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

MN Scorecard 2021-2022

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 Minnesota Legislature in 2021 and 2022 and ranks state representatives and senators based on their fidelity to (U.S.) constitutional and limited-government principles.

This is our first 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. Omnibus Public Education Bill

Good Vote: No

HF2 Omnibus Public Education Bill (passed 105 to 20 on 6/26/2021). Serves as the $21.2 billion omnibus PreK-12 public education bill, which allocates $554.2 million in new spending, incorporates provisions from the Increase Teachers of Color Act, and prohibits “lunch shaming."

2. Federal COVID-19 Funds for Housing Subsidies

Good Vote: No

HF4 Federal COVID-19 Funds for Housing Subsidies (passed 72 to 58 on 6/24/2021). Provides for the use of federal COVID-19 funds for rental and housing assistance in Minnesota.

3. Expanding Government 'Entitlement' Programs

Good Vote: No

HF33 Expanding Government 'Entitlement' Programs (passed 69 to 56 on 6/26/2021). Appropriates $18.8 billion to extend Medicaid coverage, raise welfare payouts for low-income families, and assist with child care and student loan forgiveness.

4. Energy Conservation and Optimization (ECO) Act

Good Vote: No

HF164 Energy Conservation and Optimization (ECO) Act (passed 58 to 9 on 5/17/2021). Aims to reduce statewide energy consumption, specifically by requiring utility “load management” and “fuel switching.”

5. Terminating the COVID-19 State of Emergency

Good Vote: Yes

SC5 Terminating the COVID-19 State of Emergency (failed 63 to 69 on 3/18/2021). Would have ended the COVID-19 peacetime public emergency declared by Governor Tim Walz on March 13, 2021, under Executive Order 20-1 and extended under subsequent executive orders.

6. Enforcement of Canadian Orders for Protection

Good Vote: No

SF395 Enforcement of Canadian Orders for Protection (passed 131 to 0 on 3/18/2021). Allows Minnesota law enforcement agencies to enforce orders for protection issued in Canada without a requirement that such orders be filed with a court in the United States.

Legislator Scores
[ + ] Pro-liberty Vote[ - ] Anti-liberty Vote[ . ] Did not Vote
Name Party District Score 123456
Patty Acomb D HD-044B 0% ------
Esther Agbaje D HD-059B 0% ------
Susan Akland R HD-019A 67% -++++-
Tony Albright R HD-055B 83% +++++-
Paul H. Anderson R HD-012B 67% -++++-
Jeff Backer R HD-012A 67% -++++-
Kristin Bahner D HD-034B 0% ------
Dave Baker R HD-017B 50% -++-+-
Jamie Becker-finn D HD-042B 0% ------
Peggy Bennett R HD-027A 50% -++-+-
Kaela Berg D HD-056B 0% ------
Connie Bernardy D HD-041A 0% ------
Robert Bierman D HD-057A 0% ------
Matt Bliss R HD-005A 75% -+++..
Greg Boe R HD-047B 50% -++-+-
John Burkel R HD-001A 67% -++++-
Andrew Carlson D HD-050B 0% ------
Shelly Christensen D HD-039B 0% ------
Brian Daniels R HD-024B 67% -++++-
Kurt Daudt R HD-031A 83% +++++-
Gregory Davids R HD-028B 50% -++-+-
Jim Davnie D HD-063A 0% ------
Lisa Demuth R HD-013A 60% -.+++-
Bob Dettmer R HD-039A 67% -++++-
Rob Ecklund D HD-003A 0% ------
Heather Edelson D HD-049A 0% ------
Steve Elkins D HD-049B 0% ------
Sondra Erickson R HD-015A 67% -++++-
Sandra Feist D HD-041B 0% ------
Peter Fischer D HD-043A 0% ------
Keith Franke R HD-054A 25% .-.-+-
Mary Franson R HD-008B 67% -++++-
Cedrick Frazier D HD-045A 0% ------
Luke Frederick D HD-019B 0% ------
Mike Freiberg D HD-045B 0% ------
Pat Garofalo R HD-058B 67% +++-+-
Aisha Gomez D HD-062B 0% ------
Emma Greenman D HD-063B 0% ------
Matthew Grossell R HD-002A 67% -++++-
Barb Haley R HD-021A 67% -++++-
Rod Hamilton R HD-022B 50% .+.-+-
Rick Hansen D HD-052A 0% ------
Jessica Hanson D HD-056A 0% ------
Hodan Hassan D HD-062A 0% ------
Alice Hausman D HD-066A 0% -.----
John Heinrich R HD-035A 67% ...++-
Joshua Heintzeman R HD-010A 83% +++++-
Kaohly Her D HD-064A 0% ------
Jerry Hertaus R HD-033A 67% +++-+-
Athena Hollins D HD-066B 0% ------
Frank Hornstein D HD-061A 0% ------
Melissa Hortman D HD-036B 0% ------
Michael Howard D HD-050A 0% ------
John Huot D HD-057B 0% ------
Spencer Igo R HD-005B 67% -++++-
Brian Johnson R HD-032A 67% -++++-
Sydney Jordan D HD-060A 0% ------
Tony Jurgens R HD-054B 33% --+-+-
Heather Keeler D HD-004A 0% ------
Debra Kiel R HD-001B 67% -++++-
Ginny Klevorn D HD-044A 0% ------
Erin Koegel D HD-037A 0% ------
Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn D HD-048B 0% ------
Jon Koznick R HD-058A 50% -++-+-
Ron Kresha R HD-009B 60% -.+++-
Fue Lee D HD-059A 0% ------
Tina Liebling D HD-026A 0% ------
Leon Lillie D HD-043B 0% ------
Todd Lippert D HD-020B 0% ------
Dave Lislegard D HD-006B 17% ---+--
Jamie Long D HD-061B 0% ---.--
Dale Lueck R HD-010B 50% .+.-+-
Carlos Mariani D HD-065B 0% ------
Paul Marquart D HD-004B 17% ---+--
Sandra Masin D HD-051A 0% ---.--
Joe McDonald R HD-029A 75% .+.++-
Shane Mekeland R HD-015B 83% +++++-
Tim Miller R HD-017A 83% +++++-
Kelly Moller D HD-042A 0% ------
Rena Moran D HD-065A 0% ------
Erik Mortensen R HD-055A 83% +++++-
Patricia Mueller R HD-027B 50% -++-+-
Jeremy Munson R HD-023B 83% +++++-
Mary Murphy D HD-003B 0% ------
Jim Nash R HD-047A 67% -++++-
Nathan Nelson R HD-011B 50% -++-+-
Mike Nelson D HD-040A 0% ------
Anne Neu Brindley R HD-032B 67% -++...
Mohamud Noor D HD-060B 0% ------
Paul Novotny R HD-030A 83% +++++-
Tim O'Driscoll R HD-013B 80% -++++.
Marion O'Neill R HD-029B 67% +++-+-
Bjorn Olson R HD-023A 50% -++-+-
Liz Olson D HD-007B 0% ------
Gene Pelowski D HD-028A 0% ------
John Petersburg R HD-024A 67% -++++-
Brian Pfarr R HD-020A 83% +++++-
Nels Pierson R HD-026B 67% -++++-
Dave Pinto D HD-064B 0% ------
John Poston R HD-009A 75% .+.++-
Laurie Pryor D HD-048A 0% ------
Duane Quam R HD-025A 83% +++++-
Donald Raleigh R HD-038A 67% -++++-
Liz Reyer D HD-051B 0% ------
Ruth Richardson D HD-052B 0% ------
Kristin Robbins R HD-034A 83% +++++-
Steve Sandell D HD-053B 0% ------
Julie Sandstede D HD-006A 0% ------
Joe Schomacker R HD-022A 67% -++++-
Jennifer Schultz D HD-007A 0% ------
Peggy Scott R HD-035B 75% .+.++-
Zack Stephenson D HD-036A 0% ------
Mike Sundin D HD-011A 0% ------
Chris Swedzinski R HD-016A 67% -++++-
Tama Theis R HD-014A 67% -++++-
John Thompson D HD-067A 0% .-.---
Paul Torkelson R HD-016B 75% .+.++-
Dean Urdahl R HD-018A 33% --+-+-
Samantha Vang D HD-040B 0% ------
Ami Wazlawik D HD-038B 0% ------
Nolan West R HD-037B 50% -++-+-
Ryan Winkler D HD-046A 0% ------
Dan Wolgamott D HD-014B 0% ------
Jay Xiong D HD-067B 0% ----..
Cheryl Youakim D HD-046B 0% ------

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party Score
Democrat 0.5%
Republican 65.6%