States 250, A Resilient Economy, and South Carolina’s Pro-Growth Blueprint: Jonathan Williams on The Hugh Hewitt Show

Hugh Hewitt spoke with ALEC President and Chief Economist Jonathan Williams about the 250th anniversary of the United States, the recent economic advancements in South Carolina, and the impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Hewitt began the conversation by asking how ALEC celebrated the 250th anniversary and discussed the efforts being undertaken through the organization’s States 250 initiative.

“The ALEC States 250 initiative this year has just been an incredible opportunity to just remind everybody to go back and even read the founding documents,” Williams stated.

“At the end of the day, this comes down to families and parents prioritizing civics education. As Reagan reminded us, freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. It has to be fought for.”

The discussion shifted to an analysis of the nation’s current job numbers, as Hewitt asked Williams whether the increase in employment and wages over the past two months is expected to continue.

“The economy is resilient,” Williams responded. He suggested that the primary force behind these strong economic numbers is the the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was passed one year ago.

“The other things that people often forget about the One Big Beautiful Bill is the massive amount of education choice that was included in it,” Williams stated, regarding the Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program and the expansion of popular 5-to-9 plans, whose benefits have flown “under the radar of the mainstream media.”

Finally, Hewitt and Williams discussed South Carolina’s increasingly strong economic trajectory and its role as a model for becoming a low-tax, pro-growth state.

Williams praised South Carolina for the recent legislative changes made to strengthen the state’s economic outlook and draw in more residents.

“It just happened that Governor McMaster signed into law their massive red tape reduction and deregulation bill that our great friends there, Speaker Smith and others, have been working on. It includes REINS Act-style reform, Chevron deference, and, of course, add that to the tax cuts.”

He further praised the state’s efforts, noting its commitment to pro-growth tax policies, which in turn attracted residents in numbers that even surpassed Florida’s in-migration numbers last year.

As South Carolina moved “towards a 1.99% flat tax, as well as a total elimination of the personal income tax,” Williams concluded, “I’m very bullish on the future of South Carolina, especially if they keep down this trajectory.”