Iowans for Tax Relief

ITR Live Podcast - The Doom and Gloom Tour: Why Local Government Complaints Might Actually Good News taxrelief.org/the-doom-and-g…

Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson are back at the Hendrickson Library for another episode of ITR Live, checking in on Iowa politics as the legislative session heads into its final stretch and the June primary begins to take shape. youtube.com/watch?v=M3MO80…

Last week, the Iowa Senate approved an amended property tax reform bill on a vote of 41–4. The House Republicans’ version was passed by the House Ways and Means Committee on March 18 and is expected to move forward in the next few weeks. These proposals share common goals but take different approaches, including caps on local government revenue growth, changes to assessment practices, shifts in school funding, limits on TIF, and varying mixes of exemptions, freezes, and tax base adjustments. Governor Reynolds and legislative leaders from both parties described this as the first step in negotiations. Their goal is to reach a final property tax reform agreement this year. Click to see a comparison of the proposals: taxrelief.org/a-side-by-side…

"Simply show up and say, 'I can't afford this increase any longer,'" says ITR President Chris Hagenow. "This is the time because it is the spending that drives your property tax bill, not those other pieces."

Thank you for your leadership and hard work on behalf of Iowa taxpayers! "Iowans are better off today because of what we have been able to accomplish together." - @IAGovernor

ITR Live Podcast: Your Iowa Property Tax Bill Is Going Up — Here's Exactly How Much youtube.com/watch?v=np_Veg…

Local governments always say the same thing: “If revenue growth slows, we’ll have to cut police and fire.” But in Urbandale, the city council just approved hiring a branding consultant for downtown development. So which is it? A funding crisis or a priorities problem? businessrecord.com/urbandale-cont…

Confused by the local budget statement you received in the mail. Use our calculator to see what will happen to your property tax bill. itrlocal.org/index.php/2026…

Iowa's March Revenue Forecast, Government Overreach & Candidate Filing Day youtube.com/watch?v=KP8UnO…

New podcast episode: Feenstra's 7-Figure Ad Buy, Rob Sand's Shutdown Threat & Iowa's Education Waiver youtube.com/watch?v=S6CATn…

New ITR Live podcast: Guardrails for Government: TIF, Budgets, and Regulations in One Week youtube.com/watch?v=XV2xWb…

New trivia question: Who was Abraham Lincoln’s political hero? Listen to ITR Live! This week, Chris and John talk about property taxes and pretend reform. youtube.com/watch?v=qvMfoP…

Turn Those Machines Back On! Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson return to the ITR Live podcast microphones as the Iowa legislative session begins to take shape. With early attention on the governor’s race and shifting dynamics within Republican primaries, the hosts walk through recent endorsements, straw polls, and why early momentum matters—but doesn’t decide outcomes. They emphasize that fundraising, voter outreach, and timing will ultimately determine how crowded races shake out. The conversation then shifts to the Capitol, where activity feels slower than usual on the surface but masks a growing list of policy debates. While property tax reform remains a top priority, Chris and John explain why it’s normal for tax legislation to quiet down early in session as lawmakers sort through policy bills and competing interests. They stress that the absence of headlines does not mean work has stalled—particularly on property taxes. youtube.com/watch?v=vVDKXw…

Momentum is building around the need for limits on local revenue growth. ITR has long advocated for a 2% property tax cap, and that idea is now central to the property tax debate. The Senate, Governor, and House proposals share common goals but take different approaches, including caps on local government revenue growth, changes to assessment practices, shifts in school funding, limits on TIF, and varying mixes of exemptions, freezes, and tax base adjustments. The House proposal stands out by prioritizing transparency and structural restraint, improving property tax disclosure statements, and avoiding targeted exemptions or freezes for specific groups, reflecting a broader debate over how to provide relief while minimizing unintended consequences. taxrelief.org/a-side-by-side…

New ITR Live podcast episode: Chris Hagenow is joined in-studio by returning guest Alan Ostergren for a wide-ranging episode that quickly locks onto the political backdrop shaping Iowa’s 2026 cycle: money, organization, and the reality that statewide races are now fought on presidential-scale budgets and media saturation. youtube.com/watch?v=zzyRJO…

Three Plans, One Goal as Legislation is Introduced Property tax reform has moved quickly into action in 2026, with Republicans in both chambers and Governor Kim Reynolds introducing comprehensive proposals aimed at slowing property tax growth and addressing long-standing structural problems in Iowa’s system. The Senate, Governor, and House proposals share common goals but take different approaches, including caps on local government revenue growth, changes to assessment practices, shifts in school funding, limits on TIF, and varying mixes of exemptions, freezes, and tax base adjustments. The House proposal stands out by prioritizing transparency and structural restraint, improving property tax disclosure statements and avoiding targeted exemptions or freezes for specific groups, reflecting a broader debate over how to provide relief while minimizing unintended consequences. itrfoundation.org/three-plans-on…