Stories

Federal stimulus for Medicaid has boosted jobs and incomes in Iowa while meeting the immediate health needs of vulnerable Iowans enduring a recession, researchers with the Iowa Fiscal Partnership reported today.
“Increased Medicaid spending has an economic benefit for the state of Iowa far greater than the federal government’s initial investment,” explained David Swenson, an economist [...]

Instead of resorting to layoffs to meet Gov. Chet Culver’s 10 percent across-the-board budget cuts, state government should implement an employee pay reduction, Iowa Tax Relief President Ed Failor Jr. said Monday.

The controversy surrounding the state’s tax credit program designed to lure film projects to Iowa is just a small part of a much bigger problem, Charles Bruner, co-director of the nonpartisan Iowa Fiscal Partnership, said Wednesday in in Op-Ed published by The Des Moines Register.

A new study by the Iowa Fiscal Partnership calls for changes to the state’s tax policy to help cities still reeling from this summer’s floods.
A city’s tax base may be declining due to a loss of business or residential property, but at the same time it is being asked for more services to deal with [...]

A report released yesterday by the Iowa Fiscal Partnership found that June floods that devastated many parts of Iowa particularly affected low-income residents, a fact that should be taken into account as the rebuilding efforts move forward.