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Oklahoma is a good example of just how highly undesirable a state can be to many outsiders to move to. Oklahoma Republican legislators are currently working on a bill to make it harder to get enough signatures for petitions to vote on state questions to change the law. This, even though Oklahoma already has one of the most difficult requirements for a successful petition in the country. It's how Republicans are pushing back against citizens getting enough signatures to successfully vote on legalizing medical marijuana as well as getting enough signatures for a vote for more Medicaid in June. Rural Oklahoma legislators do a lot in trying to hold Oklahoma back from the rest of the more advanced nation. Over the years they have too often succeeded.
See that's the type of stuff I hate hearing about. Medical marijuana is another one of the things someone has to consider politically before they move somewhere. If someone has a serious medical condition that can only be assisted by the use of medical marijuana, they can't move wherever they please. I was completely unaware of this happening and it just always makes me sad knowing that conservatives are unwilling to accept the science behind medical marijuana. And it's hypocritical for them to want small government, yet actively go out of their way to suppress votes in big government fashion. And their end goal with medical marijuana is big government enforcing strict laws on someone's personal autonomy, even though they preach about personal freedoms.
Similarly, physician assisted suicide. That's a consideration for someone politically as well. More progressive states more often allow assisted suicide for terminally ill residents. This is the ultimate personal freedom IMO, and progressives want to allow people to have a choice, while conservatives want to take that choice away again. If I was terminally ill, I'm happy to live in NJ where I can choose to end my life peacefully and painlessly. I don't want to suffer for the entire end of my life whether that be days weeks months or years. If you're able to move to a state and claim residency that meets the requirements for assisted suicide, you can die with dignity. And this has also somehow turned into a right v. left thing and for the life of me I cannot understand why.
In a polarized environment such as 2020, politics are pretty seriously considered before moving somewhere.
That's where politics comes into play. My rights as an individual are much more strongly protected in blue states. There's a reason the LGBT population congregates heavily in a select few states.
When was the nation not polarised though? There may have been a couple brief periods (WWII, the 90s) where it was less polarized, but for the majority of US history, the nation was even more polarized than it is today, yet people haven't remained in political isolation from each other.
Also, I remember back in 2006, Colorado voted to amend its state constitution to define marriage as between 1 man and 1 woman, and this state today is somewhere that is an LGTB haven. All I'm saying is that politics is one of many factors, including jobs, climate, local culture, COL, urban enviornment, outdoor rec opportunities... I don't see how politics would be hightened in 2020-2030. I would say climate, COL, and outdoor rec will have outsized impacts from before due to demographics and the WFH shift.
When was the nation not polarised though? There may have been a couple brief periods (WWII, the 90s) where it was less polarized, but for the majority of US history, the nation was even more polarized than it is today, yet people haven't remained in political isolation from each other.
Also, I remember back in 2006, Colorado voted to amend its state constitution to define marriage as between 1 man and 1 woman, and this state today is somewhere that is an LGTB haven. All I'm saying is that politics is one of many factors, including jobs, climate, local culture, COL, urban enviornment, outdoor rec opportunities... I don't see how politics would be hightened in 2020-2030. I would say climate, COL, and outdoor rec will have outsized impacts from before due to demographics and the WFH shift.
I think with more states adopting more progressive ideas in regard to women, LGBT, minorities, etc., more people will be willing to move to more states. Previously, LGBT rights were not great in most places, so it was less of a factor. However, in 2020, where numerous states and some local municipalities provide better LGBT rights than others, there is a reason for us to choose certain states over others. The LGBT community is more present in 2020 than it ever was before also, so it's a concern for more people than it was before. Where are our rights most protected? Where is our health and welfare most protected? And women now have more equal rights and responsibilities as men, yet not every state values them the same, regardless of their contribution to society. Back in the day, women didn't have rights and were treated more as property or baby machines who followed around their husband for his work. Today, women can choose a state to call that respects them more as an individual. Back in the day, we didn't have the same type of religious discrimination against Muslims simply because Muslims were never a significant part of our population. Now that they are, some states are more discriminatory to Muslims than others.
I don't believe it's the only factor at all. Jobs, COL, urban/suburban lifestyle, etc. are still considerations. But I think a black gay Muslim woman would be more likely to choose to live in a state that protects her rights. And unlike before, there are many states that have made sure to protect her rights. Whereas before, no state protected her rights, so why bother caring out where she lived? Today, she is treated as a lesser human being in some states as compared to others.
Colorado flipping so strongly and quickly to a blue stronghold is one of the examples I mean. When a state clearly starts flipping a bit, those from a deep blue state who need their minority rights protected become more interested in moving there. Once CO started hinting bluer, I knew a lot of people from CA right at the same time who started flooding into the state for lower COL.
Similarly, with GA hinting at flipping sometime in the 2020s, or at least swinging within the decade, I think even more people will be willing to consider moving there. I think Atlanta is a really cool city. But being in GA is a huge negative for me with its state government and federal representation. If that starts changing more and the state starts valuing minority rights more, I could see more people being interested in moving there. So in that way, I think the rapid growth GA has seen will continue and possibly even strengthen depending on how GA's politics go in the 2020s.
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