Nevada at No. 6 in ranking of most ‘free’ states

By Paul Takahashi

Friday, June 10, 2011 | 2:42 p.m.

Nevada is the sixth most “free” state in the nation, according to a state-by-state analysis of personal, social and economic liberties by George Mason University.

The biennial report – titled “Freedom in the 50 States: An Index of Personal and Economic Freedom” – ranks states on the amount of government intervention on economic, regulatory and personal freedoms.

In the report, the term “freedom” was broadly defined as an individual’s right to “dispose of their lives, liberties and properties as they see fit, as long as they do not infringe on the rights of others.”

Nevada’s ranking in those three spheres of liberties ranged from 31st in regulatory freedoms to third in personal freedoms, according to the report.

"Nevada has a reputation as a libertarian state, mostly because of legal prostitution and gambling but reality is only beginning to catch up to perception," he report said. "Nevada starts out with the obvious advantages of the most liberal gaming regime in the country (but an Internet-gaming ban) and local-option prostitution. On fiscal policy the state is better than average, but in less visible ways, since spending and taxation are only slightly better than average."

Nevada still moved up 10 spots since the rankings were introduced in 2009.

The report recommended three policy changes to improve Nevada’s score in 2013: repeal health-insurance coverage mandates, deregulate private schools and revert the minimum wage pay rate to the federal standard.

According to the rankings, New Hampshire – with the motto “live free or die” – is the most “free” state in the union. South Dakota, Indiana, Idaho and Missouri rounded out the top five states ahead of Nevada.

States with a heavy government hand ranked lowest in the report. New York was “by far the least free state in the union,” according to the report. The Empire State has “by far the highest taxes in the country,” the strictest health insurance regulations and some of the most restrictive tobacco and gun laws, the study said.

New Jersey, California, Hawaii and Massachusetts rounded out the bottom five states in the rankings.

The study found that residents from highly regulated states were migrating to states with less government intervention. Domestic in-migration to Nevada increased 2 percent since the study was introduced in 2009, the report said.