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| The Recovery Act — Impacts in Iowa | |
| What to Watch for on Recovery Act Impacts | |
| As Iowa Fiscal Partnership analysts and others have pointed out, economic stimulus measures need to be targeted, timely and temporary, to act as a bridge across the economic and fiscal valley of a recession. Andrew Cannon's February 2012 policy brief notes how the Recovery Act was used in Iowa's budget in lean years leading to preparations for the 2013 budget, now that revenues are stronger than in recent years. See especially the first four pages of his brief, “Catching Up: Context for 2012 Budget Decisions in Iowa.” From that brief: “While there is certainly merit in reducing the use of one-time money for the continuing expenses of the state, one-time-fund critics sometimes let strict adherence to that concept get the best of them. For instance, Recovery Act dollars were used precisely as intended: targeted, timely and temporary relief so that states could continue funding critical services, such as K-12 education and health services to individuals and families. State revenues declined precipitously during the worst of the recession; the Recovery Act bridged that drop-off in revenues until a time when revenues improved as the economy regained strength. The same can be said for use of $38.7 million from one of the rainy-day funds since high unemployment and reduced revenues during the year must constitute the rainy revenue day that the fund was designed to cover.” Policy Brief PDF (12 pages) 2/7/12 News Release HTML PDF (1 page) | |
| Smart Steps in Recovery — Improving the Child Tax Credit | |
By maintaining the Child Tax Credit eligibility rules modified in the Recovery Act, Congress could help thousands of working Iowans and their children who struggle to support their families and make ends meet. | |
| Weatherizing Iowa to a Green Recovery | |
| At the same time the federal economic recovery package
is boosting income and the number of jobs for Iowa workers, it is improving energy-savings
opportunities for Iowa families who cannot otherwise afford them. Policy Brief PDF (7 pages) 5/20/10 News Release HTML PDF (2 pages) | |
| Recovery Funds Promote Gains in Child Health Access | |
Thanks to legislative actions in 2008 and 2009, and to federal stimulus dollars, Iowa has become a leader among states in ensuring health insurance coverage for nearly all Iowa children. | |
| Food Assistance, Jobless Aid Boosting Iowa Economy | |
Federal recovery dollars for Iowa’s unemployment insurance system boosted the Iowa economy by over $500 million and more than 3,700 jobs in 2009, with continuing benefits into 2010. | 
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In the first year of the federal recovery act, food assistance increases alone have boosted economic activity and income, and saved or created jobs in Iowa. | |
| Just What Doctor Ordered: Medicaid Recovery Funds Helping Iowans | |
Increased Medicaid spending has an economic benefit for the state of Iowa far greater than the federal government’s initial investment — about $1.68 for each dollar invested. | |
| More Analysis of ARRA Impacts in Iowa | |
TANF Emergency Fund — The recovery act (ARRA) provides an opportunity for Iowa to
strengthen its TANF program and meet the needs of poor working families as well as those who have
lost their jobs. | |
Child care — Iowa can help families barely out of poverty to keep covering child care expenses even as their earnings rise, if the state uses federal recovery act funds as intended. | |
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