ITR Live: Iowa Politics and Conservative Policy

In this episode of ITR Live, Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson dive into several key issues affecting Iowa taxpayers and government policies. They begin by discussing updates from the Hendrickson Library and insights from Iowa’s Revenue Estimating Conference, highlighting Iowa’s strong fiscal foundation despite recent revenue declines. They emphasize the importance of Iowa’s tax cuts, which are d...

In this episode of ITR Live, host Chris Hagenow is joined by guest Sarah Curry to discuss Iowa’s upcoming bond elections, with a special focus on ‘repeat offenders’—local governments that continuously propose bond measures despite previous failures. The pair explore several case studies, highlighting how these proposals impact taxpayers and why voter engagement is essential in holding local offici...

In this episode of ITR Live, we welcome Dr. Ernie Goss, an expert on economics in the Midwest, to discuss the complex current economic conditions. Dr. Goss explores the disconnect between macroeconomic indicators and individual experiences, particularly in the context of manufacturing and agriculture. He highlights key challenges such as rising inflation, a recession in key sectors, and the job lo...

In this episode of ITR Live, hosts Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson discuss various topics including new updates to the ITR Live Studio at the Hendrickson Center for the Preservation of Western Civilization. Shocking news as Iowa Democrats finally get fact-checked by the mainstream media, even though it came from a network TV station in Omaha. Legislative Democrats decided to make up their on fa...

In this episode of ITR Live, host Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson discuss the latest ITR Foundation poll results, key issues affecting voter sentiment in Iowa, and the implications of the upcoming election. They analyze the role of abortion in legislative races, proposed tax amendments, and the significance of a property tax cap. The conversation also includes reflections on the recent vice pre...

In this episode of ITR Live, host Chris Hagenow and guest Sarah Curry delve into the intricacies of local government elections in Iowa, focusing on the challenges of accessing election information, the impact of voter turnout on election outcomes, and the importance of community engagement in local governance. They discuss recent election results, the complexities of bond elections and property ta...

In this episode of ITR Live, Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson discuss the recent changes in Iowa's political landscape, including the resignation of Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg and the implications for future elections. They delve into the tactics used by political operatives to influence elections, particularly focusing on a controversial article about so called "dirty tricks"...

In this episode of ITR Live, Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson discuss the recent changes in Iowa's political landscape, including the resignation of Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg and the implications for future elections. They delve into the tactics used by political operatives to influence elections, particularly focusing on a controversial article about so called "dirty tricks"...

In this episode of ITR Live, hosts Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson discuss the transition to a new studio, analyze the recent presidential debate between Trump and Harris, and delve into the fiscal policies proposed by Kamala Harris. The conversation highlights concerns over future governance and the implications of Harris' policies on the American economy. The episode wraps up with reflect...

Tim Walz is a flyover state Bernie Sanders, and the demands of government are exceeding the ability to pay for them. The excessive taxation is killing the economy. Local governments in Iowa are spending too much and need to limit their spending. Democrats are trying to appeal to voters by messaging the need for property tax relief, but the problem is their excessive spending. The Harris-Walz ticke...

In this episode, Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson discuss the current state of the presidential race and the importance of focusing on key issues such as inflation, immigration, and foreign policy. They also highlight the growing national debt and its impact on the economy and individual Americans. The conversation touches on the need for tax reform, particularly in relation to property taxes, a...

John Hendrickson returns to Studio 130 for this episode of the ITR Live Podcast. John is fired up and ready to celebrate President Herbert Hoover's 150th birthday. Chris quickly moved the conversation which started about 1920's Presidents forward 100 years to talk about Democrat Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz's record as Governor of Minnesota. Governor Walz has proudly led one of t...

Iowa’s Tax-Free Weekend: If you have kids in Iowa, you probably know that Iowa’s tax-free weekend always begins the first Friday in August. For 2024, the shopping holiday will start at midnight on Friday, August 2, and run through Saturday, August 3. Businesses in Iowa are required to participate if they are open during these days. Chris and Sarah examine the merits of Iowa’s sales tax-free weeken...

John Hendrickson returns to the ITR Live Podcast to give his thoughts on an eventful week in American history. John delves into the significance of JD Vance being selected as the Vice Presidential nominee and what this means for the America First movement. He provides a historical perspective on trade policy and the trend towards less foreign intervention within the movement. John discusses how JD...

In this episode of ITR Live, we present insights from the latest edition of the ITR Foundation poll. In our poll, Donald Trump has widened his lead over Joe Biden from 9% in our February poll, to 12% in this edition. The top concerns for Iowa voters are fiscal matters along with immigration. We explore further key policy proposals: A constitutional amendment requiring a supermajority to raise taxe...

In this episode of ITR Live, we take a look at the upcoming ITR Foundation poll, which will be the first look at the Presidential match-up in Iowa post-presidential debate. We discuss how the polls not only predict election outcomes but also highlight Iowans' preferences for conservative fiscal policies. We also examine the ongoing dissatisfaction with property tax increases and the growing co...

On this episode of the Hendrickson Group (formerly ITR Live), Chris Hagenow and Chris Ingstad take a look at additional data from the recent Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll. According to these results, inflation is the biggest issue on the minds of Iowa voters, and they have no confidence left in Joe Biden to address the problem. One of the biggest drivers of inflation is the huge increase...

The Des Moines Register recently released their latest Iowa Poll, with a shocking result in the Presidential race. In this new poll, Donald Trump leads President Biden by a whopping 18 percentage points in Iowa. That is a margin over double what Trump won Iowa by just four years ago. Alan Ostergren from the Kirkwood institute is in Studio 130 to discuss these new numbers and much more. One big que...

In this episode of ITR Live, John and Chris take a look at the recent US News and World Report ranking on "Best Cities to Live" which once again include two cities in Iowa: Des Moines and Davenport. We take a look at what drives these rankings, and why progressives want to blame conservative lawmakers for Des Moines' modest three spot drop in the ranking. We further look at recent co...

In this episode of ITR Live, Chris and John take a look at the results from the June 4th primary elections in Iowa. At both the congressional level and state legislative level, there were closely-watched races that will have important implications not only for the general election, but looking ahead to the 2025 legislative session. In the U.S. House of Representatives races in Iowa, Mariannette Mi...

In this episode of ITR Live, we take a look at recent election results in Texas, and their implication for school choice reforms not only in the Lone Star State, but across the country. We think bring the conversation back to Iowa politics, with our state's primary elections coming up on Tuesday, June 4th. Although there is no statewide primary, there are still several races we are tracking. L...

On this episode of ITR Live, we welcome Representative Dan Gehlbach (R-Urbandale), who shares his experiences following his first term in the Iowa House. With three years on the Waukee School Board, Rep. Gehlbach brings a valuable perspective on the state's educational system. In the latter part of the episode, we gain insights into the crucial role of legislative leadership in driving these e...

In this episode of ITR Live, we dive into the recent New York Times/Siena poll that has sent shockwaves through the national political landscape. The discussion delves into the eye-opening numbers of the poll, which should have the Biden campaign and downballot Democrats worried. Chris and John also touch upon the challenges of property tax relief measures and the need for legislative action to co...

In this episode of ITR Live, Chris and John take a look at ITR's recent work to spread the good news of Iowa's success on tax policy in the state of Iowa. John has had multiple articles picked up in both Iowa and national media: Iowa Accelerates Transition to a Low Flat Tax - National Review Kim Reynolds Keeps Iowa 'Safe-Sane-Steady.' That's Why She Keeps Winning. - Des Moines...

On this episode of ITR Live, Chris Hagenow is joined by ITR Foundation Research Director Sarah Curry to get an update on her work into local government issues surrounding property taxes and budgets. Chris and Sarah discuss concerns about the performance of county supervisors and the way government should be run. Sarah emphasizes the importance of government listening to its people and reflecting t...