West Virginia Not So Free According to Mercatus Study

By westvirginia on March 12, 2010

West Virginia ranks in the bottom 10 for freedom in two out of four categories according to a recent study.

The Mercatus Center at George Mason University released a report recently, titled “Freedom in the 50 States: Index of Personal and Economic Freedom.” The report, written by William P. Ruger and Jason Sorens, is a first for the group.

The report broke down the states into four categories: fiscal policy, regulatory policy, economic freedom, and personal freedom. West Virginia ranked 40th out of 50 states for regulatory and economic freedom, while the state ranked 39th in fiscal freedom. The only category West Virginia scored positively in was personal freedom, where the state ranked 17th. The stated ranked 33rd overall

From the report:

West Virginia (#40 economic, #17 personal, #33 overall) is the least free state in the South, excluding Maryland. Taxes are rather high, and the state is fiscally centralized. Corporate income taxes are a particular problem, the second highest in the country. On the other hand, gun laws are quite liberal, and marijuana laws are fairly moderate. West Virginia imposes teacher qualifications on home schoolers, as well as annual standardized testing and extensive notification requirements. Statewide land-use planning is virtually nil.

West Virginia could improve its labor laws by repealing the prevailing wage law, adopting right-to-work, and permitting private insurance for workers’ compensation. The state’s liability system is one of the worst in the country. Cigarette taxes are low, and there are no smoking bans on private property.

According to the executive summary, the report “presents the first-ever comprehensive ranking of the American states on their public policies affecting individual freedoms in the economic, social, and personal spheres.”

You can read the full report below:
Freedom in the 50 States: Index of Personal and Economic Freedom