This browser does not support the Video element.
Report: Florida No. 1 for religious freedom
Kimberly Kuizon reports.
SARASOTA, Fla. - Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday that Florida is ranked No. 1 for protecting religious liberty by the First Liberty Institute.
At a news conference at the New College of Florida in Sarasota on Monday, the governor touted the ranking by the First Liberty Institute’s Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy.
According to its website, the center "envisions democratic societies which affirm the essential role of religious convictions, peoples, and institutions in cultivating free communities where all people can flourish."
This browser does not support the Video element.
Gov. DeSantis news conference in Sarasota
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Monday that the First Liberty Institute’s Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy has ranked Florida No. 1 among all states for protecting religious liberty.
READ: Tampa Islamic leaders, family of man killed in West Bank call for justice
By the numbers:
This year’s rankings were decided using 47 "distinct legal protections" adopted by states with a focus on protecting religious liberty. Researchers then aggregated those items into 20 "safeguards."
Florida scored 74.6%, four percentage points ahead of Montana, which ranked No. 2. West Virginia ranked last, scoring 19.6%.
What they're saying:
In its report, the First Liberty Institute referred to Florida as an "exemplar for how state legislators can improve their state’s protection of religious liberty."
DeSantis also mentioned that 2025 marks the first year in which Florida is ranked No. 1 on this particular list.
"This is something that is central to the American experiment, it’s central to the way of life – but this is something that has really been under assault in recent years, particularly over the last decade or so," DeSantis said during Monday’s news conference.
Pictured: Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a news conference in Sarasota on July 14, 2025.
Kelly Shackelford, the President and Chief Counselor of First Liberty Institute, said Governor DeSantis’ commitment to protecting students' religious rights is one of the reasons Florida ranks number one.
"Every citizen, every business now has more religious freedom protection in their state than any other state in the country," said Shackelford.
The other side:
Critics of the governor said it depends on how religious freedom is defined.
Groups like the ACLU of Florida have accused Governor DeSantis of breaching the separation of church and state.
They point to a recent law that allows chaplains to serve as school counselors.
What you can do:
For a look at the full report, click here.
The Source: This story was written with information from a news conference in Sarasota, Florida, on July 14, 2025, with additional details from a report published by the First Liberty Institute’s Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy.
This browser does not support the Video element.