Freedom Index

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

Maryland Legislative Scorecard  »  Freedom Index  »  MD Scorecard 2023

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

MD 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 Maryland General Assembly in 2023 and ranks state delegates 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
House of Delegates

House of Delegates

1. 'No-Fault Divorce'

Good Vote: No
SB36 'No-Fault Divorce' (passed 128 to 4 on 4/10/2023). Authorizes a family court to grant an “absolute divorce” on the grounds of either a six-month separation between the parties or “irreconcilable differences” based on reasons stated by the complainant.

2. Medicaid-Covered Sex Mutilation

Good Vote: No

HB283 Medicaid-Covered Sex Mutilation (passed 97 to 39 on 4/7/2023). Requires Medicaid, under the “Trans Health Equity Act,” to provide coverage for “gender-affirming treatment” to all “transgender, nonbinary, intersex, two-spirit, and other gender diverse individuals.”

3. "Hate Crime" Commission

Good Vote: No

HB1066 "Hate Crime" Commission (passed 106 to 31 on 3/31/2023). Establishes the Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention to “develop strategies to prevent and respond to hate crime activity” and “evaluate State laws and policies.”

4. 'Right to Abortion' in the Maryland Constitution

Good Vote: No
SB798 'Right to Abortion' in the Maryland Constitution (passed 98 to 38 on 3/30/2023). Proposes to amend the Maryland Constitution to declare a “fundamental right” to “reproductive freedom,” including but not limited to the ability to “prevent, continue, or end one’s own pregnancy.”

5. Dashain Day

Good Vote: No
HB967 Daishan Day (passed 135 to 1 on 3/20/2023). Proclaims October 5 annually as Dashain Day, codifying into law a Hindu religious festival in honor of Durga, the Universal Mother Goddess.

6. Warrantless Arrest for Firearms Purchases

Good Vote: No
HB159 Warrantless Arrest for Firearms Purchases (passed 115 to 19 on 2/28/2023). Would allow a police officer to arrest a person without a warrant if the police officer has probable cause to believe that the person is a knowing participant in a “straw purchase” of a “regulated firearm.”
Legislator Scores
[ + ] Pro-liberty Vote[ - ] Anti-liberty Vote[ . ] Did not Vote
Name Party District Score 123456
Gabriel Acevero D HD-039 17% -----+
Christopher Adams R HD-037B 50% -+++--
Jackie Addison D HD-045 0% -----.
Nick Allen D HD-008 0% ------
Tiffany Alston D HD-024 17% -----+
Marlon Amprey D HD-040 0% ------
Carl Anderton R HD-038B 33% -+-+--
Steven Arentz R HD-036 83% ++++-+
Lauren Arikan R HD-007 50% -+++--
Dalya Attar D HD-041 0% ------
Vanessa Atterbeary D HD-013 0% ------
Heather Bagnall D HD-033 0% ------
Terry Baker R HD-001 83% ++++-+
Darryl Barnes D HD-025 0% ------
Ben Barnes D HD-021 0% ------
Sandy Bartlett D HD-032 0% ------
Kumar Barve D HD-017 0% .-----
Harry Bhandari D HD-008 0% ------
Adrian Boafo D HD-023 0% ------
Christopher Bouchat R HD-005 50% -+-+-+
Regina Boyce D HD-043 0% ------
Tony Bridges D HD-041 0% ------
Jason Buckel R HD-001B 50% -+++--
Jon Cardin D HD-011 0% ------
Mark Chang D HD-032 0% ------
Lorig Charkoudian D HD-020 0% ------
Nick Charles D HD-025 0% ------
Brian Chisholm R HD-031B 50% -+++--
Barrie Ciliberti R HD-004 67% -+++-+
Luke Clippinger D HD-046 0% .-----
Frank Conaway D HD-040 0% ------
Brian Crosby D HD-029B 0% ------
Charlotte Crutchfield D HD-019 0% -----.
Bonnie Cullison D HD-019 0% -----.
Debra Davis D HD-028 0% ------
Eric Ebersole D HD-012 0% ------
Mark Edelson D HD-046 0% ------
Elizabeth Embry D HD-043 0% ------
Kris Fair D HD-003 0% ------
Jessica Feldmark D HD-012 0% ------
Diana Fennell D HD-047A 0% ---.--
Mark Fisher R HD-027C 100% .+++++
April Fleming Miller R HD-004 67% -+++-+
Linda Foley D HD-015 0% ------
Catherine Forbes D HD-042A 0% ------
David Fraser-hidalgo D HD-015 0% ------
Jeff Ghrist R HD-036 75% .+++-.
Robin Grammer R HD-006 67% -+++-+
Michael Griffith R HD-035B 33% -+-+--
Brooke Grossman D HD-002 0% ------
Michele Guyton D HD-042B 0% ------
Pam Guzzone D HD-013 0% ------
Kevin Harris D HD-027 0% -.----
Andrea Harrison D HD-024 0% ------
Wayne Hartman R HD-038C 50% -+++--
Anne Healey D HD-022 0% ------
Shaneka Henson D HD-030A 0% -.----
Terri Hill D HD-012 0% ------
Jim Hinebaugh R HD-001 50% -+++--
Marvin Holmes D HD-023B 0% ------
Kevin Hornberger R HD-035A 50% -+-+-+
Seth Howard R HD-030B 60% .+-+-+
Tom Hutchinson R HD-037 50% -+++--
Julian Ivey D HD-047A 0% ------
Carl Jackson D HD-008 0% ------
Jay Jacobs R HD-036 50% -+++--
Steve Johnson D HD-034A 0% ------
Andre Johnson D HD-034 0% ------
Adrienne Jones D HD-010 0% ------
Dana Jones D HD-030A 0% ------
Anne Kaiser D HD-014 0% ------
Aaron Kaufman D HD-018 0% ------
Ken Kerr D HD-003B 0% ------
Nicholaus Kipke R HD-031B 50% -+++--
Marc Korman D HD-016 0% ------
Mary Lehman D HD-021 0% ------
Robbyn Lewis D HD-046 0% ------
Jazz Lewis D HD-024 0% ------
Bob Long R HD-006 80% ++++.-
Jeffrie Long D HD-027 0% ------
Lesley Lopez D HD-039 0% ------
Sara Love D HD-016 0% ------
Nino Mangione R HD-042B 67% -+++-+
Ashanti Martinez D HD-022 0% ------
Aletheia McCaskill D HD-044 0% ------
Susan McComas R HD-034B 50% -+-+-+
Ric Metzgar R HD-006 50% -+++--
Bernice Mireku-North D HD-014 0% ------
David Moon D HD-020 0% ---.--
Matt Morgan R HD-029A 67% -+++-+
Todd Morgan R HD-029 50% -+++--
Rachel Munoz R HD-033 33% -+-+--
Ryan Nawrocki R HD-007 60% -+++.-
Charles Otto R HD-038A 40% -.++--
Julie Palakovich Carr D HD-017 0% ------
Cheryl Pasteur D HD-011 0% ------
Edith Patterson D HD-028 0% ------
Joseline Pena-Melnyk D HD-021 0% ------
Scott Phillips D HD-010 0% ------
Jesse Pippy R HD-004 67% -+++-+
Andrew Pruski D HD-033 0% ------
Lily Qi D HD-015 0% ------
Pamela Queen D HD-014 0% ----.-
Teresa Reilly R HD-035B 50% -+++--
Kirill Reznik D HD-039 NA ....--
Mike Rogers D HD-032 0% ------
April Rose R HD-005 50% -+++--
Samuel Rosenberg D HD-041 0% ------
Sheila Ruth D HD-044B 0% ------
Sheree Sample-Hughes D HD-037A 17% -+----
Stuart Schmidt R HD-033 40% -+-+-.
Emily Shetty D HD-018 0% ------
Gary Simmons D HD-012 0% ----..
Karen Simpson D HD-003 0% ------
Stephanie Smith D HD-045 0% ------
Jared Solomon D HD-018 0% ------
Dana Stein D HD-011 0% ------
Vaughn Stewart D HD-019 0% ------
Joshua Stonko R HD-042 60% -++.-+
Kathy Szeliga R HD-007 60% .+++--
Deni Taveras D HD-047 0% .-----
Kym Taylor D HD-023 0% ------
Jen Terrasa D HD-013 0% ------
Karen Toles D HD-025 0% -.----
Chris Tomlinson R HD-005 67% -+++-+
Veronica Turner D HD-026 0% ------
Kriselda Valderrama D HD-026 0% ------
William Valentine R HD-002 67% -+++-+
Joe Vogel D HD-017 0% ------
Courtney Watson D HD-009B 0% ------
Melissa Wells D HD-040 0% ------
Jennifer White D HD-010 0% ------
Jheanelle Wilkins D HD-020 0% ------
Nicole Williams D HD-022 0% ------
C.T. Wilson D HD-028 0% .-----
William Wivell R HD-002A 83% ++++-+
Sarah Wolek D HD-016 NA --....
Jamila Woods D HD-026 0% ------
Chao Wu D HD-009 0% --.---
Caylin Young D HD-045 0% --.---
Natalie Ziegler D HD-009 0% ------

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party Score
Democrat 0.5%
Republican 57.9%