New Study Ranks Freedom In The States

New York is the least free state overall, and Maryland is least free in terms of personal freedom, according to a new study by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. The study, Freedom in the 50 States, rated the states according their fiscal policies, regulatory policies, and laws relating to economic and personal freedom. Where each state stands on 30-plus gun laws accounted for 6.67 percent of its total freedom score and accounted for the second highest percentage among 12 categories related to "paternalism," which included economic and personal freedom.

Not surprisingly, the states that the study found to be least free overall and least free in terms of personal freedom have what the Brady Campaign considers the best combination of gun laws. California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and New York -- the only states to which the Brady Campaign gave passing grades in its gun control "scorecard" last month -- are among the five least free states overall, and among the 10 least free states in terms of personal freedom in the Mercatus Center study.

At the other end of the freedom spectrum, the six most free states overall, and six of the most free states in terms of personal freedom, according to the Mercatus study, got 10 or fewer points in the Brady Campaign's 100-point gun control grading system.