New York is now the ‘least free’ state, thanks to Democratic policies

A new Cato Institute report nails New York state as the “least free” in America. LightRocket via Getty Images

New York state once again ranks as the “least free” in America, as a new Cato Institute report nails woes The Post has long decried.

Cato’s libertarians rank the Empire State dead-last, 50th, for policies impacting economic, social and personal freedoms — and even where it scores slight gains (for legalizing pot and reforming criminal justice), Albany plainly screwed up.

“Combined, state and local taxes are crushing. Debt is down from years past but is still the highest in the country at 26.1 percent of income,” notes the report.

No wonder the state’s seeing a huge exodus to Florida (No. 2 in freedom, behind New Hampshire, and first in economic freedom), with Miami now looking like a credible threat to displace Gotham as the nation’s financial capital.

New York’s endless and onerous state regulations also drive away businesses (and jobs and people) — and its growing green “climate” rules will send power costs soaring and further degrade the state’s livability.

Heck, even in areas where Cato’s libertarians credited the Empire State with making progress, Albany screwed things up:

• Its criminal-justice “reforms” protect some innocents from excessive law enforcement — but at the price of goosing violent crime and encouraging gangs to recruit teens.

Shoplifting, sex trafficking and recidivism are all on the rise.

• It botched pot legalization, fostering a huge gray market of illicit weed shops that plague countless neighborhoods and attract crime.

No wonder the report’s authors label New York “objectively America’s worst state”

Indeed, the Empire State has ranked last in every Cato “freedom” study since they began in 2000, and it’s a safe bet to stay in the cellar unless and until voters finally opt for “regime change” in Albany.