Advertise on podcast: ITR Live: Iowa Politics and Conservative Policy

Chris Hagenow is joined virtually by ITR Foundation Research Director Sarah Curry for a focused episode on what's actually on Iowa's November ballot — all of it, not just the top of the ticket. Amendment One gets its regular plug: it's on the back of the ballot, and a yes vote makes it harder for the legislature to raise your income taxes. But Sarah is also tracking the other public measures — bonds, levies, and referenda from school districts, cities, and counties across the state. She's already identified more than 50, and there are some big ones. Repeat offenders, leading surveys, and projects that may have little to do with the outcomes they're promised to deliver. That leads into a conversation about Sarah's new ITR Foundation research piece on school infrastructure spending — what the academic literature actually says about whether new buildings improve student outcomes. The answer is more nuanced than the bond campaigns would have you believe, and Sarah brings both the data and a parent's perspective. ITR Report Card gets a plug as well — a useful tool for anyone who wants to know how their local district is actually performing before they vote on a bond. 0:06 Welcome 2:34 Amendment One 5:22 Other ballot measures: bonds, levies, and local referenda 6:34 Repeat offenders and leading surveys 10:43 Sarah's school infrastructure research 12:29 What the academic literature actually says 15:26 Capital spending vs. classroom spending 17:42 Iowa school debt: $3.6B to $5.6B in a decade 20:46 Bonds aren't bad — but look at the details 21:37 ITR Report Card — find your district's data 24:26 Local government summit and educating elected officials 26:24 What comes after November 27:03 Sign off

Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson are back in the Hendrickson Library — Dr. Pepper Zero in hand, courtesy of friend Mark Beardmore from Carroll — with a lot to cover six weeks out from Election Day. ITR has been crisscrossing the state for the constitutional amendment. If you want yard signs or want them to come to your community, reach out. On the campaign environment, Chris pushes back on the doom-and-gloom narrative taking hold in Republican circles. Then: a Capitol report from a property tax task force this week, an economic development story developing in southeast Iowa worth watching, and a new ITR Foundation research piece on school infrastructure spending and what the evidence actually shows about outcomes. Des Moines provides a timely real-world case study. The episode closes on a question worth asking about every government program: what's the return on investment? 0:06 Welcome & Dr. Pepper Zero is back 2:54 Trivia 4:07 Amendment One on the road 5:30 The political environment 9:05 What ITR's polling shows 13:38 Ground game matters 14:59 Capitol report 20:33 Southeast Iowa economic development 23:03 School spending and outcomes 27:26 Des Moines bond referendum 31:12 ROI and government spending 32:53 Sign off

Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson mark a somber Friday in the Hendrickson Library — the 25th anniversary of September 11th and the one-year anniversary of the passing of Charlie Kirk. Both get a moment of reflection before the episode moves on to the business at hand. The main event is Amendment One. The opposition campaign has officially launched, led by Common Good Iowa and a coalition of progressive interest groups and public and private labor unions. Chris walks through their arguments — service cuts, school funding, emergency response — and finds the same thread running through all of them: a baseline desire to make it easier to raise taxes. John frames it cleanly: these are the tax eaters, and their language of "fully fund" and "invest" is code for more government spending. Chris closes with the complete ITR campaign playbook — no hidden agenda, no complicated counter-arguments. Just a simple message: this amendment makes it harder to raise your taxes, and most Iowans agree that's a good thing. ITR is traveling the state and wants to come to your meeting. If you have a group, reach out. 0:06 Welcome 1:53 9/11 at 25 5:48 Charlie Kirk anniversary 8:20 Housekeeping & vote yes reminder 9:03 ITR on the road — come find us 10:20 Trivia: H.R. Gross answer & new Civil War question 13:08 The opposition campaign launches 14:32 Breaking down their arguments 18:04 The tax eaters — what they really want 20:49 ITR's campaign playbook 25:17 Sign off

With Labor Day marking the official start of the campaign sprint, Chris and John survey the advertising landscape taking shape across Iowa's major races. What are prevailing themes in these campaigns, and what issues should candidates address?The policy conversation centers on affordability and what's actually driving voter concern heading into November. John references a Washington Times piece on the economy as the dominant issue of the cycle, and Chris draws the through line from federal deficit spending to consumer prices to Iowa's case for fiscal restraint — and for Amendment One. John and Chris also plug a co-authored piece with Tom Sands making the business climate case for the amendment, using Washington state's income tax spiral as the cautionary example.

Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson are back together in studio after John has been out on what Chris generously describes as a paleo-conservative world tour. The conversation opens with a survey of the Iowa governor's race, including a new Suffolk University poll showing Rob Sand with a modest lead over Zach Lahn and Ashley Hinson ahead of Josh Turek in the Senate race. Chris and John assess where the race stands with Labor Day approaching, what issues are actually moving voters — and whether the water quality and cancer conversation dominating the campaign trail reflects what Iowans are thinking about at the dinner table. John brings back a dispatch from the State Policy Network's annual conference, where Iowa's decade of conservative reform was a consistent topic of conversation. Colleagues from around the country — including states playing nothing but defense — noted that Iowa is doing something rare: leaders who said they'd cut taxes and did, who said they'd do school choice and did. Governor Reynolds drew particular praise. Chris closes with a recap of his Iowa Public Radio River to River debate on Amendment One against a League of Women Voters representative. The opposition's arguments — service cuts, police and fire defunding, budget paralysis — got a thorough airing and a thorough rebuttal. The episode ends with the national debt crossing $40 trillion and a reminder of why Iowa's fiscal foundation is worth protecting. 0:09 Welcome back & John's return 2:36 Trivia 4:51 Suffolk poll: governor's and Senate races 9:03 Water quality vs. kitchen table economics 10:14 Sand's economic program 11:44 Lahn elevating tax policy 12:59 Is it always the economy, stupid? 14:09 What real Iowans are talking about 15:46 The ongoing case for tax relief 17:57 John's national dispatch 19:40 Iowa's reputation among conservative peers 20:54 Reynolds and the vision beyond reelection 24:23 River to River: the Amendment One debate 26:02 Rebutting the opposition's arguments 28:30 Washington state: the cautionary tale 29:59 The forces that always want more 32:13 National debt hits $40 trillion 34:26 Iowa's fiscal foundation 35:09 Sign off

Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson are back in the Hendrickson Library for a wide-ranging episode — and opposition to the constitutional amendment is starting to emerge, which means it's time to sharpen the arguments. Chris leads with the amendment, because voices on the left are now claiming that protecting income taxes from a simple majority vote will somehow cause other taxes to go up. Chris and John take that argument apart piece by piece, drawing on Iowa's own recent history to show why the premise doesn't hold. The real lesson: every time someone argues Iowa will inevitably need to raise more revenue, they're making the case for why this protection needs to be in the Constitution. From there, the conversation turns to local government and the ongoing fallout from the property tax reform law. The city of Dubuque's complaint about a $200 million drop in taxable value gets a close reading. Bond elections are on the horizon in Johnson County and Urbandale, both for law enforcement facilities. The episode closes with a look at the Sand-Muhlbauer ticket's "local control" messaging tour and what it actually means: they want local governments to be able to keep raising property taxes. 0:00 Welcome & headset chaos1:57 Trivia4:34 Amendment one: opposition is emerging6:00 The "other taxes will go up" argument9:48 Distrust of government13:41 Dubuque and the property tax bill backlash15:10 The inflation argument18:57 Bond elections24:28 Sand-Muhlbauer "local control" tour29:43 John's immigration debate with Vance Ginn30:58 John's Herbert Hoover Library visit & sign off

Chris Hagenow welcomes ITR Foundation Research Director Sarah Curry back to the studio. The occasion: a debrief on ITR Foundation's second annual Local Government Symposium, and it sounds like it was the best one yet. Sarah and Chris walk through what the symposium is and why it exists — local elected officials don't have the same depth of resources available to state legislators, and too often the information they do receive comes filtered through national associations with agendas that don't match Iowa. ITR Foundation is trying to fill that gap with practical, Iowa-focused content for the city council members, county supervisors, and school board members who are running local government on a part-time basis while holding down jobs and raising families. The conversation covers the day's major themes: what the proper function of a city actually is (police, fire, roads — not homeless task forces or economic development grants), why the free market allocates resources better than government, and what local officials should take from the property tax reform law that is now on the books — namely, that relitigating it is a waste of time and energy. The symposium also featured sessions on communicating with constituents, local endorsements, open meetings law, and a school board track that introduced benchmarking — why comparing Waterloo to Sioux City makes more sense than comparing Waterloo to Waukee. Before and after the symposium discussion, Chris makes sure listeners know about the amendment one campaign. Vote yes. MakeTaxHikesHarder.com. 0:12 Welcome & Sarah Curry returns 1:14 Amendment one reminder — and Sarah goes on record 2:13 What is the Local Government Symposium? 3:33 Why local officials need a different kind of resource 9:13 Free market vs. government in service delivery 10:04 UBI and scope creep: what cities shouldn't be doing 12:31 Property tax reform: stop relitigating, start implementing 13:38 Communications and constituent outreach 16:00 Local endorsements — more powerful than you think 19:27 Open meetings law and legal guardrails 22:15 School board breakout: benchmarking districts correctly 25:06 Chris's legislative update: property tax law is settled 30:08 What's next for ITR Foundation's local government work 30:45 Sign off & vote yes

Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson are back in the Hendrickson Library — John rolls in with a red solo cup of cream soda, and the energy is right. This one's worth tuning in for. The big news: ITR officially launched its campaign yesterday. The website is live at MakeTaxHikesHarder.com. The mission is straightforward — make sure Iowans know the constitutional amendment is on the ballot this fall, and know to vote yes. Chris walks through what the amendment does and why it matters. From there, New Jersey's admission that over 6,000 noncitizens were added to its voter rolls — and 400 of them voted — gives Chris and John an opportunity to revisit the election integrity debate. Governor Reynolds was asked about it at the same press conference where she signaled support for the amendment, and her answer hits the right notes. The episode closes with two Chicago Tribune editorials on tax policy that John flagged — both making the case that Illinois is falling behind its neighbors on property tax and income tax reform, and that spending is the root of the problem. When the Tribune editorial board starts sounding like ITR, something might actually be changing. 0:13 Red solo cup 2:31 Campaign launch: MakeTaxHikesHarder.com 3:08 What the amendment does 5:59 16 states already have this — including blue ones 7:48 Washington state: what happens without it 9:39 History: this was on the ballot in 1999 10:14 What the amendment doesn't do 11:35 Public support 12:16 Two things Iowans need to know before November 14:41 Iowa's decade of income tax progress 15:08 New Jersey: 6,000 noncitizens on the voter rolls 17:11 The case for voter roll integrity 18:05 Chris's University of Iowa panel story 20:07 Chicago Tribune on property taxes and Illinois 22:13 Tribune on income taxes: Iowa as the model 26:03 Sign off & vote yes

Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson are back in the Hendrickson Library — Dr. Pepper Zero firmly in hand — for a wide-ranging episode covering American patriotism, election integrity, faith in politics, and Iowa voter registration trends. The episode opens with a reflection on America's 250th birthday. Chris wanted more. The fireworks, the parades, the national moment — it didn't feel commensurate with what 250 years of the greatest experiment in self-government deserves. John connects the muted celebration to decades of failure to teach American history, and the two discuss why the left's framework for America — defined by grievance rather than gratitude — is increasingly out of step with how the rest of the world sees this country. From there, a Des Moines Register story catches their attention: a coalition of faith leaders warning that voting integrity laws are "the moral issue of our time." Chris and John take that claim seriously — and find it wanting. The conversation gets at something deeper than any specific piece of legislation: when social justice becomes the gospel, what happens to the actual gospel? The back half covers Iowa's new voter registration numbers — Democrats and Republicans both added voters coming out of the primaries, while independents declined — and what that tells us about Rob Sand's argument for a jungle primary. Spoiler: it doesn't hold up. The episode closes with a clear distinction between what conservatives mean when they talk about election law versus what the left is actually proposing, and a reminder to flip your ballot over this fall and vote yes on the constitutional amendment. 0:10 Welcome 1:09 Trivia 3:16 Smithsonian: correcting the American history narrative 5:23 Fourth of July rhetoric from the left 9:10 America at 250 16:48 Faith leaders and voting rights 18:35 The Save Act and voter ID 22:21 When social justice becomes the gospel 26:53 Iowa voter registration numbers 28:39 Sand's jungle primary argument falls apart 30:45 Election law reform vs. what the left actually wants 34:07 Reform vs. revolution 35:06 Candidates on taxes — next episode 35:32 Vote yes & sign off

Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson are back in the Hendrickson Library for a special episode: the first public look at the ITR Foundation's June 2026 general election poll. These are, as far as Chris knows, the first published numbers of the cycle on Iowa's major statewide races — and the results are worth paying attention to. The poll covers the generic ballot, issue priorities, candidate matchups in all three major statewide races, and — most importantly for ITR — the constitutional amendment to require a two-thirds legislative supermajority to raise income taxes. Chris and John walk through what the numbers say, what they mean, and what they don't. The headline from the amendment question: 74% of Iowans support it — higher than in any previous poll — including 72% of independents and 60% of Democrats. Chris makes the case that whatever the margin of error, whatever the exact sample, the underlying message is unambiguous: Iowans want protection from future tax increases, and they want it written into the constitution. Tune in for the full breakdown of the governor's race numbers (closer than most Republicans assume), the Senate and AG matchups, and what the issue priority data says about the environment heading into November.0:14 Welcome & housekeeping1:46 Trivia: Coolidge answer & new Civil War question3:25 Iowa Dept. of Revenue income tax report4:55 About the ITR Foundation poll & Cygnal methodology9:17 Right track / wrong track & generic ballot10:55 Top voter issues: economy, taxes, immigration14:35 US Senate: Hinson vs. Turek15:27 Governor: Lahn vs. Sand15:47 Attorney General: Bird vs. Williams17:00 Sand's name ID advantage — and its limits20:38 The constitutional amendment explained22:13 74% support — breaking down the numbers24:00 Why the amendment resonates across party lines28:25 ESA / school choice numbers31:45 What it all means heading into November34:31 Sign off

Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson are back in the Hendrickson Library for a week-in-review episode — Chris flying without his Dr. Pepper Zero. Trivia wraps last week's Smoot-Hawley question and a new one goes out just in time for Independence Day: what president was born on July 4th? The episode opens on the Ian Roberts saga — the KCCI interview, the body cam arrest footage, and the stubborn contingent of Iowa liberals still defending him. From there, a quick take on the Iran ceasefire deal: $300 billion, sanctions relief, and a memorandum of understanding that raises more questions than it answers. Senator Joni Ernst wants to know where the money is coming from, and Chris and John share the concern. The back half turns to Iowa. Rob Sand's residency hit on Zach Lahn gets dissected — Chris sees it as an act of desperation that wastes the political capital Sand needs to actually define his candidacy. Sand's self-described "audit" of the Iowa Students First (ESA) program draws an equally pointed response: it's a partisan press conference, not an audit, and private school families across Iowa are paying attention. John closes with a piece he authored on the Electoral College and its importance to rural states — prompted by Virginia's governor signing on to the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. The episode ends with a preview of what will become a regular theme between now and November: vote yes on the constitutional amendment to make it harder to raise taxes in Iowa. 0:12 Welcome & housekeeping 1:44 Trivia: Smoot-Hawley answer & July 4th question 4:36 Ian Roberts KCCI interview and arrest footage 7:11 Liberals still defending Roberts 9:17 Iran ceasefire deal 12:46 DOGE: what happened to the savings? 14:16 Sand's residency hit on Lahn 18:10 Sand's ESA "audit" 23:35 ESA, private schools, and taxpayer dollars 25:31 ITR poll coming soon 26:05 John's Electoral College article 27:26 Virginia joins National Popular Vote Compact 30:35 Jungle primaries and left-wing election changes 33:28 Constitutional amendment — vote yes this fall

Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson are back in the Hendrickson Library with a packed episode covering Iowa's fast-moving post-primary political landscape. Both gubernatorial candidates have now selected their running mates: Rob Sand tapped Dave Muhlbauer, a farmer from western Iowa, while Zach Lahn chose State Representative Derek Wulf of Black Hawk County, also a farmer. Chris and John break down the strategy behind each pick, why Wulf stands out as a particularly strong choice for Lahn, and what the selection of two agricultural running mates signals about where both campaigns think the race will be won. The conversation turns to the broader general election dynamics shaping up between Lahn and Sand. Chris and John assess how quickly the Republican Party has consolidated around Lahn, the head start Sand's campaign has built toward a general election operation, and how the scrutiny of a real general election contest may complicate Sand's carefully constructed moderate image. A Republican Party audio drop this week — featuring Sand openly calling for political retribution on judicial nominations — gives the Lahn campaign exactly the kind of contrast material it needs to make the "governor for all Iowans" sell a harder one for Sand. The second half of the episode takes up two policy-driven stories. First, the final report on Iowa's Universal Basic Income pilot — a project run through several central Iowa cities that distributed $500 monthly stipends to participants. The report's conclusions, citing reduced stress and improved "sense of mattering," prompt a pointed exchange about what government is actually for, who's paying, and why local governments have no business engineering social outcomes with taxpayer dollars. Chris and John connect this directly to Iowa's property tax problem and the fiscal absurdity of local governments playing philanthropist. Finally, a Des Moines Register story on the city of Des Moines reconsidering its tax incentive programs — including TIF and property tax abatements — gives Chris and John a chance to explore when these tools have merit and when they're simply political ribbon-cutting at taxpayer expense. 0:13 Welcome & housekeeping 2:24 Trivia: Laddie Boy & Smoot-Hawley 5:01 Correction & running mate announcements 5:52 Sand picks Muhlbauer, Lahn picks Derek Wulf 8:22 Why Wulf is a strong pick for Lahn 10:32 GOP consolidation & Lahn's general election ramp-up 12:22 Sand's media advantage and the contrast campaign ahead 13:37 Sand audio drop & turning him into a generic Democrat 14:34 Andy Beshear visits Iowa — 2028 implications 15:32 Iowa's UBI pilot: background and ITR's role 18:15 Dissecting the report — who pays for "feeling mattered"? 21:22 UBI, local government overreach, and property taxes 25:59 Des Moines reconsiders TIF and tax incentives 28:05 When incentives work — and when they're ribbon-cutting 30:33 Free market vs. government-directed development 33:28 Sign off

The Iowa primary is in the books, and Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson are back in the Hendrickson Library to break it all down. The headliner on the Republican side was the governor's race, where Zach Lahn edged out Congressman Randy Feenstra 38% to 37.2% — a razor-thin margin that nonetheless produced a clear nominee. Chris and John unpack what drove Lahn's late momentum, why Feenstra came up short despite his early advantages in money and name recognition, and what the rapid consolidation of Republican support behind Lahn says about where the party is headed. On the Senate side, Congresswoman Ashley Hinson dispatched Jim Carlin nearly 3-to-1 and enters the general as a formidable candidate. Democrats nominated Josh Turek over Zach Walz in a race that revealed the Schumer establishment's continued grip on the party machinery — and Chris and John assess whether Turek's positioning as a centrist will hold up under general election scrutiny. A handful of hotly contested legislative primaries also drew attention, including the upset loss of Rep. Jane Bloomingdale, the strong win by taxpayer champion Mike Bussell, and the survival of two incumbent senators despite well-funded challenges. Looking ahead to November, Chris and John preview what shapes up as a genuinely competitive fall cycle — a challenging environment for Republicans given the historical headwinds of a second presidential midterm, but one where Iowa's Republican registration advantage and strong candidates at the top of the ticket keep the outcome far from predetermined. The Lahn vs. Rob Sand governor's race figures to be a substantive, issues-driven campaign, and both hosts are eager to see the two square off in debates. Water quality, foreign land ownership, and school choice are among the issues likely to take center stage. Before closing, Chris flags a critically important ballot measure Iowa voters will decide this fall: a proposed constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds supermajority of the legislature to raise taxes. This is a major ITR priority. With states like Illinois and Colorado moving in the opposite direction — raising income taxes and eyeing progressive tax structures — Iowa has an opportunity to lock in a foundational taxpayer protection. Chris and John will have much more to say on this in the weeks and months ahead.

Governor Reynolds signed the property tax bill into law, and Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson are here to put a bow on it. The 2% revenue cap takes effect July 1st, with estimates putting the relief at $4 billion over six years. The response from local governments has ranged from genuine concern to full-blown hysteria — pools, libraries, trails, economic development, and public safety all reportedly on the chopping block because government spending is being slowed down, not cut. Chris and John's response: that's the point. The legislature heard from voters, stood up to significant lobbying pressure, and passed a real reform. When local governments have to reprioritize, that's a feature of this bill, not a bug. And compared to what other states managed — Minnesota offered a one-time $173 property tax rebate, Tennessee couldn't pass a cap at all, Kansas had its reform vetoed — what Iowa did is genuinely significant. With the primary three weeks out, the governor's race is the other main story. The carbon pipeline and eminent domain — the defining issue of the early campaign — has largely faded from paid media. Congressman Feenstra is running as a Trump-aligned fighter, heavy on border security, women's sports, and his tax record. Zach Lahn has carved out an "Iowa First" lane — Iowa schools, Iowa jobs, Iowa farmland — and is raising harder questions on agriculture, cancer, and water quality that don't fit the typical Republican primary mold. Adam Steen is putting money behind going after Feenstra directly while appealing to the evangelical conservative base. Brad Sherman leans into his biography and anti-establishment framing. Nobody is breaking away — Chris expects a closer than expected finish. A quick look elsewhere: the Democrat Senate primary for Joni Ernst's seat — Josh Turek with establishment backing versus Zach Wahls aligned more with the progressive wing — mirrors the same national tensions playing out in blue primaries across the country. And from Minnesota: 17 cities in one county have voted to fly the old state flag, rejecting the redesign pushed by the current governor. Sometimes the best local control stories come from next door. 0:01:35 - Welcome Back to the Hendrickson Library 0:03:37 - Trivia 0:05:23 - Governor Signs the Property Tax Bill 0:06:48 - Local Government Doom and Gloom — Is Any of It Real? 0:10:17 - That's the Point: Why the Complaints Are Actually Good News 0:14:22 - The Legislature Stood Up to the Lobby — And That Matters 0:18:14 - How Iowa's Reform Compares to What Other States Got 0:22:17 - Governor's Race Check-In: What's on TV and Why It Matters 0:24:11 - Randy Feenstra 0:25:58 - Zach Lahn 0:30:40 - Adam Steen 0:31:29 - Brad Sherman 0:32:22 - Can Anyone Break Away? Reading the Primary 0:33:30 - Do Endorsements Matter? 0:36:00 - Democrat Senate Primary: Turek vs. Walz 0:38:40 - Minnesota's Flag Rebellion: Local Control Cuts Both Ways

The Iowa Legislature finally wrapped up Sunday evening after an all-weekend push, and Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson are here to make sense of what actually happened. The headline: Iowa passed a meaningful property tax bill built around a 2% revenue limitation — the reform ITR has championed for years. It's not a dramatic overnight cut, but it puts a real ceiling on what local governments can collect, and that's how lasting property tax relief gets built. The bill does more than the cap alone. Changes to the school funding formula and the SAVE fund will direct more dollars toward property tax relief over time, and new limits on local government fund balances close a loophole that's allowed governments to accumulate reserves while still levying at full rates. Some provisions didn't survive — a gas tax increase, a new local option sales tax, and senior-specific relief all fell out of the final version. The other story from the session — and arguably the bigger long-term win — is a constitutional amendment headed to Iowa voters in November that would require a two-thirds legislative majority to raise the income tax. More than two-thirds of Iowans already support it. If it passes, it becomes one of the most durable taxpayer protections in state history. 0:00:13 - Welcome: Post-Session Recap Episode 0:02:17 - Trivia 0:04:36 - The Session Ran All Weekend — Here's What Happened 0:05:37 - The Main Win: Iowa's 2% Revenue Limitation Explained 0:07:25 - What's In and Out of the Cap 0:09:12 - TIF Reform 0:10:46 - School Funding Formula 0:12:09 - SAVE Fund 0:13:39 - Ending Fund Balances 0:15:37 - Is This a Big Cut? 0:18:52 - What Didn't Make Ii 0:22:07 - The Two-Thirds Constitutional Amendment 0:27:36 - Federal Grant Transparency and Iowa's Medicaid Shortfall 0:29:43 - Civic Education Bill 0:31:06 - Looking Ahead: Primary Season Is Here