A new review of state policy and governance uncovers mounting issues around quality of place. Too many states find themselves behind the curve on all of these trends as we head into 2025. Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah are examples of states that show these weaknesses in spades, harming the health and prosperity of all their people. The problems go from laws blatantly limiting inclusivity to crime to mental health care.
Alabama is unique in that there are no legal protections for non-disabled people against discrimination in public accommodations. This lack of inclusive, protective legislation adds to a larger theme of exclusion in the state. In 2023, Alabama legislators passed a law prohibiting schools from discussing gender identity in any way, even defining a person’s gender as their sex organs at birth. Governor Kay Ivey’s comments on trans youth: “If the Good Lord made you a boy, you’re a boy. And same thing in the spiritual realm, and if he created you as a girl, you’re a girl. This approach to gender identity reflects Alabama’s position on social issues, impacting many individuals’ rights and freedoms.
Much like the state of Arkansas, our country is at a crossroads, especially when it comes to voting rights. The state has enacted some of the most restrictive voting laws in the country, which the Brennan Center for Justice has criticized for limiting access to the electoral process. Compounding these difficulties, Arkansas reports the sixth-highest percentage of adults experiencing frequent mental distress, raising concerns about mental health resources available to its citizens.
High crime, one of the governor’s key areas of focus. At a rate of 521 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2023, residents are at heightened risks to their safety. This statistic illustrates the dangers of failing to adopt comprehensive crime prevention and community safety measures across the state.
Louisiana faces acute safety challenges, as home to the nation’s fifth-highest crime rate. On top of that, the state just passed eight new voting laws labeled as restrictive by advocacy groups. These new legislative developments put Louisiana on the wrong side of protecting public safety and ensuring civic engagement.
Interestingly, Oklahoma’s crime picture is similar to that of its southern neighbors, as it posted 418 offenses per 100,000 residents in 2023. The high crime rates in these states indicates an immediate red flag and call for action. We need real, far-reaching reforms to stop the bloodshed and protect public safety.
Tennessee in particular has become a national outlier, and now sits at the third-highest rate of violent crime in the country. The state’s legislative moves make its already questionable quality of life measures even worse. These recent laws to further enshrine gender as strictly rooted in anatomy are ripples of Tennessee’s decades-long push to erase LGBTQ+ people from society. These measures only add insult to injury as they further exacerbate already poor inclusiveness that leaves so many Tennesseans in the dust.
Utah, though not experiencing the same rates of homicides and shootings, has their own issues. These create compounding problems for the state, which ranks 49th in the nation for licensed child care centers per capita. Yet it only pays $7.25 an hour, the bare minimum federal wage that isn’t enough to afford a modest and growing cost of living. These realities stymie economic development and workforce access for hundreds of thousands of families.
Together the state of this collection of states creates serious questions about the emerging quality of life for residents. Advocates are pushing for these reforms to be focused on being more inclusive, improving public safety, and expanding mental health resources.
“We must continue strengthening our statewide efforts to hold abusers accountable and to provide protection and support for victims.” – Drummond