{"id":2555,"date":"2023-11-22T09:09:34","date_gmt":"2023-11-22T09:09:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/?p=2555"},"modified":"2023-11-22T09:09:34","modified_gmt":"2023-11-22T09:09:34","slug":"dead-last-cato-ranks-new-york-the-least-free-state-in-america-for-the-23rd-straight-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/?p=2555","title":{"rendered":"Dead Last: Cato Ranks New York the Least Free State in America for the 23rd Straight Year"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"td-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/freedom.jpg\" data-caption=\"\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"696\" height=\"522\" class=\"entry-thumb td-modal-image\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/freedom-696x522.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/freedom-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/freedom-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/freedom-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/freedom-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/freedom-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/freedom-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/freedom-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/freedom-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/freedom-265x198.jpg 265w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/freedom.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" alt=\"\" title=\"freedom\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><\/div>\n<p>By Joe Bartozzi<\/p>\n<p>New York has gone and done it again. The Empire State is considered the \u201cleast free\u201d state in the Union. That\u2019s not much of a surprise to those in the firearm industry or gun owners who call New York home.<\/p>\n<p>Cato Institute released \u201c<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.freedominthe50states.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">An Index of Personal and Economic Freedom<\/a><\/strong>\u201d ranking all 50 states on 14 categories of freedom, from economic freedoms (relating to tax policies) to personal freedoms, which included gun rights. Overall, New York ranked dead last.<\/p>\n<p>That wasn\u2019t just this year, though. New York has taken the dubious distinction <em>every year since 2000<\/em>. That\u2019s 23 years straight. New York is good at being bad at freedom. They\u2019ve got good \u2013 or bad \u2013 company. Hawaii, California, New Jersey, Oregon and Maryland\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.freedominthe50states.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>took the next five spots<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0at the bottom of the list.<\/p>\n<p>When it comes strictly to gun rights,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.freedominthe50states.org\/gun-rights\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Hawaii was listed as the worst<\/strong><\/a>. Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Delaware and Rhode Island rounded out the next bottom five spots. New York and California were 42 and 44 respectively.<\/p>\n<p>On the opposite end,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.freedominthe50states.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>New Hampshire<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u2013 the Live Free or Die State \u2013 was listed as the overall most free state in the Union. Florida, South Dakota, Nevada, Arizona and Tennessee were the next five spots. On gun rights,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.freedominthe50states.org\/gun-rights\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Kansas came out on top<\/strong><\/a>, with New Hampshire next, followed by a three-way tie for third between Arizona, Idaho and Utah.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>New York<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Those findings aren\u2019t a big surprise for those who pay attention to the battle of gun rights versus gun control. The legal landscape for gun rights in New York is dismal. The state is fighting to preserve a law to allow unconstitutional lawsuits against gun manufacturers for crimes committed by remote third parties. Put another way, the state wants to let families of victims of the criminal misuse of firearms to bypass Congress and the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). They want to use the families to sue gun makers for the crimes committed by criminals \u2013 but not for anything that the manufacturer did wrong.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s not all. New York passed a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nssf.org\/articles\/states-move-quickly-to-change-concealed-carry-restrictions\/?hilite=new+york\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>sweeping law restricting places<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0where law-abiding concealed carry permit holders could actually carry a gun.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nssf.org\/articles\/confusion-is-the-word-as-n-y-gov-hochuls-gun-laws-take-effect\/?hilite=new+york\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>That law<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0initially put Times Square off limits. Criminals didn\u2019t seem bothered. A court, however,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/10\/06\/u-s-judge-blocks-parts-of-new-yorks-new-gun-law\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>reigned in<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0the law.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_532962\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-532962\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-532962 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-700x467.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-1068x712.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-560x373.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-scaled.jpg\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-532962 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-700x467.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-1068x712.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/AP22284536534305-560x373.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-532962\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A traffic sign on the corner of 42nd Street and 6th Avenue announces Times Square as a gun free zone. (AP Photo\/Mary Altaffer)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>New York also now requires background checks for ammunition purchases. That new law is causing logistical nightmares. The FBI\u2019s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) doesn\u2019t run checks for ammunition purchases, so those must all be performed by New York State Police. That was so inefficient, a county sheriff\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.post-journal.com\/news\/top-stories\/2023\/10\/jumping-the-gun\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">attempted to buy<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0shotgun shells for a sporting clays fundraiser and wasn\u2019t approved until a full day after the event was over.<\/p>\n<p>New York\u2019s got a bevy of other problems. Residents have been\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/abc7ny.com\/new-york-exodus-moving-out-florida\/13969590\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>giving up<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0their New York citizenship for those of other states with lower taxes, few restrictions, lower cost of living, less crime and \u2013 yes \u2013 greater gun rights. More than half a million left in 2022 and the majority\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/abc7ny.com\/new-york-exodus-moving-out-florida\/13969590\/#:~:text=About%20170%2C000%20New%20Yorkers%20moved,has%20seen%20in%20a%20decade\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ended up in Florida<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 a state that was\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/abc7ny.com\/new-york-exodus-moving-out-florida\/13969590\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>ranked second<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0overall as most free.<\/p>\n<p>New York City Mayor Eric Adams doesn\u2019t seem to get it. He just announced that instead of calling on the Biden administration to enforce the law and protect the U.S. border, he\u2019s going to eat into the city\u2019s police budget and reduce the number of officers on the street. The NYPD will\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fox5ny.com\/news\/adams-nyc-budget-cuts-nypd-libraries-fdny-migrant-crisis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>have less than 30,000 police<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on the job for the first time in decades, even as crime plagues New Yorkers.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_525817\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-525817\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-525817 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Eric Adams\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-700x467.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-1068x712.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-560x373.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-scaled.jpg\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-525817 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Eric Adams\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-700x467.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-1068x712.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/AP22033559886758-560x373.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-525817\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Biden of Brooklyn, New York Mayor Eric Adams (AP Photo\/John Minchillo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>New Hampshire<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>New Hampshire is a different story entirely. The state passed a <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wmur.com\/article\/what-you-need-to-know-about-nhs-new-concealed-carry-law\/8971114\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Constitutional Carry law in 2017<\/a><\/strong>, which made it even more of an anomaly among its Northeast neighbors. Even before that, New Hampshire stood out from the rest of New England. While Massachusetts lost firearm manufacturing jobs to other states over onerous gun control, New Hampshire is home to SIG SAUER, as well as some manufacturing for Sturm, Ruger &amp; Co.<\/p>\n<p>Gov. Chris Sununu has <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wmur.com\/article\/sununu-vetoes-3-gun-bills-citing-nhs-culture-of-responsible-gun-ownership-individual-freedom\/28661417\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rejected<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0numerous gun control attempts during his three terms as the state\u2019s governor, writing in a veto message, \u201cNew Hampshire is one of the safest states in the nation, and we have a long and proud tradition of responsible firearm ownership. Our laws are well-crafted and fit our culture of responsible gun ownership and individual freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-326437 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"450\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/SIG-academy.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/SIG-academy-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/SIG-academy-600x386.jpg 600w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/SIG-academy.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-326437 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/SIG-academy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/SIG-academy.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/SIG-academy-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/SIG-academy-600x386.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s not a causal link, but there is a correlational link to be made. The states with the most freedom are also states that welcome the firearm industry and trust citizens to exercise their rights. Lawmakers in those states understand that taking away the rights of those who obey the law doesn\u2019t correct the actions of criminals that ignore the law.<\/p>\n<p>Florida\u2019s Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two pro-firearm industry laws in quick succession this year. Gov. DeSantis\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nssf.org\/articles\/nssf-applauds-gov-desantis-signing-anti-esg-law\/?hilite=desantis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">signed a law<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0to prevent \u201cwoke\u201d corporations with discriminatory policies against firearm industry members and other businesses from collecting taxpayer dollars through state contracts and pensions. Just days later, he\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nssf.org\/articles\/nssf-praises-gov-desantis-signing-law-barring-tracking-codes-for-firearm-retail-purchases\/?hilite=desantis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>signed another law<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0that bars credit card companies from implementing a special Merchant Category Code (MCC) for credit card purchases at firearm retailers.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_527064\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-527064\" style=\"width: 1565px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-527064 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem Shotgun\" width=\"1565\" height=\"1043\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk.jpeg 1565w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk-700x467.jpeg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk-150x100.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk-696x464.jpeg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk-1068x712.jpeg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk-630x420.jpeg 630w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk-560x373.jpeg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1565px) 100vw, 1565px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk.jpeg\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-527064 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk.jpeg\" alt=\"South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem Shotgun\" width=\"1565\" height=\"1043\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk.jpeg 1565w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk-700x467.jpeg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk-150x100.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk-696x464.jpeg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk-1068x712.jpeg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk-630x420.jpeg 630w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ElMhXKNXYAMuvXk-560x373.jpeg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1565px) 100vw, 1565px\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-527064\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (courtesy Twitter)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>South Dakota\u2019s Gov. Kristi Noem\u2019s first act was to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/general-news-e4abc171b81b44589e9292828dcfcef0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>sign a Constitutional Carry law<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and later signed another law\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/business-kristi-noem-south-dakota-sd-state-wire-7d0bc4a38e2087f117da472428c916de\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>wiping out fees<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0for those who wanted a concealed carry permit. She also\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nssf.org\/articles\/nssf-praises-governor-noems-order-to-stop-woke-banking-discrimination-against-firearm-industry\/?hilite=noem\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>signed an Executive Order<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0prohibiting state agencies from entering into contracts with corporate banks that discriminate against the firearm industry. She\u2019s been to\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nssf.org\/articles\/shot-tv-quick-hits-south-dakota-gov-kristi-noem\/?hilite=noem\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NSSF\u2019s SHOT Show<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0to invite firearm and ammunition businesses to move to South Dakota, a pitch she continues\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/news.sd.gov\/news?id=news_kb_article_view&amp;sysparm_article=KB0041025&amp;sys_kb_id=449c09f91b61b550b04d4262f54bcb58&amp;spa=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>to reiterate<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Cato\u2019s Freedom Index underscores what the firearm industry has seen from years of business realignments. States that respect personal freedoms also tend to respect economic freedoms. Those states grow and prosper. States like New York cling to excuses to rachet down on rights, only to see their citizens and rights wither away.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em>Joe Bartozzi is the President and CEO of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nssf.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">National Shooting Sports Foundation<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/dead-last-cato-ranks-new-york-the-least-free-state-in-america-for-the-23rd-straight-year\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Joe Bartozzi New York has gone and done it again. The Empire State is considered the \u201cleast free\u201d state in the Union. That\u2019s not much of a surprise to those in the firearm industry or gun owners who call New York home. Cato Institute released \u201cAn Index of Personal and Economic Freedom\u201d ranking all [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2556,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2555","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reviews"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2555","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2555"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2555\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2556"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2555"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2555"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}