Why Illinois Fell to #3: Understanding the Shift in RLS 2025

Illinois led the nation in religious liberty protections for two years in a row, 2023 and 2024, but this year there is a new leader. In 2023, the state protected 85 percent of the safeguards the Religious Liberty in the States (RLS) report tracked, claiming the first-place position from the previous champion, Mississippi. But in the 2025 index, Illinois has slipped to third place with a score of 69 percent.

While Illinois remains a national leader in safeguarding the free exercise of religion, its fall from the top spot is a significant shift, especially as Florida, now in first with a score of 75 percent, and Montana, now in second at 70 percent, surged ahead. The problem? Illinois has not continued to pass new laws protecting religious liberty, while other states have moved forward.

A Halt in Progress

Illinois held first place in 2023 by scoring well on all existing and newly introduced safeguards at the time. It was a standout example of how an inclusive legal framework covering health-care conscience rights, religious exemptions in education, and ceremonial protections can position a state as a model for religious liberty.

However, in the 2025 RLS index, the number of legal protections measured grew again, expanding from thirty-four items in 2023 to forty-seven items across twenty safeguards. These new areas included additional protections related to religious expression in health care, family life, and economic life.

Last year, while the Land of Lincoln was holding on to its top spot, our study cautioned that the state may have been resting on its laurels, saying: “If Illinois wishes to stay at the top of the rankings in future years, it should consider implementing this safeguard, as well as any others it lacks, because many other states are actively considering legislation to improve their religious liberty protections.”

State lawmakers did not adopt new legislation. As a result, its score remained largely static while other states passed new laws and increased their scores significantly.

It is important to note that Illinoisans didn’t lose protections. The state’s legal framework is still among the strongest in the country. But RLS is a comparative index, and in 2025, other states have advanced. In a landscape where other states are expanding protections for religious exercise, standing still is effectively the same as falling behind.

Where Illinois Can Improve

Despite Illinois’s strong overall performance in the 2025 RLS index, the state still lacks critical safeguards that significantly limit its ability to offer comprehensive protections for religious liberty. Most notably, Illinois has not enacted a statute to protect houses of worship from government-ordered closures during public emergencies. This safeguard, which gained prominence in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, ensures that religious gatherings are not treated more restrictively than comparable secular activities. Eighteen states—including top-ranking Florida and Montana—have already passed such laws, and Illinois’s absence in this area represents a clear and visible deficiency.

The 2025 index also introduced several new safeguards, each representing emerging areas of concern for religious liberty in professional and social life, and Illinois is notably missing a few of them. Among these is a counselor conscience protection, which would allow mental health professionals to decline services that violate their religious or moral convictions. Another ensures that current or prospective foster parents may not be forced to affirm, accept, or support any government policy regarding sexual orientation or gender identity that conflicts with the parent’s sincerely held religious or moral beliefs.

While these areas are more recent additions to the legal landscape, they reflect the evolving complexity of religious liberty protections in modern society. By enacting legislation in these areas, Illinois would not only improve its RLS score but also signal its commitment to upholding the free exercise of religion in new and challenging contexts.

An Opportunity to Lead Again

Illinois still deserves credit for its long-standing commitment to religious liberty. Its 2021 legislation allowing school absences for religious observance was significant, and its Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) remains one of the strongest in the nation.

Illinois’ fall in the 2025 RLS index does not have to be seen as a setback; rather, it can serve as a reminder that protecting religious liberty requires ongoing legislative engagement. Illinois has led before, and with renewed attention and additional protections, it can lead again.

Find out where your state ranks and how its ranking has changed over time by checking out the RLS index state ranking or access the report to learn more.