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Cato Institute: Idaho 7th freest state

In his On the Agenda blog for the Twin Falls Times-News, Nathan Brown reports:

Idaho is the seventh-freest state in America, according to a ranking released today by the libertarian Cato Institute.

The Charles Koch-founded think tank, which supports less government intervention both in the economy and in personal matters like abortion and drug use, ranks Idaho as the freest state in the country in terms of regulations and the eighth-freest on state fiscal policy, but puts it at 45th on personal freedom for being what it calls "the worst state outside the Deep South on criminal justice policy."

Under Cato's ranking, New Hampshire is the freest state in the country (their state motto is "Live Free or Die"), New York the least free. Idaho ranks better in Cato's eyes than its neighbors; it considers Nevada the next-freest, at 12th out of the 50 states. More here.

Question: Do you agree/disagree with this ranking?



D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

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