Public Policy Priorities
These policy recommendations are made with significant input from members, investors, partners, and community stakeholders with the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance and Greater Iowa City, Inc.
There’s strength in numbers. That’s why the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance and Greater Iowa City, Inc. join forces to promote pro-growth policies for our region. To develop these policies, we seek input from our combined 2,000 members, investors, partners, and community stakeholders.
Now more than ever, our economic growth relies on our ability to compete for, attract, and retain a skilled workforce. For businesses to thrive in this economic environment, we must remove barriers to work by developing innovative solutions in talent development, business growth, child care, affordable housing and community attraction.
We’re stronger together
A strong urban and rural connection, in which we rely on one another, contributes to mutually beneficial growth in Iowa’s population and economic environment. We support policies that equally value the unique strengths and needs of both.
It’s time to work toward shared goals
We all win when policy makers find common ground to agree upon long-term solutions to the challenges faced by our region, state, and nation. We expect our elected officials to argue their perspective passionately, civilly, and respectfully. It is time to focus on policy solutions that will grow Iowa and our region, help all of us prepare for a promising future, and maintain trust to America’s political system.
While all the policy positions included in our public policy agendas are important to the growth of our region, in 2025 we will focus on the following featured priorities:
- Talent development programs such as aviation workforce development initiatives, community college job training programs, and local apprenticeship programs to prepare our region for the future.
- Updates to economic development incentives and tax policies to meet current demands, address increased costs, and allow small businesses to be competitive.
- Access to high-quality, affordable child care and early childhood education, including increased wages and benefits to grow our child care workforce, and expanded Child Care Assistance benefits to support working families.
- Funding increases and policy changes that meet the demand for affordable and available housing stock as well as limiting regulations that raise the cost of housing.
- Bipartisan policies that simplify and expand the work and school visa system and provide a permanent path to citizenship for individuals who came to America as children and to individuals granted asylum upon coming to America.
- Policies, rules, and regulations that encourage the production of renewable, alternative energy resources, and biomanufacturing such as ethanol, nuclear, hydrogen, solar and wind that are environmentally responsible and keep energy costs down.