Editor's note: This piece was co-authored by Lee Schalk.

Ten years ago, a civil servant in Illinois named Mark Janus stood up for his rights. He filed a lawsuit in June 2015, objecting to being forced to pay dues to a union he didn’t support. That simple act of defiance reached the Supreme Court and changed the law of the land. In Janus v. AFSCME, the Court ruled that public employees cannot be compelled to fund union speech as a condition of their employment.

The decision was a victory for individual freedom. But a ruling from the Supreme Court is only the first step. The real test is how states respond - and some have done better than others.

That’s where the latest report from the American Legislative Exchange Council comes in. States That Work: A Labor Policy Roadmap Across America takes a serious look at how each state protects or restricts worker freedom. It’s a guide to where opportunity still exists and how state legislators can fix overregulation, union favoritism, and misguided labor policies.

The top five states – Arizona, Utah, Georgia, Arkansas, and Florida – have made smart, principled decisions to protect........

© Townhall