The John Locke Foundation has released a new study on the levels of freedom in the states, and as with similar indexes of freedom, business climate, tax burden or legal environment California ranks near the very bottom.

Californias overall freedom ranking was 48th, besting only New Jersey and New York. It placed 49th in fiscal freedom and dead last in regulatory freedom. A partial redemption came only in the states middling performance in educational freedom (30th) and health care freedom (24th).

The foundations First in Freedom Index provides yet more evidence for a link between freedom and economic prosperity. The 10 states with the highest FFI rankings have had a 2.3 percent annual average growth rate in inflation-adjusted gross domestic product since 2011, while the 10 states with the lowest FFI rankings have posted average annual GDP growth rates of 1.5 percent, the study reported.

Overall, there have been 37 studies of economic freedom and state economic growth published in scholarly journals since 1990 of which 29 found a positive, statistically significant relationship, and eight found no link. Not a single study found that ranking high in economic freedom was associated with lower economic performance.

Since the foundation is based in North Carolina, its recommendations were directed to that state, but they are applicable to all states: If policymakers want to maximize job creation, income growth and economic opportunity for its citizens over the coming years and decades, they should place a higher priority on reducing the size and scope of government, promoting choice and competition in services such as health care and education, and protecting personal freedom from encroachment. California policymakers would be wise to heed this advice, lest we see more entrepreneurs, job-seekers and other productive members of society depart in search of freedom and economic opportunity.

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EDITORIAL: California lags other states in freedom