Over the last two decades, Iowa has been consistently underfunding education and other critical state priorities. Iowa’s legislature has typically cited limited revenue growth projections to justify this behavior. However, the root cause of this issue is mostly self-inflicted, caused by the state’s affinity for tax cuts. Business tax breaks have been draining $275 million …
Connecting the Dots: Tax Breaks and School Funding Read More »
Iowa voters were disappointed with Governor Kim Reynolds’ proposal to support the state’s trust fund for outdoor recreation and water quality. In order to assure increased money for outdoor recreation and water quality, Iowa voters adopted a constitutional amendment that established the trust fund. This amendment became section 461.31.2(c) of the Iowa Code. The next …
The most valuable company tax credit scheme in Iowa is the Research Activity Credit (RAC). The initiative, which was initially designed to assist start-up businesses in doing research, now predominantly benefits giant enterprises with no oversight. Some businesses obtain credits that essentially lower their taxes, while others owe no income tax or can get the …
The American Health Care Act (AHCA) passed by the House of Representatives would cut health insurance for nearly 200,000 Iowans to provide tax cuts for the wealthy, drug companies, and insurance companies. Instead of fixing the problems with Iowa’s health insurance exchange, it would make those problems worse. Supporters’ promises of more state flexibility and …
To promote its right-wing policy goal, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has been disseminating its Rich States, Poor States study. The paper has drawn criticism for using subpar research techniques and drawing false findings. To address the concerns made by previous investigations, such as Selling Snake Oil to the States by Good Jobs First …
A recent report published by Good Jobs First and the Iowa Policy Project has revealed that the policies recommended by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) have not produced strong job creation or income growth. The report, titled “Selling Snake Oil to the States,” highlights that ALEC’s policies have actually resulted in worse economic outcomes …
The debate over tax breaks for the wealthy has been an ongoing and controversial issue, with the state of Iowa being no exception. The proposition to extend tax breaks for individuals inheriting multimillion-dollar estates in Iowa has sparked a debate, with experts criticizing the proposal as a bad idea, particularly when combined with other proposals …
This report provides an overview of the use of tax increment financing (TIF) by cities in Polk County, Iowa, and its impact on school and countywide tax rates. TIF is a program used to support development projects in targeted areas, allowing cities to divert incremental taxes generated by improvements to the area from the school …
The role of public higher education in benefiting society has long been acknowledged. However, in recent years, forces including political and cultural factors have led to a challenge of the public role in supporting higher education, causing a decline in state funding across the US, including in Iowa. Since 1990, Iowa’s state support for higher …
Up and Down: Regents’ Costs Rise, Funding Drops in Iowa Read More »
When businesses are considering expanding or relocating, they weigh various factors that affect costs, productivity, and sales. These factors include access to markets and suppliers, transportation and energy costs, wage rates, healthcare costs, land acquisition costs, access to business services, quality of schools, proximity to university research facilities, and state and local taxes. While advocates …
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