Sorry, Boomer... You're not personally very free and your govt. is making you even less free. You're at #44 and dropping!
The CATO Institute ranks all 50 states on several facets of freedom every year. While Oklahoma seems very favorable to economic and religious freedom,, the state clamps down severely on the more fundamental and personal manifestations of human existence. Their data is a few years behind, but we don't see the recent data as anything close to 'turning a corner'. Here's how they describe it:
Oklahoma is a mass-incarcerating state, and federal data show the situation worsened significantly in 2013. Despite this, victimless crime arrests have been declining since about 2005. Civil asset forfeiture reform has not gone far. It is still possible to get a life sentence for a single cannabis offense not involving minors. There is a two-year mandatory minimum sentence for even small-scale cultivation.
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Personal Freedom Index Rankings
1. Maine 0 2. Nevada +3 3. New Mexico 0 4. Colorado -2 5. New Hampshire +2 6. Alaska +4 7. Vermont -3 8. Washington -2 9. Oregon +6 10. Indiana -2 11. Florida +16 12. West Virginia +1 13. Montana +7 14. Arizona -3 15. Minnesota -3 16. Maryland +12 17. North Carolina -3 18. Iowa -9 19. Missouri +3 20. Ohio +17 21. Kansas -5 22. Illinois -4 23. California -6 24. Massachusetts -5 25. Michigan +7 26. Nebraska +14 27. North Dakota +11 28. Pennsylvania -7 29. Wisconsin -5 30. Louisiana +9 31. Rhode Island -8 32. Utah -6 |
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