The Cato Institute released its freedom rankings among the fifty states, and Florida came in first. From the article:

Florida won the top spot with its economic policies. The state has no personal income tax, and its “state-level tax collections are more than a standard deviation and a half below the national average,” the study says. The state also has lower-than-average levels of government consumption and debt.

From a regulatory point of view, Florida doesn’t enjoy the same level of freedom due to a variety of factors, including land-use regulations, an $8.25/hour minimum wage, regulations on managed-care plans, and a bottom-five occupational freedom ranking. In terms of personal freedom, Florida ranks 11th thanks to civil asset forfeiture reforms and educational freedom. Florida also recognizes same-sex marriage due to the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. The Florida state criminal code, however, still contains draconian mandatory minimums for nonviolent drug offenses and allows for capital punishment.

Who came last? New York. This is my surprised face.