Let’s do better in 2017: Maryland rated 46th freest state of 50

Maryland remains at its fourth-from-worst position of #46 in this new report ranking freedom in the 50 states by the Cato Institute, with which I’m affiliated. “Occupational freedom is extremely low, for health professions and for others….Educational freedom is among the lowest in the country. Homeschools and private schools are tightly regulated, the latter more so (mandatory state approval and teacher licensing).” While scoring average on taxes and criminal justice, our state, long known as the Free State, is worse than average on business subsidies, land-use control, and firearms unfreedom. We are 49th (next to worst!) on regulation, occupational, and land use freedom and least free of all 50 on education.

Adjacent states are ahead of us: Virginia at # 21, Pennsylvania #26, Delaware # 31, and West Virginia at # 39.

Most of these problems cannot be fixed without electing a better legislature in Annapolis.

ACLU blasts Hogan education plan

I wish we had a civil liberties group in Maryland that focused on civil liberties, rather than going to bat for the legislative agenda of the teachers’ union.