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

KY 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 Kentucky General Assembly in 2023 and ranks state representatives 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.

House of Representatives

1. Eliminating the ‘Bourbon Barrel Tax’

Good Vote: Yes

HB5 Eliminating the ‘Bourbon Barrel Tax’ (passed 60 to 39 on 3/30/2023). Phases out state and local property taxes on the production of “distilled spirits stored or aging in barrels” beginning in 2026 and eliminating them by 2043.

2. Parental Rights in Education

Good Vote: Yes
SB150 Parental Rights in Education (passed 76 to 23 on 3/29/2023). Limits the authority of public schools in relation to parental rights, a student’s use of pronouns, medical or mental health services, and instructional content on human sexuality.

3. Saving Kentucky’s Coal Power Plants

Good Vote: Yes

SB4 Saving Kentucky’s Coal Power Plants (passed 66 to 28 on 3/16/2023). Prevents a utility company from shutting down a “fossil fuel-fired electric generating unit” without demonstrating that it would result in reliability and resilience of the electric grid as well as cost savings for customers.

4. Extending State “Unemployment Benefits”

Good Vote: No

HB146 Extending State “Unemployment Benefits” (passed 94 to 0 on 3/13/2023). Extends the minimum weeks of state “unemployment benefits” available from 12 weeks to 16 weeks.

5. Ban on Sex Mutilation of Children

Good Vote: Yes

HB470 Ban on Sex Mutilation of Children (passed 75 to 22 on 3/2/2023). Would, as the “Do No Harm Act,” ban the provision of “gender transition services” to a person under the age of 18 years.

6. Prohibiting Enforcement of Federal Firearms Restrictions

Good Vote: Yes
HB153 Prohibiting Enforcement of Federal Firearms Restrictions (passed 78 to 19 on 2/22/2023). Prohibits state and local agencies from enforcing any “federal law, executive order, rule, or regulation that is enacted, adopted, or becomes effective on or after January 1, 2021.”
Legislator Scores
[ + ] Pro-liberty Vote[ - ] Anti-liberty Vote[ . ] Did not Vote
Name Party District Score 123456
Chad Aull D HD-079 17% +-----
Shane Baker R HD-085 67% -++-++
Kimberly Banta R HD-063 33% +----+
Jared Bauman R HD-028 67% ++--++
Danny Bentley R HD-098 83% +++-++
John Blanton R HD-092 80% -++.++
Tina Bojanowski D HD-032 0% ------
Adam Bowling R HD-087 83% +++-++
Joshua Branscum R HD-083 83% +++-++
Kevin Bratcher R HD-029 80% ++.-++
Steve Bratcher R HD-025 83% +++-++
Josh Bray R HD-071 83% +++-++
Randy Bridges R HD-003 83% +++-++
George Brown D HD-077 17% +-----
Lindsey Burke D HD-075 17% +-----
Emily Callaway R HD-037 50% -+--++
Josh Calloway R HD-010 60% -++-+.
Beverly Chester-Burton D HD-044 0% ------
Mike Clines R HD-068 83% +++-++
Stephanie Dietz R HD-065 33% +----+
Jonathan Dixon R HD-011 83% +++-++
Steven Doan R HD-069 50% -+--++
Myron Dossett R HD-009 83% +++-++
Ryan Dotson R HD-073 83% +++-++
Robert Duvall R HD-017 80% ++.-++
Daniel Elliott R HD-054 67% -++-++
Daniel Fister R HD-056 67% -++-++
Patrick Flannery R HD-096 83% +++-++
Ken Fleming R HD-048 67% ++--++
Deanna Frazier Gordon R HD-081 83% +++-++
Chris Freeland R HD-006 83% +++-++
Chris Fugate R HD-084 67% -++-++
Alan Gentry D HD-046 17% +-----
Jim Gooch R HD-012 83% +++-++
Derrick Graham D HD-057 0% ------
Daniel Grossberg D HD-030 17% +-----
David Hale R HD-074 60% -++-+.
Mark Hart R HD-078 67% -++-++
Richard Heath R HD-002 100% +++..+
Samara Heavrin R HD-018 83% +++-++
Jennifer Decker R HD-058 67% -++-++
Keturah Herron D HD-042 17% +-----
John Hodgson R HD-036 80% ++.-++
Thomas Huff R HD-049 67% -++-++
Mary Imes R HD-005 83% +++-++
Kevin Jackson R HD-020 83% +++-++
DJ Johnson R HD-013 83% +++-++
Jacob Justice R HD-094 67% -++-++
Kim King R HD-055 67% -++-++
Matthew Koch R HD-072 83% +++-++
Nima Kulkarni D HD-040 0% ---.--
William Lawrence R HD-070 83% +++-++
Scott Lewis R HD-014 67% -++-++
Derek Lewis R HD-090 83% +++-++
Matt Lockett R HD-039 67% -++-++
Savannah Maddox R HD-061 100% +++.++
Candy Massaroni R HD-050 67% -++-++
Bobby McCool R HD-097 75% ++.-+.
Shawn McPherson R HD-022 83% +++-++
David Meade R HD-080 83% +++-++
Michael Meredith R HD-019 83% +++-++
Suzanne Miles R HD-007 80% ++.-++
Kimberly Moser R HD-064 33% +----+
Amy Neighbors R HD-021 83% +++-++
Jason Nemes R HD-033 83% +++-++
David Osborne R HD-059 83% +++-++
Ruth Palumbo D HD-076 17% +-----
Jason Petrie R HD-016 83% +++-++
Michael Pollock R HD-051 67% -++-++
Phillip Pratt R HD-062 80% ++.-++
Marianne Proctor R HD-060 67% -++-++
Felicia Rabourn R HD-047 80% -++.++
Steve Rawlings R HD-066 67% -++-++
Rebecca Raymer R HD-015 83% +++-++
Josie Raymond D HD-041 0% ------
William Reed R 67% -++-++
Steve Riley R HD-023 67% -++-++
Rachel Roarx D HD-038 0% ------
Rachel Roberts D HD-067 17% +-----
Steven Rudy R HD-001 83% +++-++
Scott Sharp R HD-100 83% +++-++
Tom Smith R HD-086 67% -++-++
Sarah Stalker D HD-034 0% ------
Pamela Stevenson D HD-043 0% ------
Cherlynn Stevenson D HD-088 17% +-----
Lamin Swann D 17% +-----
Ashley Tackett Laferty D HD-095 75% -++..+
Nancy Tate R HD-027 83% +++-++
Walker Thomas R HD-008 83% +++-++
Killian Timoney R HD-045 60% +-+-.+
James Tipton R HD-053 67% -++-++
Timmy Truett R HD-089 67% -++-++
Susan Witten R HD-031 67% ++--++
Ken Upchurch R HD-052 83% +++-++
Russell Webber R 50% -+--++
Billy Wesley R HD-091 67% -++-++
Richard White R HD-099 67% -++-++
Wade Williams R HD-004 83% +++-++
Lisa Willner D HD-035 0% ------
Nicolas Wilson R HD-082 75% ..+-++

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party Score
Democrat 12.3%
Republican 74%