When I served as the elected county commissioner president, a familiar phrase echoed through local government whenever new regulations were proposed: “Educate, don’t legislate.” It is a philosophy rooted in a healthy distrust of top-down mandates. It builds on the belief that informed, responsible actors manage risk better than a rigid bureaucracy.

Today, that exact governance mindset has taken center stage in Washington. President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) have signaled a clear preference for private sector responsibility. Their argument is compelling on its face. The United States leads China in the race for advanced software. Heavy federal rules risk crippling American innovation. Johnson explicitly noted that Congress will not lead the charge on regulating AI safety, warning that strict restrictions could cause us to cede technological dominance to our adversaries.