Tax Reform

Good Things Happen to States that Cut Taxes: Jonathan Williams and Nick Stark in The Daily Caller

The 50 laboratories of democracy were in full swing last year as free market policies swept through the nation in the name of tax cuts and education reform.

In their latest op-ed for The Daily Caller, Jonathan Williams, ALEC Chief Economist and EVP of Policy, and Nick Stark, ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Director, highlight the positive impact of states embracing free market policies such as tax cuts and education reform.

The 50 laboratories of democracy were in full swing last year as free market policies swept through the nation in the name of tax cuts and education reform. Though these types of victories don’t usually receive the same level of media attention as the fights on Capitol Hill, they are significantly more meaningful to the states that adopt these policies by way of an increase in both economic development and population. A sure sign that people continue to pay attention to their pocketbooks and vote with their feet.

Starting with the continuation of the historic Tax Cut Movement which began in 2021, 12 states cut income taxes in 2023. The year began with Kentucky making a rate reduction in January and setting itself on the path to personal income tax elimination, should revenue triggers be met.

Notably, even deep blue Connecticut enacted personal income tax cuts, proving that the Tax Cut Movement can and should be a bipartisan cause. Other states cutting taxes include West Virginia, Montana, Utah, Arkansas, North Dakota, Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio, Wisconsin and North Carolina. The cuts seen in 22 states since the start of the Tax Cut Movement in 2021 have been the product of surpluses created by prudent state fiscal practices and unprecedented levels of tax revenues. However, this doesn’t prevent the Budgetary Doomsdayers from crying foul when lawmakers begin to discuss how to return over-collected tax dollars to hard-working taxpayers.

Read the full op-ed here.


In Depth: Tax Reform

Mainstream economists, small business owners and taxpayers across the country understand that growth-oriented reforms mean increased opportunity for all. As demonstrated by the annual Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index, sound tax and fiscal policies are critical to economic health, allowing businesses and households to flourish. A…

+ Tax Reform In Depth