In the News

In 2023, Florida was ranked number 8 among religious liberty, in 2024, it moved up to number 2, according to a new report by the Center for Religion, Culture and Democracy (CRCD).

Recent findings from the 2024 Religious Liberty in the States (RLS) report reveal a stark contrast between Maryland and Virginia in this regard, with Maryland far surpassing its southern neighbor.

The RLS annual reports assess how well states do on a range of important religious freedom protections, with the intent not only to measure the degree of protection in a state but also thereby to identify what each state can do to increase its protection.

When it comes to protecting religious freedoms, Ohio ranks highly as one of the top states, according to a study from the conservative legal group First Liberty Institute.

For the second year in a row, Illinois has ranked as the best state for religious liberty because it has the most safeguards in place, while a majority of other states continue to lack adequate protections for people of faith. 

A recent report by First Liberty Institute, the Texas-based nonprofit Christian conservative legal organization, shows which U.S. states are making good on that promise — with others falling behind. 

Many readers come away from studying the RLS index with questions of how exactly their state can improve. That’s why the Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy (CRCD) has published a comprehensive guide that highlights the areas where improvements can be made to ensure robust safeguards for all citizens.

Illinois has once again earned the highest score in the Religious Liberty in the States (RLS) 2024 rankings, maintaining its…

Florida’s increase in the rankings is a good example of the two main ways a state’s score is affected from year to year—by passing new laws and having laws on the books that are reflected in new safeguards identified by RLS over time.

RLS expanded its scope this year to include two new safeguards, bringing the total to 16. Within these safeguards are items that illuminate who is protected from what consequences and what practices those protections enable those individuals to carry out.

The third year of the Religious Liberty in the States report, like last year’s edition, identifies new safeguards for religious liberty that have increased in awareness and importance over the past year. These new safeguards affect the state rankings from one year to the next. 

Illinois and South Carolina have the most religious liberty safeguards currently in place, while states such as West Virginia ranked at the bottom, a report issued by a conservative think tank revealed.