Why Louisiana’s Economy Is on the Rise: Jonathan Williams on Mornings with Brian Haldane

On WBRZ’s Mornings with Brian Haldane, ALEC President and Chief Economist Jonathan Williams highlighted the major reforms Louisiana has been implementing to fuel its economic comeback, as well as the importance of maintaining economic freedom and workforce development.

The conversation started with Haldane commenting to Williams on Louisiana’s jump in economic growth and the reforms that have sparked that leap forward. “We jumped 13 spots all the way up to number 18. Tell me why?” Haldane asked.

“The Louisiana comeback story, I think, is fully underway,” Williams said, crediting tax reform as a central driver of Louisiana’s rise. “One of the big reasons why was something that we at ALEC were very involved with … and that’s the flat tax, getting major tax reform done.”

The state’s climb is particularly notable in the competitive Southeast. “Let’s not forget, the Southeast — the SEC region — is one of the most competitive regions, not just for college football on Saturdays, but for good economic policy and good policy overall,” Williams remarked.

The conversation then turned to education policy and how Louisiana’s GATOR program has helped catapult the state into a growing economy by embracing education freedom.

“I think one of the other big ones is school choice — the economic freedom combined with education freedom … That’s extremely powerful in our research as we go from state to state,” Williams said, noting Louisiana’s efforts to expand educational options for families.

Louisiana’s gains are significant, especially given national trends. Haldane noted that Louisiana “a jump of 13 spots is a big one. Are we, comparatively speaking, are others taking their foot off the gas well?”

“The 13 spots were the largest move of any state in the right direction in this 2025 edition of Rich States, Poor States. So that needs to be absolutely celebrated,” Williams emphasized. “At the same time, though, there’s a lot of states continuing to make improvements. The threat is, when states take their foot off the gas … you can quickly fall behind just by standing still.”

Looking ahead, Haldane asked about ways Louisiana could keep this momentum going and what advantages the state needs for the future. Williams noted the importance of spending restraint.

“It’s going to take a lot of leadership, and that’s what it takes — a consistent effort, not just in one year, but in multiple years,” he said. “One way of solving this issue is just letting government grow at the rate of the private sector or lower, and you, over time, begin to make government relatively smaller to the size of the economy.”

In the end, the work still remains in Louisiana. “Putting some reasonable spending limits out there to make sure that this project continues, and making sure freedom is universal for every family … That’s the way to do it.”