Six Ways States Are Leading in 2025

On Inauguration Day, President Trump promised that “the golden age of America begins right now,” and his second term is off to a historically successful start. Part of what is catapulting America into its golden age is the hard work and the America-first policies seen at the local level.

Governors, legislators, and other state leaders across the country are advancing reforms that save taxpayer money, improve public health, and preserve the integrity of our elections.

Here are six big ways states are leading in 2025.

#1: Stopping taxpayer funding of junk food

With Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. leading the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement in Washington, states are stepping up to bring nutrition back to nutrition assistance.

Utah, West Virginia, Indiana, Idaho, Arkansas, and Nebraska have all taken steps to stop taxpayer funding of soda in the food stamp program. Soda is the number one purchase with food stamps in America today, and taxpayers are subsidizing a health crisis.

By requesting a waiver to ban junk food from being purchased with food stamps, these states will save taxpayer money and help refocus food stamps on nutrition. Studies have shown that restricting sugary drinks and soda within the food stamp program could prevent obesity in children and reduce the incidence of Type 2 diabetes in adults.

State legislatures in Kansas and Arizona have also passed legislation to ban soda from being purchased with food stamps, but these measures were vetoed by their respective governors.

#2: Preventing debanking in Idaho

Idaho Governor Brad Little recently signed into law the Transparency in Financial Services Act, banning banks from discriminating against their customers on the basis of their political beliefs, religious beliefs, or personal affiliations—all rights protected under the First Amendment.

This legislation is a response to growing concerns over leftist institutions, including major banks, targeting and discriminating against conservative and Christian organizations for their beliefs.

Tennessee and Florida have previously enacted similar laws to protect the First Amendment rights of their residents and to ensure that all Americans can participate fully in today’s economy. State attorneys general across the nation have also previously weighed in against the deeply un-American practice of debanking.

#3: REINing in regulations in Kentucky

In March, Kentucky lawmakers overrode the veto of Governor Andy Beshear to join states like Florida, Idaho, Kansas, and Wisconsin in enacting the Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, which requires major regulations to be affirmatively approved by the people’s elected representatives before they can be implemented. The support in the legislature was overwhelming: The bill passed in the Senate by a vote of 31 to seven and in the House by a vote of 80 to 20.

Why is this significant? The REINS Act is a powerful tool to help prevent unelected bureaucrats from spending and regulating without oversight from the legislature. States with REINS have successfully blocked burdensome regulations from crushing families and job creators.

#4: Mississippi eliminates the income tax

Great news in the Magnolia State: Mississippi just became the latest state to make the personal income tax a thing of the past. On March 27, Governor Tate Reeves signed legislation to gradually abolish the state’s income tax over the next five years. This bold move will encourage more economic activity and new investment and let people keep more of what they earn.

This is the latest in a series of bold and thoughtful reforms coming out of Mississippi, and one of the many reasons why Governor Reeves was recently named FGA’s Governor of the Year.

#5: Sweeping reforms in Wyoming

Not to be outdone, the Wyoming legislature and Governor Mark Gordon recently completed an ambitious legislative session that saw sweeping reforms to everything from state regulations to immigration law to election integrity measures.

Here are the highlights:

• School choice for all K-12 students
• A ban on private funds in elections
• Legislation strengthening legislative oversight on executive rulemaking
• A ban on ballot harvesting and distributing unsolicited ballots
• A ban on unlawful and dangerous sanctuary cities
• Legislation providing for alternative certifications for teachers
• A ban on the use of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) scores in state finances and discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in public hiring

Wyoming also once again rejected summer welfare.

This was unquestionably one of the most productive and effective legislative sessions in Wyoming history. Three cheers for the Cowboy State!

#6: Protecting election integrity and public health in West Virginia

Under the new leadership of Governor Patrick Morrissey, West Virginia is also on a roll. The state has a new ban on the disastrous ranked-choice voting scheme, a ban on non-citizen voting, and a law providing for the regular removal of ineligible voters from the voting rolls.

And in front of a cheering crowd at an event with Secretary Kennedy, Governor Morrissey pledged support for the MAHA movement, including reforms to the food stamp program and healthier school lunches for West Virginia students.

Bottom line

In just the last three months, governors and state legislators across America have been hard at work enacting critical reforms that will help families, workers, and job creators. Other states should follow their example and help make this truly a golden age for the American people.