ITR Live revisits the issue of whether or not Iowa is the "Florida of the North." Maybe it should instead be asked if Florida is the "Iowa of the South?" Which state has a better record of conservative reform over the past several years?

This week, special counsel John Durham released his report on the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane investigation. Much of what had been accepted as true on the Trump/Russia collusion is now shown to have been completely fabricated.

Chris is on the microphone in this episode to help John work through his disappointment at not being invited on the Greater Des Moines Partnership's trip to Washington DC. Did any aspiring Presidential candidates speak to this group of central Iowa local officials?

Chris and John move on to with a look at some of the early Republican Presidential television ads. If these ads are the candidate's opening arguments, how are they positioning themselves?

Another round of drama with the federal debt ceiling, and ITR Live is here to try and make some sense out of the situation. Or maybe it's simply a therapy session for how terrible things might get from here.

https://itrfoundation.org/bidens-budget-battles/

But things work a lot better here in Iowa. John Hendrickson has written about the fiscal responsibility of how Iowa budgeted this year.

Finally, what about the looming Presidential election? We take a trip through a recent ABC News/Washington Post Poll which has some very dire numbers for President Biden as he begins his campaign for re-election.

Alan Ostergren from the Kirkwood Institute is back in studio to give his own take on the legislature's property tax bill this year, and a not-too-early look at what he sees as further conservative reform opportunities next year.

We're with the Ace Tomato Company, with an update on the construction taking place in the courtyard outside the ITR Live studio. Is it a new patio, or a secret underground military installation?

The legislature has also finished constructing their property tax bill for this year. What is in the bill, what is thankfully omitted from the final agreement, and what do we really wish they would have added in the end?

ITR Live has discussed the need for a direct notification system of pending hearings that impact our property tax bills. Now we take a deeper look at what these hearings should look like and when they should be held. The current system is a bit of a mess, and Sarah Curry is in studio with the results of her research in the current system. Chris and Chris also engage in an in-depth analysis of Texas Roadhouse's dinner rolls.

President Joe Biden made his Presidential reelection announcement today, and ITR Live is here with a rapid reaction. Biden says repeatedly that he wants to "finish the job", but what exactly does he mean? Based on his policy agenda over the first part of his Presidency, would it be more accurate to say Biden wants a second term to "finish us off?"

Chris, Chris and John also take a look at a couple of significant changes in the media, with the departure here in Iowa of Dave Price from WHO-TV in Des Moines, and Fox News Channel parting ways with Tucker Carlson.

The Iowa House and Iowa Senate have passed their separate bills addressing the issue of property taxes in the state of Iowa. Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson are back to help bring some understanding to these two different proposals. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each plan and what are the prospects for reaching an agreement between the two chambers? A key difference that Chris and John explore is the House's plan to shift money out of the Taxpayer Relief Fund into the School Foundation Aid formula.

With just eight days left on the calendar until the scheduled adjournment date of the 2023 legislative session, House Republicans and Senate Republicans each have new bills dealing with the issue of property taxes. ITR Live is here to help make sense of one new component in each proposal: Direct Notification. This concept would help Iowa taxpayers get property-specific information about their property tax bill, and also provide details on when and where to show up for their local public budget hearing.

We also take a look at the budget differences between the two chambers, and what it might take take to wrap up the session. Are the two sides all that far apart?

Here is the link to the full article on Truth-in-Taxation: https://itrfoundation.org/truth-in-taxation-would-benefit-iowa-taxpayers/

The ITR Foundation Poll reveals that Iowans support limitations on what local governments can spend as a way to reduce property taxes. Iowans overwhelmingly understand that our country is off on the wrong track.

Iowa taxpayers and small businesses have struggled to recover from the pandemic and the impact of high inflation. President Biden’s tax increases would be especially harmful to Iowa’s Main Street businesses and compound an already fragile economy.

Read John Hendrickson and Matt Everson's recent article here: https://itrfoundation.org/president-bidens-budget-threatens-main-street/