The Iowa Taxpayer Relief Fund is an account in the state treasury that holds unanticipated state revenue to be returned to the taxpayers. In order for funds to be deposited in the Taxpayer Relief...

Keeping students safe in schools is a top priority. Last week, the Public Safety Committee advanced House Study Bill 675 to ensure students have the protection they deserve. HSB 675 has two parts,...

This fall, the House and Senate held a joint interim committee to discuss the continued fight against human trafficking. The committee consisted of Representatives, Senators, law enforcement, county a...

Revenue to the State of Iowa from legalized gambling is taking divergent paths in the new fiscal year. While casino gaming receipts are falling, sports wagering continues to grow. In October, the stat...

Iowa was recently involved in several lawsuits against pharmaceutical drug companies, drug distributor firms and giant pharmacy companies regarding opioids. Over time, these suits generated a number...

Recently, Bankrate rated Iowa the No. 1 state for retirement after consideration of affordability, overall well-being, cost of quality healthcare, weather and crime. Bankrate stated that affordability...

Two of the most common concerns I hear are about roads not getting fix and too much road construction. Our local department of transportation folks are constantly reviewing road conditions,...

With Gov. Kim Reynolds’ signature on each of the 2023 budget bills, the state’s spending plan for the new fiscal year is now set. The governor signed all of the Fiscal Year 2024 budget bills on Jun...

The governor recently signed Senate File 542, which makes updates to Iowa’s youth employment laws. This bill changed significantly in its journey through the Legislature. This bill was developed w...

Iowa law requires that all residential property be reassessed every two years on the odd numbered year by the county assessor. That means Iowans had their homes reassessed this year. When talking...

The Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) met last month to give a better outlook of the state’s budget. For Fiscal Year 2023, the REC panel increased expected revenue for the current fiscal year f...

General Fund revenue for the state continued to come in strong, as tax receipts in May were 43.6 percent higher than what the state collected in May 2021. While some of this increase is attributable...

Last week, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced that the Glenwood Resource Center will close in 2024. GRC is one of two state-run resource centers in Iowa to serve Iowans with intellectual disabilities. GRC...

Over the last five years, the Iowa Legislature has passed bipartisan mental health reform, created the state’s first ever children’s mental health system, created long-term sustainable funding for...

Feb. 18 is the last day of “Funnel Week.” This is the week the Legislature cuts off debate for bills that have not made enough progress to get out of committee. This process helps narrow down the sco...

This session, there were several child care bills brought forward in an attempt to increase child care workforce numbers, increase provider rates to maintain existing child care facilities, provide...

The Iowa Constitution requires that every 10 years following the census there must be a drawing of congressional and state legislative districts based on changes in population, also known as redistric...