autonomy above all else. It contends that markets alone cannot preserve communities or national strength, and that prudent policies — including protective tariffs, immigration limits, and restrained foreign policy...
Governor Kim Reynolds made clear in her Condition of the State address that Iowa’s property tax burden can no longer be ignored. The demand for reform cuts across geography and income. High property taxes affect seniors on fixed incomes, families struggling to make ends meet, small business owners, and young Iowans trying to save for their first home. “Whether you live in a small town, growing...
Student enrollment declined in 2025: Iowa’s K–12 enrollment in public, charter, and private schools fell by about 1 percent in 2025, driven primarily by a 1.5 percent drop—more than 7,000 students—in public school enrollment. Public school trends drive overall enrollment, not private school growth: While private school enrollment increased modestly in 2025, those gains account for only about one-t...
School districts are the single largest driver of Iowa property taxes, yet school spending is rarely included in reform discussions. Other states are limiting school budgets to control local taxes, with New Hampshire and South Dakota currently demonstrating that education can’t be exempt from spending discipline. Iowa can deliver meaningful property tax relief only by applying spending limits to ...
Central Iowa taxpayers and legislators voiced overwhelming frustration with high property taxes, citing rising local spending and a lack of transparency. Audience testimony highlighted widespread concern about school spending priorities and commercial property burdens, with many noting that facilities expansion has outpaced academic results and that high property taxes are discouraging business in...