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Audio recording of detailed reviews of selected issues concerning state of Iowa government.
Iowa's two reserve funds reached $783.9 million in 2020; you want to know what that money can do.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A clear, procedural look at how Iowa's 2019 flood recovery moved from assessment to federal aid and mitigation.
Iowa's 2019 flooding becomes a study in how disaster funding actually moves, from preliminary damage assessment to the choice between presidential disaster declaration options and the later distribution of aid across the state.
Iowa alcohol licensing, permit categories, and fee revenue tracked through COVID-19 declines and RAGBRAI losses.
Iowa alcohol policy turns concrete in its licensing rules, and this PlayNext review keeps the focus on permits, license classes, and fee revenue under Iowa Code Chapter 123 and related authorities.
A detailed Iowa school-aid review that shows how funding formulas create real differences across districts.
School Aid - Supplementary Weightings follows Iowa's school-aid formula where policy decisions turn into district dollars. It traces an estimated $108.4 million in fiscal 2021 supplementary aid, up 52.7 percent since fiscal 2012, and links that rise to weighting changes,…
A measured look at staffing shifts, salary trends, and reporting limits across Iowa's public universities.
Changes in Staffing and Salaries at State Universities looks at employment across the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa from fiscal year 2000 to fiscal year 2020, then turns to salary changes for faculty, professional and scientific…
A concise history of how Iowa's surplus and reserve funds helped meet revenue declines, natural disasters, and the COVID-19 downturn.
Iowa's fiscal cushions are framed here as a budget history, not a narrow policy brief. The January 8, 2021 Issue Review follows how General Fund Surplus revenues, the Cash Reserve Fund, and the Economic Emergency Fund were used from fiscal year 1994 through estimated fiscal year…
Oregon's energy agency, explaining its own work
Issue Reviews examines Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division licenses, permits, and fee revenue under Iowa Code Chapter 123.
Issue Reviews examines how Iowa requested, received, and distributed federal disaster funding after the March 2019 flooding.
Issue Reviews examines staffing and salary changes at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa from fiscal years 2000 or 2001 through 2020.
Issue Reviews examines how Iowa supplementary school-aid weightings generated approximately $108.4 million in fiscal year 2021, a 52.7% increase since fiscal year 2012.
Issue Reviews examines how Iowa used General Fund surplus revenues and reserve funds from fiscal year 1994 through estimated fiscal year 2021.
This episode reviews and analyzes Iowa state veterans programs, their funding, and administration from 2008 to present.
This episode analyzes Iowa property tax and local government finance trends from fiscal years 2001 to 2020, including taxable value changes, tax rates, and state replacement appropriations.
This episode analyzes 30-year trends in Iowa's general fund appropriations, focusing on budget composition and tax credit usage.
Analysis of 2016 federal income tax statistics for Iowa taxpayers, comparing to national and surrounding states.