What’s the reward for a governor who replaces a discriminatory and punitive system with a simple and fair flat tax, particularly in a year when many other states also are enacting better tax policy?
The reward for Kim Reynolds of Iowa is the top score in the Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors 2022, authored by Chris Edwards.
But it’s not just pro-growth tax reform. Iowa’s governor also scored highly because “Iowa general fund spending has risen at just a 2.3 percent annual average rate under Reynolds.”
Chris Sununu of New Hampshire was in second place, followed by the governors of Nebraska, Idaho, and Arizona (which also enacted sweeping tax reform).
And what’s the penalty for being a tax-hiking big spender?
Well, if “general fund spending expanded at an annual average rate of 6.3 percent between 2013 and 2022” and you were governor during those years, then you deserve to be known as the worst of the worst.
Especially if you also pushed big tax increases and you routinely try to sabotage your state’s constitutional ban on income taxes.
So “congratulations” to Jay Inslee. The governor of Washington definitely deserves his F.
Gavin Newsom of California is the nation’s second-worst governor (hardly a surprise).
The governors of Oregon, New Jersey, Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota also received failing grades (I am surprised anytime New Jersey and Illinois avoid last place).
For those interested, here are the rest of the governors. Roy Cooper of North Carolina is the highest-scoring Democrat, followed by Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexco.
Bill Lee of Tennessee is the lowest-scoring Republican. Other Republicans with bad grades include the governors of Vermont, Alabama, and Missouri.
For those who follow high-profile officials, Governors Ron DeSantis, Kristi Noem, and Greg Abbott all received unremarkable C grades.
P.S. At the risk of stating the obvious, fiscal policy is not the only thing that matters. Readers who want to assess the overall level of economic liberty in different states should peruse Economic Freedom of North America and Freedom in the 50 States.
