Freedom Index

A Legislative Scorecard Based on the Principles of the U.S. Constitution

Legislative Scorecard Based on the U.S. Constitution

The Legislative Scorecard is a nationwide educational program of The John Birch Society. Its purpose is to create an informed electorate on how state legislators are voting. The Scorecard is nonpartisan; it does not promote any candidate or political party. Bills are selected for their constitutional implications and cost to the taxpayers.

Please share this Scorecard in your district to inform people about your legislator's record on key votes.
U.S. Constitution, Amendment I --- 11 C.F.R. §114(4)(c)(4) --- 616 F.2d 45 (2d Cir. 1980)

Legislative Scorecard

Based on the U.S. Constitution

CA Scorecard 2023

The Legislative Scorecard is a nationwide educational program of The John Birch Society. Its purpose is to create an informed electorate on how state legislators are voting. The Scorecard is nonpartisan; it does not promote any candidate or political party. Bills are selected for their constitutional implications and cost to the taxpayers.

Please share this Scorecard in your district to inform people about your legislator's record on key votes.
U.S. Constitution, Amendment I --- 11 C.F.R. §114(4)(c)(4) --- 616 F.2d 45 (2d Cir. 1980)

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the California State Legislature in 2023 and ranks state assemblymen and senators based on their fidelity to (U.S.) constitutional and limited-government principles.

This is our second state-level Scorecard; the selected votes may not be reflective of legislators’ overall records. Their cumulative scores will change as we add more votes. Please check regularly for updates.

Senate

1. Right to “Food Security”

Good Vote: No

SB628 Right to “Food Security” (passed 36 to 3 on 9/14/2023). Declares that “it is the established policy of this state that every human being has the right to access sufficient affordable and healthy food," and requires “all relevant state agencies to consider this state policy…pertinent to the distribution of sufficient food.”

2. “Hate Crimes” Policy by Law Enforcement

Good Vote: No

AB449 “Hate Crimes” Policy by Law Enforcement (passed 39 to 0 on 9/11/2023). Makes the adoption of a “hate crimes” policy by a state and local law enforcement agency mandatory by July 1, 2024.

3. "Gender Identity" Affirmation for Child Custody

Good Vote: No

AB957 "Gender Identity" Affirmation for Child Custody (passed 30 to 9 on 9/6/2023). Would include a parent’s affirmation of the child’s “gender identity or gender expression” as part of the “health, safety, and welfare” factors used to determine the “best interests of the child” for the purposes of deciding custody.

4. Article V Convention: Gun Control

Good Vote: No

SJR7 Article V Convention: Gun Control (passed 24 to 11 on 9/6/2023). Applies to Congress to call an Article V convention for the purpose of proposing a constitutional amendment on “firearms regulations and prohibitions.”

5. State-Licensing of Homemade Firearms

Good Vote: No

AB1089 State-Licensing of Homemade Firearms (passed 32 to 6 on 9/6/2023). Requires anybody who uses a three-dimensional (3D) printer or computer numerical control (CNC) milling machine to make a firearm to be a state-licensed manufacturer.

6. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Day

Good Vote: No

SCR41 Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Day (passed 39 to 0 on 3/23/2023). Proclaims March 15, 2023, as “Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Day, a day of remembrance and education to ensure that all Californians always honor and remember a vibrant guardian of equality for all.”

Legislator Scores
[ + ] Pro-liberty Vote[ - ] Anti-liberty Vote[ . ] Did not Vote
Name Party District Score 123456
Benjamin Allen D SD-026 0% ---.--
Marie Alvarado-Gil D SD-004 33% --++--
Bob Archuleta D HD-030 0% ------
Angelique Ashby D SD-008 0% ------
Toni G. Atkins D SD-039 0% ------
Josh Becker D SD-013 0% ------
Catherine Blakespear D SD-038 0% ------
Steven Bradford D SD-035 0% ------
Anna M. Caballero D SD-014 0% -.----
Dave Cortese D SD-015 0% ------
Brian Dahle R SD-001 50% --+++-
Bill Dodd D SD-003 0% ------
María Elena Durazo D SD-026 0% ------
Susan Talamantes Eggman D SD-005 0% ---.--
Steven M. Glazer D SD-007 0% ------
Lena A. Gonzalez D SD-033 0% ------
Shannon Grove R SD-012 67% +-+++-
Melissa Hurtado D SD-016 25% --.+.-
Brian W. Jones R SD-040 67% +-+++-
John Laird D SD-017 0% ------
Monique Limon D SD-019 0% ------
Mike McGuire D SD-002 0% ------
Caroline Menjivar D SD-020 0% ------
Dave Min D SD-037 0% ------
Josh Newman D SD-029 0% ---.--
Janet Nguyen R SD-036 50% --+++-
Roger Niello R SD-006 67% +-+++-
Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh R SD-023 40% --++.-
Steve Padilla D SD-018 0% ------
Anthony J. Portantino D SD-025 0% ------
Richard D. Roth D SD-031 0% ---.--
Susan Rubio D SD-022 0% ------
Kelly Seyarto R SD-032 60% .-+++-
Nancy Skinner D SD-009 0% ------
Lola Smallwood-Cuevas D SD-028 0% ------
Henry I. Stern D SD-027 0% -----.
Thomas J. Umberg D SD-034 0% ---.--
Aisha Wahab D SD-010 0% ------
Scott D. Wiener D SD-011 17% ---+--
Scott Wilk R SD-021 33% --++--

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party Score
Democrat 2.3%
Republican 54.3%