RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN THE STATES

The Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy’s Religious Liberty in the States (RLS) is a project measuring legal safeguards for religious liberty across the United States. It allows office holders, community leaders, citizens, and scholars to compare state constitutions and statutory laws with respect to certain legal safeguards intended to protect citizens’ free exercise rights.

RLS is an index that compares the legal safeguards of free exercise in each state and ranks the 50 states accordingly. Released in July 2026, this year’s index ranks Arkansas as the #1 state in terms of religious liberty.

Click below to watch the press conference at the Arkansas State Capitol launching this year’s RLS Index. The presentation will give an overview of the project and unveil the 2025 state rankings. The launch event includes comments from Kelly Shackelford (President, CEO and Chief Counsel, First Liberty Institute), Dr. Mark David Hall (Director, RLS), and Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.