A newly launched examine evaluating every of the 50 U.S. states’ regulatory and non secular freedom legal guidelines discovered Alabama and Indiana ranked highest within the nation in 2024 for shielding the freedoms of religion teams, whereas Washington and Michigan ranked the bottom.
Napa Authorized Institute launched its second annual “Religion and Freedom Index,” which appears at 14 varieties of state legal guidelines, damaged down into the 2 classes of spiritual freedom and regulatory freedom, that have an effect on faith-based, tax-exempt nonprofits. It then assigns a score to every regulation on the way it greatest helps these nonprofits’ capability to function.Â
The 2024 report discovered simply eight states obtained a rating of 60% or increased for shielding each spiritual and regulatory freedoms. These states have been, Utah, Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Indiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and New Hampshire.Â
In accordance with Napa Authorized, Alabama and Indiana scored the very best within the nation, general, as a result of they’d “simple company, tax, and fundraising regimes.” Alabama particularly obtained the very best rating (86%), for advancing spiritual freedom, whereas Indiana took the highest rating (81%), for having regulatory legal guidelines which did not hinder religion teams’ operations.
ALABAMA, TEXAS RANK HIGHEST IN NATION FOR RELIGIOUS, REGULATORY FREEDOM; MICHIGAN, NEVADA AMONG WORST: STUDY
A newly launched examine evaluating every of the 50 U.S. states’ regulatory and non secular freedom legal guidelines discovered Alabama and Indiana ranked highest within the nation in 2024 for shielding the freedoms of religion teams. (iStock)
Conversely, Michigan and Washington ranked lowest in each classes general as a result of they “over-burden and are even hostile in the direction of faith-based nonprofits” with their regulatory and non secular freedom legal guidelines, in line with the report.
Michigan obtained the bottom rating, (22%), for failing to advance spiritual freedom within the state, whereas Illinois ranked lowest, (43%), for regulatory freedom.
The authorized schooling group, whose mission is to coach and equip faith-based nonprofits “with the instruments and assets they want to allow them to defend their organizations and obtain their missions,” stated that defending spiritual freedom is vital this election.
“The Religion and Freedom Index clearly exhibits that states should actively have interaction within the battle for spiritual freedom and a flourishing civil society. The work of faith-based nonprofits is particularly essential this election yr, wherein many Individuals are unsure about the way forward for our nation and are seeing escalating assaults on spiritual freedom and conscience rights throughout the nation,” Napa Authorized Vice President and Government Director Mary Margaret Beecher stated in a press launch.Â
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“The work of faith-based nonprofits is particularly essential this election yr,” Napa Authorized’s Mary Margaret Beecher warned. (Getty Pictures)
“It is encouraging to see states like Alabama and Texas staunchly defending these essential rights. Nevertheless, these rights belong to Individuals whatever the state they inhabit. Now could be the time for states that don’t have sturdy protections of those rights to maneuver in the direction of doing so,” she continued.
The examine additionally discovered some states, resembling Iowa, Nebraska and Utah, had handed laws defending spiritual freedoms because the launch of Napa Authorized’s 2023 Religion and Freedom Index, incomes these states a better rating on this yr’s version.
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