Public Policy Principles

Our Public Policy is rooted here

These principles guide our advocacy efforts

We collaborate with our members to prioritize needs and implement strategies to make local businesses, communities, and our region successful. Our advocacy for economic growth policies on the local, state, and federal levels is essential to our mission. 

Our Public Policy Guiding Principles are standing positions that inform the Economic Alliance’s advocacy efforts, policy priorities and preferred approach to policymaking. The Public Policy Priorities are updated annually and approved by our leadership and governance councils. These Guiding Principles and annual Priorities support our efforts to address workforce challenges, promote economic growth and robust and welcoming communities. 

Business Climate

Advocate for a modern, balanced, efficient, cost-effective, and transparent regulatory system that gives businesses the confidence they need to hire, invest, and innovate and alleviates unclear regulations for businesses and start-ups. Maintain Iowa’s Right‐to‐Work status and limit workers’ compensation claim abuse. 

Civility

Promote and encourage elected officials, candidates, and citizens to be civil in discussions and debates on policy issues and political opinions and focus on solutions to grow Iowa and bring trust to America’s political system. 

Diversity & Inclusion

Support policies to close race-based and other opportunity gaps that hinder economic growth and the vitality of our communities by addressing inequity in education, employment, entrepreneurship, and remove all barriers to work. 

Economic Development

Protect economic development incentive programs that help the region attract, retain, and expand businesses and industries that diversify the region’s economy and create high quality jobs. 

Education & Workforce

Advocate for early childhood, K-12, and higher education to prepare all students for the careers of the future and to provide a skilled workforce to support the region’s employers. 

Energy & Environment

Support policies, rules and regulations that encourage the production of sustainable, renewable, and alternative energy resources such as ethanol, nuclear, solar and wind that keep energy costs down, and promote a balanced approach to regulations that embrace responsibility without unreasonable burdens to business. 

Fiscal Responsibility

Advocate for restrained spending and budget processes that ensure certainty for business and industry most affected by government shutdowns and inefficiencies.  

Healthcare

Promote a system that encourages sustainability, flexibility and affordability and builds upon the successes in the private sector and brings fairness and equity to the current system.  

Housing

Support incentives and market-driven solutions to ensure an adequate supply of available housing options for everyone in the region.  

Immigration Reform

Support welcoming immigration reform that empowers employers more access to skilled workers, promotes job creation and economic growth, allows global competition, and includes a sensible legal framework with enforceable workforce guidelines. 

Infrastructure

Support long-term funding solutions for infrastructure investment that keeps up with the needs of roads, bridges, highways, rail, aviation, broadband and transit projects.  

Local Government

Support state and federal commitments made to local governments and local government’s flexibility to utilize local control to ensure efficient use of taxpayer dollars. We encourage individual city development that stimulates overall growth of the region. 

Placemaking

Support consistent, sufficient investment in community placemaking amenities that appeal to existing and new residents. 

Regional Airports

Advocate for policies that modernize aviation infrastructure and improve federal requirements to allow for investment resources for Iowa businesses to compete in a global marketplace. 

Tax Climate

Advocate for a competitive, pro-growth tax climate that ensures fairness, predictability, and investment in Iowa while balancing income, property, and sales tax needs. 

Trade

Support international trade agreements that are fair, consistent, reduce barriers, and promote U.S. markets abroad and generate economic growth and job creation at home.  

Water Resources

Support funding sources and flexible policies to address needed water infrastructure improvements, programs and projects that improve flood mitigation efforts, protection, and forecasting, as well as allow for business to achieve affordable rates and capacity for growth.