Texas Has the Fewest Personal Freedoms

[bnew]

https://www.newsweek.com/texas-least-free-state-personal-freedom-index-1846236

Texas Has the Fewest Personal Freedoms​

Nov 22, 2023 at 6:22 PM EST

By Suzanne Blake
Reporter, Consumer & Social Trends
FOLLOW

Texas was found to be the state with the fewest personal freedoms, according to the Cato Institute's new Freedom Index.

The index is a yearly measure of both economic and personal freedoms at the state level. The methodology looks at issues from taxation to debt, as well as eminent domain laws, occupational licensing, drug policy and educational choice.

While Texas came in at number 17 for its overall freedom score, buoyed by considerable wins in economic freedom, the state lagged significantly behind when it came to personal freedoms, coming in dead last. Personal freedoms include gambling, tobacco, marriage, education, cannabis, alcohol, and several others.

In the overall freedom rankings, New Hampshire rated number 1, followed by Florida and South Dakota, while New York was dead last, with Hawaii 49th and California 48th. For personal freedoms, Nevada came tops followed by Arizona and Maine, with Wyoming 48th and Idaho 49th.

State sign. Texas came in dead last for personal freedoms in a Cato Institute ranking.MIROSLAV_1/GETTY IMAGES

"Texas is a paradigmatic case, finishing dead last in personal freedom despite a top-10 economic freedom score," the study said. "Texans may be unhappy with their weak personal freedom showing, but it reflects poor criminal justice policies and the fact that the Lone Star State is increasingly behind the curve on cannabis, education, and gambling freedoms."

From 2000 and 2022, Texas only grew 0.25 points in its overall freedom score, showing there's still a considerable gap compared to other states that scored well.

Marijuana in Texas​

The state outlaws the use of recreational or medicinal marijuana, and anyone who possesses up to two ounces of weed may face Class B misdemeanor charges.

Nationally, 24 states alongside Washington, D.C., have allowed recreational marijuana use. A total of 40, excluding Texas, have allowed for medical marijuana, although Texans do have a small concession for certain patients to be prescribed marijuana with only 1 percent THC by weight (the national average is 19.2 percent, per the National Institute for Health).

Criminal Justice in Texas​

The largest issue for Texas, when it came to its low personal freedom score, concerned its criminal justice system, the study's researcher said.

"Texas still has higher than average incarceration rates for its violent and property crime rates, even after modest criminal justice reforms," Jason Sorens, the senior research faculty at the American Institute for Economic Research and a lead index author, told Newsweek. "Marijuana hasn't been liberalized at all. You can still get life imprisonment for a single marijuana offense not involving minors, and there are mandatory minimums for marijuana offenses as well."

Arrest rates for 'victimless crimes' were also higher than average, though they fell over the last decade, he said.

Gambling & Education in Texas​

Additionally, Texas sees limited gambling and education freedom.

'Unusually for a conservative-leaning state, Texas has no private school choice programs," Sorens said.

Texas also requires a thumbprint to get a driver's license, reflecting the state's larger lack of freedom.

What does it all mean?​

Across all states, New Hampshire was found to be the state with the most freedom, while New York took in a dismal 50th place. New York has been listed as the least free state on the Cato Index for more than 20 years straight.

"We don't find any relationship between personal freedom and economic growth," Sorens said. "But we do find that states with more personal freedom attract more people from other states."

Nevada was the best state for personal freedom, and hundreds of thousands move to the state in search of those benefits each year.

While Texas has limited freedom on the personal level, it's unlikely to make a difference because the state has a solid housing and jobs market, with the exception of Austin. In Texas, the median home price is $357,388, while mortgage rates are at 7.2 percent. This is desirable for many compared to the national median, at $422,550, according to RealAdvisor.com.

"So far, Texas hasn't had a problem attracting people with lower housing costs and a good job market," Sorens said. "It could probably do even better with more personal freedom."

Update 11/23/23 11:07 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

christians being WOAT

 

[bnew]

Despite Texas' lack of a state income tax, most Texans pay more in taxes than Californians, data shows​

.

Data: Texas doesn't have a state income tax, but most residents pay more in taxes than Californians

A 2018 graphic on Reddit suggests Texans pay more taxes than Californians.

www.houstonchronicle.com

Shepard Price, San Antonio Express-News
Aug. 22, 2022

A recent post on Reddit's main economic forum included a 2018 graphic that shows Texans pay more taxes than Californians unless they are in the top 1 percent.
Josie Norris / San Antonio Express-News

Those coming to Texas for a tax break may want to turn around if they are not in the top 1 percent of earners.

A recent post on Reddit's main economic forum included a 2018 graphic that shows Texans pay more taxes than Californians unless they are in the top 1 percent. The post is one of the highest-rated in the last month on the social media platform. It is unclear why the post was shared now.




The graphic is of data from the sixth edition of the Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy's "Who Pays" series, which tracks tax data for all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The last time the nonprofit released data was in 2018, but it is expected to release updated findings later this year.

Texans in the bottom 20 percent of income earners — those earning less than $20,900 — pay 13 percent of their income in state and local taxes, while those in the top 1 percent of income earners — those earning $617,900 or more — pay only 3.1 percent.

In California, the bottom 20 percent of income earners — those earning less than $23,200 — pay 10.5 percent in state and local taxes, while the top 20 percent — those earning $714,400 or more — pay 12.4 percent.

Texas was the second-most regressive tax state, behind only Washington. Low-income taxpayers bear a disproportionate share of the tax burden in those states, according to the nonprofit. California, meanwhile, is the most progressive tax state because people in higher tax brackets pay higher tax rates.

"Every state has some regressive taxes on the books," said Carl Davis, a research director at the nonprofit. "Whether that be sales tax, motor fuel tax, tobacco tax, even property tax is somewhat regressive."

However, unlike other states, Texas has no "progressive counterbalance," Davis said, because there is no state income tax.

Robert Peroni, a tax professor at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, noted that the "Who Pays" series appears to base its results on real-world data and policy. Nothing substantial has changed in the state tax-wise since 2018, Peroni said. However, all think tanks have their own viewpoints, with the nonprofit leaning liberal, Peroni added.

For its data, the nonprofit relied on IRS income tax data, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Expenditure Survey, sales tax data and property tax data from sources like the Census Bureau, Davis said.

Despite Texas' reputation as a "low-tax, low-government state," Peroni said most of its residents are high-taxed. States with income taxes do more to lower inequality, according to Peroni.


"We don't have that; we've never had it, as far as I know," Peroni said of a state income tax. "That makes it very hard to solve this inequality problem. When they say Texas is a very regressive state, it means if you're low income, you spend 100 percent of it, you spend it. Some of it is tax-exempt, but most of that spending is taxed by sales tax."

Peroni said there doesn't seem to be a politician or political party in the state willing to propose a state income tax.

"State income tax seems to be a third rail politically in Texas and is rarely proposed even by the most liberal politicians," Peroni said. "It makes it very hard to change the structure."

 

[AyBrehHam Linkin]

Everybody n their momma moving to the Yall Qaeda Christianmirate

 

[King Sun]

Everybody n their momma moving to the Yall Qaeda Christianmirate

Its messed up because all of those people that moved to these places houses ain't going to be worth the money they paid for it. I'm not going to lie being able to live in a warm place with a a bigger house and "safer" sounds attractive until you start living in these places. As someone that family made that mistake in the 00's you major city brehs better off with your 700ft single and basic rights.

 

[Elim Garak]

Shocking

 

[Koba St]

They’ll be the first to scream “freedom and liberty”

 

[bnew]

People are leaving Texas over rising costs, partisan politics, and a sense of disenchantment

Although more people are moving to Texas than leaving it, some Texans are packing up for states with lower property taxes and more inclusivity.

www.businessinsider.com

People are leaving Texas over rising costs, partisan politics, and a sense of disenchantment​

Alcynna Lloyd
Nov 26, 2023, 7:09 AM ET

The Texas state capitol in Austin. Getty Images/ Jon Hicks

• Texas experienced a surge in popularity during the pandemic that drove home prices up 30%, data suggests.
• The political freedom some sought in the state has encouraged others to leave.
• Have you left or do you plan to leave Texas? Business Insider wants to hear from you.

While some homebuyers seek the American dream in Texas, many are leaving the state to find it elsewhere.

"Lifelong Texan here. I am definitely preparing an exit strategy," one anonymous user posted on a Reddit thread about leaving Texas. "From the heat to the stripping away of human rights, I'm just done."

Another poster struck a similar chord. "I've been in Texas most of my life, and my husband and I were always planning on retiring here (in about 5 years from now)," they wrote. "But between this intense heat, crazy politics, and cost of living, we've decided to leave for good and head to Knoxville."

While people have been moving into the Lone Star state to take advantage of its relatively affordable real-estate market, political atmosphere, and work opportunities, some of those same qualities are driving others out. More than 494,000 people left Texas between 2021 and 2022 (though the state gained a net population of 174,261). It's a trend that could intensify as housing costs surge and the state's political landscape becomes more polarized.

Housing costs have some looking for affordability elsewhere​

Texas experienced a surge in popularity during the pandemic that pushed home prices up 30% from 2019, data from Realtor.com indicated. At the same, residents are also grappling with property taxes that are among the highest in the country.

Californians seeking more affordable homes made the Golden-to-Lone-Star-state moving route the most popular in the country from 2021 to 2022, with almost 108,000 people making the move. But there's one big downside.

"The property-tax percentage rate is higher," Marie Bailey, a Realtor who moved from El Segundo, California, to Prosper, Texas, in 2017, previously told Business Insider. "Every time a prospective client calls me, it's one of the first things I talk about."

Marie Bailey and her family moved to Prosper, Texas in 2017, where she is now a realtor helping other Californians make the move to The Lone Star State. Courtesy of Marie Bailey
As Texas starts to lose its edge as an inexpensive and affordable housing choice, many locals are shifting their focus to the Midwest.

For Texans, "the Midwest has emerged as popular recently because it is just by and large the most affordable region," Hannah Jones, Realtor.com's economic-research analyst, told BI in October. "We're seeing this trend of buyers looking for affordability really explode."

The political freedom many moved to the state for is driving others away​

For many Americans, politics are just as important as housing affordability when choosing a place to live.

A 2022 survey by the mortgage marketplace LendingTree involving 1,545 participants found that 39% of respondents said they'd relocated or might consider moving to a different state if their political views didn't align with the majority.

Jackie Burse, a self-identified Conservative, is one of the many Californians who have sought out Texas for its political environment. Burse told BI in September that it played a crucial role in her decision to relocate to Texas in 2021.

Jackie Burse grabbing a drink. Courtesy of Jackie Burse
In Texas, Burse said, there was "room for people to believe what they want without being shamed," unlike in California.

Contrary to Burse, Bob McCranie, a Dallas-based real-estate broker who created a real-estate service that helps LGBTQ+ people in Texas sell their homes and get connected with agents in different parts of the country and abroad, told KXAN News in July that the state's lack of inclusivity had created an unwelcoming environment.

"What we all want as human beings is to feel a level of safety, and if your state is making you feel unsafe, there's no reason to stay," McCranie said. "I can't believe somebody could look at, let's say, California or New York versus Texas and Florida and say that LGBTQ people feel more welcome in Florida and Texas."

Texas hasn't lived up to its promises for some​

Some recent transplants have also grown disenchanted with the state.

In Austin, some tech workers who flocked to the city during the pandemic just can't seem to get out fast enough.

Nick Thomas, 30, moved to Austin from downtown Los Angeles in January 2021 and told BI in August he hoped to move back to California soon. He said Austin was a "watered-down" version of places he'd previously lived, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco.

"People say it's a tech scene just because that's what they were told, but when you get to it, there's no evidence for it," Thomas said. "I think it was just oversold."

Jules Rogers, a reporter who relocated from Portland, Oregon, to Houston in 2018 for a position at a local newspaper, left Texas less than two years after moving to the city.

Jules Rogers, left, in Texas. Courtesy of Jules Rogers
Though she was earning a 20% higher income and living in a more spacious apartment, she said that her quality of life hadn't improved.

"I tried to tell myself I just needed to give it a chance, settle in, and get used to Houston, but I missed the trees, the air, the mountains, the ocean, the vibes, and the culture of the Pacific Northwest," Rogers previously wrote for BI.

She has since returned to Portland, where she said she felt "much happier now back at home."

Are you a Texan who has recently left or has plans to leave the state? We want to hear from you. Email the reporter, Alcynna Lloyd, at alloyd@businessinsider.com to share your story.

 

[Luke Cage]

never understood giving up your own rights in the pursuit of morality. You can find a community of like minded individuals with or without government involved. Even crazy cults can find like minded people. So you wanting to be around people who don't drink or smoke weed or abort their kids, practice christianity, etc shouldn't be that hard, You don't need government for that.

 

[Givethanks]

christians being WOAT

C'mon man

 

[beenz]

the only redeeming quality of living in texas is the lack of state income taxes. but u can get that in other states like tenessee if u choose, and the cost of living in TN is much cheaper.

 

[Luke Cage]

Funny part is i know a lot of gun people claim CALI has the fewest personal freedoms and will say the exact opposite about Texas.
Which ironic because they claim the guns are actually meant to protect their freedoms.

 

[Yinny]

Yeah, other than guns for everyone Texas isn’t about individual rights. Businesses hell yeah

 

[zayk35]

Yeah that no income tax sounds good until you realize that it only benefits the top earners. For all its flash and shyt it's still a shythole state just as it was when I was growing up there.

 

[DatBoiHawk]

Yeah dawg. p*ssy ass white boy was bout to lock me up over .4 of a gram of weed. Luckily I’m a wizard and hid that shyt so good