Government Gridlock and Soaring Property Taxes: Jonathan Williams on The Hugh Hewitt Show

Whether you’re in Washington, D.C., or Washington, OK, you can’t turn on the news without hearing about the government shutdown. The questions are the same everywhere – what does it mean for jobs, for families, and for the economy? That was the backdrop when Hugh Hewitt sat down with ALEC President and Chief Economist Jonathan Williams this week, shifting their usual discussion from state rankings and Rich States, Poor States to focus on Washington’s runaway spending, the shutdown fight, and how those pressures ripple into higher property taxes back home.

But before diving into the drama in Washington, Hugh paused to highlight a recent honor for ALEC CEO Lisa B. Nelson.

“She made one of those lists that Washingtonian (magazine) puts out, that Washingtonians actually pay attention to, as one of the 100 most powerful women in Washington,” said Hewitt. “That’s actually quite a big deal as she’s not the kind who goes looking for accolades.”

Williams echoed Hewitt’s praise.

“She deserves to be at the top of that list as she is a force of nature for the conservative movement and for good policy discussions, and has been for a very long time around this town.”

But even Washington’s most powerful insiders haven’t been able to break the budget impasse. Williams stressed that most Americans simply don’t understand why Democrats in Congress would risk a shutdown to push another $1.5 trillion in spending.

“Obviously, that goes into some details that I’m sure a lot of those Democrats don’t want to discuss right now, such as the Medicaid for illegal aliens and noncitizens, the COVID-era subsidies of Obamacare that Biden had put in place,” he said. “Here we are five years after the start of the pandemic, and I guess folks on the left think that should be a permanent part that taxpayers pay for going forward.”

That disconnect is already being felt in state and local budgets, where taxpayers are seeing the squeeze most directly in property taxes.

“The state of property taxes is in complete disrepair across the country,” Williams emphasized. “As I’ve traveled probably to 35 states in the last year, and I asked state lawmakers what they’re hearing the most about from their constituents, without an exception, it’s been property tax burdens.”

He pointed out that it’s the local governments, not state legislators, that are driving those costs.

“99% of property taxes come because cities and counties and townships and other local governments decide to make those spending decisions, and then they ask the states to solve their problems for them. We need a rational spending policy, not just in Washington, but at the state and local level,” Williams explained.

That’s where ALEC’s work comes in, with solutions like Utah’s Truth in Taxation law now spreading to other states. Utah’s law aligns with ALEC’s model Truth in Taxation Act, one of ALEC’s Essential Policy Solutions for 2025.

“Even in the red states, it’s a lot of these progressive cities that are driving the property tax burden and blaming the conservative state legislators for making it happen. And of course, that’s exactly wrong,” Williams said.

For Americans trying to make sense of rising costs, Williams’ conclusion was straightforward: accountability has to begin close to home, and lawmakers at every level must make responsible choices with taxpayer dollars.