Governments at home and abroad are finding new ways to tax Americans while families struggle with inflation, housing costs, and affordability.

In this episode of Leave Us Alone, Mike Palicz and James Erwin break down Europe's digital taxes targeting American tech companies, rising energy costs, Virginia Democrats pushing new taxes, and why taxing inflation is making the housing market worse.

What does it take to eliminate a state income tax?

Grover Norquist sits down with Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert to discuss how Oklahoma is charting a path to a 0% income tax and why other states are beginning to follow.

Oklahoma has reduced rates, simplified its tax code, and established a trigger-based path to zero as revenues grow. The goal is to lower the burden on taxpayers while maintaining responsible budgeting.

They also discuss:

• How Oklahoma built the coalition to pass tax reform
• Why a phased approach to zero is gaining traction
• Tort reform and its impact on insurance costs
• School choice and broader state-level reforms

As more states explore ways to reduce taxes and expand opportunity, Oklahoma offers a clear model for what comes next.

Inflation is driving up costs. But there's a simple policy change that could make a real difference.

Right now, the IRS taxes inflation as if it were real income. When your home, retirement savings, or small business increases in value because of inflation, you still pay taxes on the full gain.

That means millions of Americans are being taxed on "phantom gains."

Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform explains how indexing capital gains for inflation would fix this problem by ensuring taxpayers only pay taxes on real gains. He outlines how this reform could be implemented, why it would boost investment and economic growth, and how it could improve affordability across the economy.

This isn't a new idea. Policymakers in both parties have supported it in the past because it's practical, fair, and pro-growth.

If lawmakers are looking for a clear, immediate step to address inflation and costs, this is one of the most straightforward options.