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

MT 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 Montana State Legislature 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.

Senate

1. Right to Carry in Montana’s Constitution

Good Vote: Yes

HB551 Right to Carry in Montana's Constitution (passed 33 to 17 on 4/26/2023). Would propose to amend Montana’s Constitution by declaring that it is the “right of any person to keep and bear arms” and removing the restrictive clause regarding the carrying of concealed weapons.

2. Prohibiting Ranked-Choice Voting

Good Vote: Yes

HB598 Prohibiting Ranked-Choice Voting (passed 27 to 23 on 4/5/2023). Prohibits a ranked-choice voting method from being used to determine the election or nomination of a candidate to a local, state, or federal office.

3. Resolution on Marbury v. Madison

Good Vote: Yes
SJ15 Resolution on Marbury v. Madison (passed 28 to 22 on 3/2/2023). Resolves that “the belief that the court has exclusive authority to interpret the constitution and that its decisions are binding on the other two branches is a myth based on a faulty understanding" of the U.S. Supreme Court's opinion in Marbury v. Madison.

4. “Electronic Money” in the Uniform Commercial Code

Good Vote: No

SB370 "Electronic Money" in the Uniform Commercial Code (passed 31 to 19 on 3/2/2023). Would have, prior to being amended by the House, adopted a new definition of “electronic money” in the Uniform Commercial Code.

5. Article V Convention: Constitutional Amendments

Good Vote: No

SJ2 Article V Convention: Constitutional Amendments (failed 25 to 25 on 2/1/2023). Would apply to Congress for a “convention of the states” under Article V of the U.S. Constitution.

6. No Right to Abortion

Good Vote: Yes

SB154 No Right to Abortion (passed 28 to 21 on 1/26/2023). Clarifies that the right of individual privacy, as referenced in the Constitution or laws of Montana, “does not create, and may not be construed as creating or recognizing, a right to abortion or to governmental funding of abortion.”

Legislator Scores
[ + ] Pro-liberty Vote[ - ] Anti-liberty Vote[ . ] Did not Vote
Name Party District Score 123456
Dan Bartel R SD-015 83% ++++-+
Becky Beard R SD-040 83% +++-++
Kenneth Bogner R SD-019 83% ++++-+
Ellie Boldman D SD-045 17% ----+-
Bob Brown R SD-007 100% ++++++
Mike Cuffe R SD-001 67% ++--++
Willis Curdy D SD-049 17% ----+-
Mary Dunwell D SD-042 17% ----+-
Janet Ellis D SD-041 33% ---++-
Jason Ellsworth R SD-043 50% ++---+
Daniel Emrich R SD-011 67% +++--+
John Esp R SD-030 67% +++--+
Steve Fitzpatrick R SD-010 50% ++---+
Pat Flowers D SD-032 33% ---++-
Mike Fox D SD-016 33% ---++-
Chris Friedel R SD-026 67% +++--+
John Fuller R SD-004 83% ++++-+
Bruce Gillespie R SD-009 50% +++---
Carl Glimm R SD-002 83% ++++-+
Jen Gross D SD-025 17% ----+-
Denise Hayman D SD-033 33% ---++-
Greg Hertz R SD-006 67% +++--+
Steve Hinebauch R SD-018 83% ++++-+
Katherin Kelker D SD-024 40% ---++.
Mike Lang R SD-017 67% +++--+
Dennis Lenz R SD-027 67% +++--+
Ryan Lynch D SD-037 17% ---+--
Forrest Mandeville R SD-029 83% +-++++
Theresa Manzella R SD-044 100% ++++++
Edith McClafferty D SD-038 33% -+--+-
Tom McGillvray R SD-023 67% +++--+
Wendy McKamey R SD-012 33% +-+---
Brad Molnar R SD-028 67% +++--+
Shane Morigeau D SD-048 17% ----+-
Mark Noland R SD-005 83% ++++-+
Shannon O'Brien D SD-046 33% ---++-
Andrea Olsen D SD-050 33% ---++-
Christopher Pope D SD-031 33% ---++-
Keith Regier R SD-003 83% ++++-+
Walt Sales R SD-035 83% +++-++
Daniel Salomon R SD-047 33% +-+---
Jason Small R SD-021 33% +----+
Russel Tempel R SD-014 17% ----+-
Barry Usher R SD-020 83% +++-++
Shelley Vance R SD-034 83% +++-++
Terry Vermeire R SD-039 50% +++---
Susan Webber D SD-008 17% ----+-
Jeffrey Welborn R SD-036 17% +-----
Daniel Zolnikov R SD-022 50% +-+--+

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party Score
Republican 66.1%
Democrat 26.4%