Protecting Arizona Education Freedom, Tennessee vs. Missouri on Economic Growth, and More: Jonathan Williams on The Hugh Hewitt Show

Hugh Hewitt spoke with ALEC President and Chief Economist Jonathan Williams about the ongoing efforts to protect school choice programs, the economic success of states like Tennessee, and how state policy decisions continue to influence growth and migration trends across the country.

Hewitt began the conversation by asking Williams about efforts to overturn school choice programs in Arizona and Arkansas, two states ranked among the nation’s leaders in education freedom.

Williams explained that opponents of school choice, including teachers’ unions and their allies, have attempted to use ballot initiatives to reverse these programs.

“The people that don’t like school choice, evidently, which includes teachers’ unions in those two states and their allies, have been trying to get petitions certified to go to the ballot to overturn two of the best school choice programs in America,” Williams remarked.

Williams highlighted Arkansas as a recent success story, noting that opponents fell short of gathering enough signatures to place the issue on the ballot, allowing families to continue benefiting from the state’s education freedom program.

“The good news is in Arkansas’s case, they came up short on the signatures, the teachers’ unions and their allies,” he said. “So families and the children are safe for yet another year there and able to take advantage that amazing school choice program.”

The discussion then shifted to Arizona, where Hewitt and Williams covered the future of the state’s universal education freedom program, which remains uncertain.

“The verdict is still out in Arizona,” Williams remarked. “They’re still looking at certifying if they have enough petitions for the fall ballot, and then of course it will be a massive battle between those against school choice and those that want to support the now 100,000 students across Arizona that are taking advantage of that universal education freedom.”

Hewitt next asked Williams to compare Tennessee and Missouri, two states that have taken different approaches to economic policy over the past several decades.

Williams highlighted Tennessee’s continued economic momentum, pointing to its commitment to pro-growth policies.

“Tennessee’s been a leader; they’ve moved up to number two in economic outlook in Rich States, Poor States just this last year,” Williams stated.

Williams also explained that Tennessee’s lack of a personal income tax and its right-to-work law have helped the state attract businesses, workers and families.

He contrasted Tennessee’s progress with Missouri’s slower economic growth, describing the two neighboring states as “a tale of two states.”

“They share a border, but they’ve really diverged when it comes to their economic policy over the last 25 years,” Williams said.

Finally, Hewitt and Williams discussed states that have experienced economic declines after moving away from policies that promote competitiveness and growth.

Williams pointed to Virginia and Colorado as examples of states that have fallen in national economic rankings after years of policy changes.

“Virginia at one point was number three in Rich States, Poor States. Colorado at one point was number two. Now both of those states find themselves in the bottom half of states and have really declined over the last 10 to 15 years,” Williams noted.

Williams also discussed Colorado’s changing migration patterns, noting that the state has recently begun losing residents to other states after years of population growth.

“Colorado is beginning to lose net domestic migration to the other 49 states, which a lot of folks would have said that’s unthinkable just a number of years ago,” he remarked.

As states continue competing for residents, businesses and investment, Williams emphasized that policy choices at the state level have long-term consequences.

“The bad policy there in Colorado, as we’ve documented every year, and this decline in Rich States, Poor States have really caught up and come home to roost,” Williams concluded.