Western States Helping Small Businesses Thrive: Jonathan Williams in Deseret News
The West is a really interesting story in that there are so many states that are hubs of innovation and economic growth and opportunity.
ALEC President and Chief Economist Jonathan Williams was quoted in a recent article for the Deseret News highlighting the policies being embraced by Western states to help small businesses succeed.
As a region, the West has created a culture — and economy — that may make it easier for small businesses to thrive. States like Utah, Wyoming, Nevada and Idaho consistently rank among the most business-friendly in the country, thanks to a mix of community values and business policies.
“The West is a really interesting story in that there are so many states that are hubs of innovation and economic growth and opportunity,” says Jonathan Williams, president and chief economist of the American Legislative Exchange Council, a think tank focused on promoting business and limited government.
“The current policy environment in many of the Western states is very competitive because of limited regulation, low tax rates and generally pro-business policies,” says Williams. “But it’s also this idea that they are going to remain competitive states and their elected leaders will have that philosophy of prioritizing small business and individuals in the case that we have some sort of an economic downturn.”
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“When you talk to business owners,” Williams says, “they want predictability in the business environment and low taxes they can reasonably expect to continue in the future.”