These states are the friendliest and freest for faith groups this election year, new study says

A recently released survey evaluating each of the 50 U.S. states' regulatory and spiritual state laws recovered Alabama and Indiana ranked highest successful the federation successful 2024 for protecting the freedoms of faith groups, portion Washington and Michigan ranked the lowest.

Napa Legal Institute released its 2nd annual "Faith and Freedom Index," which looks astatine 14 types of authorities laws, breached down into the 2 categories of spiritual state and regulatory freedom, that impact faith-based, tax-exempt nonprofits. It past assigns a standing to each instrumentality connected however it champion supports these nonprofits' quality to operate. 

The 2024 study recovered conscionable 8 states received a people of 60% oregon higher for protecting some spiritual and regulatory freedoms. Those states were, Utah, Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Indiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and New Hampshire. 

According to Napa Legal, Alabama and Indiana scored the highest successful the nation, overall, due to the fact that they had "straightforward corporate, tax, and fundraising regimes." Alabama specifically received the highest people (86%), for advancing spiritual freedom, portion Indiana took the apical people (81%), for having regulatory laws which didn't hinder religion groups' operations.

ALABAMA, TEXAS RANK HIGHEST IN NATION FOR RELIGIOUS, REGULATORY FREEDOM; MICHIGAN, NEVADA AMONG WORST: STUDY

A recently released survey evaluating each of the 50 U.S. states' regulatory and spiritual state laws recovered Alabama and Indiana ranked highest successful the federation successful 2024 for protecting the freedoms of religion groups.  (iStock)

Conversely, Michigan and Washington ranked lowest successful some categories wide due to the fact that they "over-burden and are adjacent hostile towards faith-based nonprofits" with their regulatory and spiritual state laws, according to the report.

Michigan received the lowest score, (22%), for failing to beforehand spiritual state successful the state, portion Illinois ranked lowest, (43%), for regulatory freedom.

The ineligible acquisition group, whose mission is to amended and equip faith-based nonprofits "with the tools and resources they request truthful they tin support their organizations and execute their missions," said that protecting spiritual state is captious this election.

"The Faith and Freedom Index intelligibly shows that states indispensable actively prosecute successful the conflict for spiritual state and a flourishing civilian society. The enactment of faith-based nonprofits is particularly important this predetermination year, successful which galore Americans are uncertain astir the aboriginal of our federation and are seeing escalating attacks connected spiritual state and conscience rights crossed the country," Napa Legal Vice President and Executive Director Mary Margaret Beecher said successful a property release. 

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"The enactment of faith-based nonprofits is particularly important this predetermination year," Napa Legal’s Mary Margaret Beecher warned. (Getty Images)

"It's encouraging to spot states similar Alabama and Texas staunchly protecting these important rights. However, these rights beryllium to Americans careless of the authorities they inhabit. Now is the clip for states that bash not person robust protections of these rights to determination towards doing so," she continued.

The survey besides recovered immoderate states, specified arsenic Iowa, Nebraska and Utah, had passed authorities protecting spiritual freedoms since the merchandise of Napa Legal's 2023 Faith and Freedom Index, earning these states a higher people successful this year's edition.

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