Arkansas takes home top ranking for religious freedom after Gov Sanders expands key protections
FIRST ON FOX: Arkansas has been ranked the nation's top state for religious liberty after Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a series of laws expanding faith protections that helped lift the state to the top.
Earning a score of 89.2%, Arkansas became one of only two states to earn the First Liberty Institute's annual Religious Liberty in the States index's first-ever "excellent" rating. The index evaluates states using 50 legal protections across 20 religious liberty safeguards spanning education, healthcare, family law, economic activity and other areas of daily life.
"Religious liberty is America’s First Freedom, and Arkansas is leading the nation in protecting it," Sanders said.
"Our rights come from God, not government, and every American should be free to live according to their faith and conscience. We’ll continue defending that freedom and ensuring the Natural State remains the best place in the country to live, work and worship."
AMERICA’S NEXT 250 YEARS DEPEND ON PASSING FAITH AND FREEDOM TO OUR CHILDREN
The Natural State climbed six spots from last year's rankings after lawmakers approved several measures expanding legal protections for religious exercise and conscience rights.
Arkansas' rise was driven largely by Act 677, legislation Sanders signed last year that bars state and local governments from penalizing people, businesses and religious organizations for acting according to their religious beliefs regarding marriage and biological sex.
The state's religious liberty push also included the Conscience Protection Act, signed by Sanders in 2023, which expanded Arkansas' Religious Freedom Restoration Act by prohibiting state government discrimination against religious organizations based on their religious identity or status.
Kelly Shackelford, president, CEO and chief counsel at First Liberty, said other states should follow Arkansas' lead and "strengthen religious liberty protections in their own states."
"Religious liberty is best protected when leaders are willing to act before the rights of people of faith are threatened," Shackelford said.
Dr. Mark David Hall, director of the Religious Liberty in the States project, said Arkansas demonstrates how states can protect what America's founders called "the sacred right of conscience," allowing people to practice their faith not just at church, but in their everyday lives.
"States have always served as laboratories of liberty, and this year’s results show why that matters," Hall said.
Sanders also publicly defended religious freedom in December. She rejected demands from the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), a group that advocates for the separation of church and state, to reverse her proclamation closing state offices for Christmas.
In a response letter previously obtained by Fox News Digital, Sanders pushed back on claims it was unconstitutional, saying "only by voicing our own faith and celebrating other faiths can we make our state's diverse religious communities feel seen and heard."
"With this index, citizens and legislators can see where their state is doing well, where it still has room to improve, and which existing laws could help better protect the right of conscience," Dr. Paul D. Mueller, associate director of the Religious Liberty in the States project, said.
