The Blog at MSPC

It's no coincidence that the top states in the country for growing hourly wages embrace limited regulations, prioritize tax relief, and favor a small government approach. Combining growing wages, affordable purchasing power, and a favorable business climate means higher productivity and economic growth.

Maintaining a competitive economy requires constant attention to workforce development, business investment, tax and regulatory restraint, and the policies that encourage innovation and opportunity.

Those states that prioritize fiscal discipline and a low regulatory and tax burden are doing well. The opposite is true if a state fails to keep its fiscal and regulatory house in order.

Washington continues to rack up poor rankings as one of the most unaffordable states in the country. A recent report shows the Evergreen State as the 5th most expensive state in the United States.

The two-stairway requirement acts as a binding constraint on supply, especially for small and mid-size apartment buildings. It doesn’t just make construction more expensive—it makes many projects impossible to build at all. Entire categories of housing that would otherwise be viable simply never get proposed.

With one single vote, lawmakers have decided to defy legal precedent, blow up the state’s business climate, and deny citizens their right of referendum. A trifecta of bad policy that firmly signals “Choose Washington” is a slogan and strategy of the past.

The reality today is that policymakers are making it increasingly harder to thrive and innovate within the ever-increasing tax and regulatory burden. The numerous economic reports are a loud warning that, unless a course correction is made, more entrepreneurs will be looking elsewhere to do business.

The clear message is Americans are voting with their feet.

Montana is proving itself once again to be an entrepreneur-friendly state by being named the best state in the country for business startups.