By Reagan Steele – Business & Economic Policy Writer

Following Governor Gavin Newsom’s claim that talk of a “California exodus” is “bullsht,”* yet another high-profile departure is making headlines—this time from the very heart of California’s fast-food royalty.

Lynsi Snyder, president and heiress of the iconic In-N-Out Burger chain, just confirmed she’s moving to Tennessee. It’s not just a business expansion—it’s personal. She’s leaving the Golden State behind, citing how hard it is to raise a family and do business here.

Tennessee’s no random pick. Low taxes, strong family values, and a culture rooted in faith and freedom have made it a magnet for Californians tired of being overregulated, overtaxed, and overlooked. Nashville’s the home of country music, Christian music, and now increasingly, former Californians who’ve had enough.

In-N-Out has long stood out in the corporate world for quietly embracing Christian principles, with Bible verses printed on the bottom of its cups and a CEO who takes her faith seriously. For Snyder, the move is about more than money—it’s about values. She’s not the only one who sees today’s California as a place where families, especially those grounded in faith, feel increasingly under siege.

Policies that sideline parents, inject radical ideologies into public schools, and burden businesses with endless red tape have real consequences. People are voting with their feet—and their tax dollars.

California loves to tout itself as a national model. But the question is no longer whether people are leaving. They are. The real question is: How many productive citizens, business leaders, and job creators can California afford to lose before the math breaks completely?