The COVID-19 pandemic is precipitating an unprecedented economic downturn, and small businesses are likely to bear the brunt of it. Mandatory shutdowns and social distancing are forcing many small businesses to shut their doors, leaving millions of people out of work and driving down sales. Even when governments begin lifting …
The coronavirus (COVID-19) is frightening enough, but the economic consequences of the virus makes the situation even more terrifying. As a result of COVID-19, thousands of Iowans are filing for unemployment and businesses across the state are trying to fend off bankruptcy. The current “cure” or deterrent to stopping the …
The threat of a national economic recession hangs over the United States as a result of the health emergency caused by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. While much attention has been paid to what lawmakers in Washington D.C. have done, states and localities are also bracing for an economic recession. A …
By Matthew D. Mitchell, Senior Research Fellow, Mercatus Center COVID-19 presents a challenge of extraordinary scale and complexity. State policymakers across the country, like so many of us, want to know what they can do to help our nation’s healthcare professionals rise to this challenge. Their first task should …
States Lead The Way in Coronavirus Crisis With Emergency Removal of Occupational Licensing Obstacles—Why Not Make Them Permanent? Today, Vice President Mike Pence announced that the Department of Health and Human Services is considering a national emergency order that would allow doctors throughout the country to practice across state …
Iowa, along with several other states, is considering occupational licensing reform. Reducing occupational licensing barriers will provide new opportunities for workers, attract new people to Iowa, and create a more competitive business environment. One aspect of occupational licensing reform is establishing reciprocity, or a universal licensing recognition, for out-of-state licensees. …
The Des Moines metro is growing and evidence of this growth can be seen through numerous construction and building projects. Recently, MercyOne hospital in West Des Moines announced a $13 million project to create a new maternity and infants care center. This is in response to the demands of a …
The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is researching state codes to determine the approximate number of regulatory restrictions. Based on their measurement, Mercatus found that South Dakota was the least restrictive with 44,000 restrictions within their state code, while California had the most with 396,000. Iowa’s state code has …
“When I started my business 40 years ago, the regulations I had to follow fit into a binder. Now, I can stack them from the floor to the ceiling.” A longtime business owner near Pella shared this thought recently and while we didn’t actually break out a measuring tape to …
Continue reading “Excessive Regulations Have Detrimental Effects”
Certificate of Need laws not only prevent competition but work to limit health care services and increase medical costs for Iowans. The purpose of a Certificate of Need (CON) law is to regulate (limit) health care supply unless a need is determined by a state government agency or board. When …
Continue reading “The CON is Up: Time for More Freedom in Iowa’s Health Care Market”
