which is the freest state in the union?

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carlrodd

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all things considered, and obviously gun laws being a sort of litmus test, which state in our union do you believe to be most free? think about the full spectrum of rights that we are guaranteed by the constitution. of course, along with this would be which state you think is the least free.

i can only go on my personal experiences. Texas seems very much "open" to me, and as far as my east coast states, maybe new hampshire?? new jersey is hands down the worst, though if i lived in california i might think differently.
 
I live in Missouri and am happy with the freedoms in this state- better than Michigan from which I moved 35 years ago- of course I am rural and don't have to deal with big city regulations-
 
Wyoming has my vote.

Looking at their state Constitution:

RKBA is expressed as an individual right.

emminent domain is only for specified reasons

No income tax

Limit on state government debt

even a clause saying that companies that do business within the state must adhere to the state Constitution (hmmm... perhaps legal action against Google?)
 
The northern rocky mountain states (idaho and montana) have few regulations on guns or just about anything else. Some of the midwest states, texas, and the northern new england states aren't bad either.
 
New Hampshire. Certainly of the Eastern states. But I live here, so I'm somewhat biased. :) Although I will concede that Montana and Wyoming have much to recommend them as well.

As for NH gun laws:
  • Shall issue since 1923 (80+ years!)
  • Open carry legal (although not common in the few cities)
  • Class III no big deal (if you can afford it)
  • Firearms law preemption (so uniform laws throughout the state, no city or town can make their own firearms rules)

Also, did I mention:
- No state income tax
- No sales tax

And a truly part-time legislature (so less time to cause mischief) with pay set in the state constitution, so legislators can't vote themselves a pay raise without the citizens approving an amendment to the state constitution!


Other reasons (Quoted from http://www.freestateproject.org/community/nh_info.php):

  • 4th lowest-size state/local bureaucracy (pdf)
  • Second in economic competitiveness. Press release (pdf), full report (pdf).
  • Third-healthiest state in the 2005 Overall America's Health Rankings by the United Health Foundation.
  • N.H. leads region in economic vigor - Portsmouth Herald, 11/10/05
  • US Census Bureau Report (PDF) released 10/27/05: NH #2 in "% of Households with Internet Access" and #3 in "% Households with a Computer". Also see newspaper article.
  • #2 in 2005 Work Environment Index
  • Best state for well-being of children. See rankings and press release.
  • Most-livable state for 2005!
  • 2nd healthiest state in the nation!
  • Most Improved State
  • 4th safest state
  • More great rankings (PDF) including most favorable tax climate, Child and Family Well-Being, and more.
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WillBrayJr said:
Far and away, Vermont;)
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How? No silencers allowed, sales tax , income tax. I don't think so

I have to vote NH, of course I live here. No sales tax, no income tax, easy C3, shall issue concealed carry, legal open cary STATEWIDE even though the southern cities can think they are in MA they must obey the law. Also the right in the State constitution to revolt against tyrany. (love that one)

Town meeting mostly the rule across the state. One can have an impact in local and State affairs. No proffesional polititions in the house or senate.

Live Free or Die
 
Montana does have an "open container" law now, and smoking is now prohibited in all public places including bars :(

Still, it's about as free a place as any, if you can manage to make a living here.

I'd say that AK, VT, NH, MT, WY, and ID probably rank as the free-est states. Some pros and cons to each. Sometimes I wish I had stayed in AK, but I was raised in the semi-arid West and I just couldn't get used to the boreal jungles and bogs. Not much of a place to have horses, except maybe in the Matanuska Valley. WY would be all right, but I like grass better than sagebrush, and WY is still too close to CO :p (which has already been ruined by Californians IMO)

Eastern MT and Western MT have somewhat different cultures. Eastern half has been losing population while the west (scenic) area is growing more crowded. But after a while you get used to prairie and rimrocks and scrubby pine trees ;)
 
How do Nanny-States factor into the equation?

I hate to bring alcohol into the equation on a gun board;
But "Nanny-States” or ”ABC Control States” have always bothered me.

The following States believe it's their job to operate retail liquor stores:

Alabama, Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina,
Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia

http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/Controversies/1127524611.html

I know it's a great source of revenue for these States, but come on, what's next?

I’m also aware that these controls don’t necessarily hamper freedom, but it still bothers the hell out of me.
 
45-8-351. Restriction on local government regulation of firearms.(1) Except as provided in subsection (2), no county, city, town, consolidated local government, or other local government unit may prohibit, register, tax, license, or regulate the purchase, sale or other transfer (including delay in purchase, sale, or other transfer), ownership, possession, transportation, use, or unconcealed carrying of any weapon including a rifle, shotgun, handgun, or concealed handgun.
(2) (a) For public safety purposes, a city or town may regulate the discharge of rifles, shotguns, and handguns. A county, city, town, consolidated local government, or other local government unit has power to prevent or surpress the carrying of concealed and unconcealed weapons to a public assembly, publically owned building, park under its jurisdiction, or school and the possession of weapons by convicted felons, adjuducated mental incompetents, illegal aliens, and minors.
(b) Nothing contained herein shall allow an government to prohibit the legitimate display of firearms at shows or other public occassions by collectors and others, nor shall anything contained herein prohibit the legitimate transportation of firearms through any jurisdiction, whether in airports or otherwise.
Click to expand...

That's a taste of the freedom we have in Montana. If you want to gander through the rest of the firearms laws you'll see lethal force in self defense is accepted on reasonable grounds with no duty to retreat from your own residence, there is basically no laws concerning the transportation of firearms in vehicles, and Montana is "Shall Issue."

Plus...
attachment.php
 
Uhhhh, California?:rolleyes:
No, kidding
Wyoming by far.
Montana has some strange laws (although not around guns), right to work state rather than at will, heavy heavy income tax (11.25% at the top), anti-mining laws (in the "treasure state" no less) and Missoula, well. I mean, pretty darn close to good esp for your poor coasters but.
I would have to vote Wyoming.

Montana looks better than most of Wyoming though.
 
Of course I am biased, but I vote for Georgia as being a very free state. Perhaps not the most free, but the firearms laws here are very liberal, and its almost unheard of that a citizen, LEO, or anyone for that matter that uses deadly force in self defense ever gets put on the stand.
 
Optical Serenity said:
Of course I am biased, but I vote for Georgia as being a very free state. Perhaps not the most free, but the firearms laws here are very liberal, and its almost unheard of that a citizen, LEO, or anyone for that matter that uses deadly force in self defense ever gets put on the stand.
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I love my home state, but it has too many restrictions. On the firearms side, there's a host of places prohibited for CCW (Infact, anything that can be construed as a "public gathering," and restaurants that serve alcohol, state parks, churches. Infact, there seems to be fewer places you can carry than can't. At least businesses can't post against it). And despite state laws about shall issue, some counties really enjoy dragging their feet (It can take up to six months to get a GFL in Catoosa County).

It gets a little worse on other issues. State wide public smoking ban (almost ended up being a total ban on smoking outside of your own private property). State income tax, ad velorum tax on car tags, state sales tax (admittedly a low one, 4%). And none of the surroundings states (except maybe Alabama) are much better. In Tennessee the only differences are no smoking ban and no income tax. Of course, a TN CCW costs triple to quintuple a GFL.

Still, it could be worse. We could be in Taxachussettes, or Illinois.
 
I'll buy a beer to the first person who's lived a long time in Alaska, Wyomin, Montana or Idaho and then moves to NH or Vermont and seriously maintains that the little east coast colonies are more free than the mountain states or AK. Every little village and burg over in NH and Vermont has a board of selectment, town elders, planning boards, zoning boards and heap plenty regulations. They are free BY EAST COAST STANDARDS, but that's not saying a whole lot. In comparison to the real free states they are small, crowded, ingrown and civilized.

As far as gun laws on the books, those only go so far. The attitude and outlook of the jury pool and LEO's is just as important.

:neener:
 
Oregon's openness to assisted suicide makes it high on my list. Maryland is very low, because I can't drive through while wearing a gun in the car, concealed or otherwise.

Were it not for the Supreme Court, I would be picking States somewhat based upon freedom to obtain an abortion, i.e. freedom from others not minding their own business.

I shouldn't have to pick. There should be only one definition of personal freedoms defined at the national level. Our modern mobility makes it clear that we need to take our rights with us when we cross State lines. I favor principle rather than a localized tyranny of the majority.

A State's rights argument is often spurious in my opinion. I really don't care about archaic arguments for republics and sovereignty. That all gets abused anyway. It's nonsense in today's world. I would agree that whatever the law states should be according to the Constitution, but not a static one that is not being amended to support perceived needs for change in the law or to close loopholes in its interpretation.
 
Cosmoline said:
I'll buy a beer to the first person who's lived a long time in Alaska, Wyomin, Montana or Idaho and then moves to NH or Vermont and seriously maintains that the little east coast colonies are more free than the mountain states or AK. Every little village and burg over in NH and Vermont has a board of selectment, town elders, planning boards, zoning boards and heap plenty regulations. They are free BY EAST COAST STANDARDS, but that's not saying a whole lot. In comparison to the real free states they are small, crowded, ingrown and civilized.

As far as gun laws on the books, those only go so far. The attitude and outlook of the jury pool and LEO's is just as important.

:neener:
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K, next time I get to Koot's the first round is on you. :p

I lived in Alaska for four years, then Vermont for two, and New Hampshire for three and counting.

Small - yes.
Crowded - Compared to the western states, yes.
Ingrown - you're going to have to define this one better. If it means we have actual roads going to every town and village, yes. ;)
Civilized - yes. But civilization is not necessarily the opposite of freedom.

Alaska doesn't have a state income tax, but it isn't seriously pressed for one with oil revenue flowing in. New Hampshire just doesn't have one.

Alaska's political infrastructure at the state level is considerably heavier than New Hampshire's. At the national level, you have Stevens, Murkowski, and Young doing their best Robert Byrd impression and feasting on Federal money. At the local level, I agree with you that Alaska gets the nod, but with as much bush area as there is, that's no surprise.

For individual peculiarities, yeah New Hampshire has state liquor stores, but on the other hand you can ride a motorcycle without a helmet. And as far as I know, New Hampshire doesn't have any dry villages.

If Alaska would stop having earthquakes, I'd probably still be living there, but freedom-wise it is at least an arguable tie between The Last Frontier and the Live Free or Die state.
 
I'd say NH, myself. And it has several things going for it, besides the lack of sales tax, state income tax, and the ease of getting CCW.

It's not in the middle of nowhere, not in "flyover country". You can get to the major business centers of the east coast by car in hours.

It gets northeast cold, but not northern-plains-states "step outside door and breathing is sheer pain" cold. This winter has been oddly mild, 60 degrees in the middle of Jan several times.

It's not crowded, but it has decent-sized cities in the southern half, you don't need to drive 20 miles to go to any of the major chain stores you can think of. You can still live among trees in quiet, but be 2-5 miles from a Target, Best Buy, etc.

I would hate having to drive 20 miles to buy milk, and I couldn't stand too much wide open nothing, I get bored. :D
 
I'd have to say it is tie among five states: Montana, New Hampshire, Wyoming, Alaska and Vermont.

Alaska wins overall since it is too cold for most everything else but freedom!
 
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