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

NE 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 Nebraska Legislature in 2021 and 2022 and ranks state 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.

Senate

1. Constitutional Carry

Good Vote: Yes

LB773 Constitutional Carry (Passed 31 to 9 on 4/11/2022). Allows Nebraskans to carry firearms without a permit.    

2. Abortion Ban

Good Vote: Yes

LB933 Abortion Ban (Passed 31 to 15 on 4/6/2022). Bans abortion in Nebraska now that Row v. Wade is overturned.

3. Vaccine Exemptions

Good Vote: Yes

LB906 Vaccine Exemptions (Passed 37 to 5 on 2/25/2022). Requires that employers must recognize medical and religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

4. Tax Rates

Good Vote: Yes

LB939 Tax Rates (Passed 40 to 1 on 2/24/2022). Cuts Nebraska’s top individual income tax rate in several steps from the current 6.84 percent to 5.84 percent by tax year 2027.

5. Con-Con

Good Vote: No

LR14 Con-Con (Passed 32 to 11 on 1/28/2022). Calls for a Convention of State to propose limited to proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States.

6. Student Free Speech

Good Vote: Yes

LB88 Student Free Speech (Passed 30 to 17 on 4/14/2021). Prevents students from being censored for what they write and report about on their college campus and media.

Legislator Scores
[ + ] Pro-liberty Vote[ - ] Anti-liberty Vote[ . ] Did not Vote
Name Party District Score 123456
Raymond Aguilar R SD-035 100% ++++.+
Joni Albrecht R SD-017 83% +++++-
John Arch R SD-014 67% ++++--
Carol Blood D SD-003 67% .-.+.+
Eliot Bostar D SD-029 25% --..-+
Bruce Bostelman R SD-023 67% ++++--
Tom Brandt R SD-032 83% ++++-+
Tom Brewer R SD-043 67% ++++--
Tom Briese R 80% ++++-.
Machaela Cavanaugh D SD-006 40% ---.++
John Cavanaugh D SD-009 40% ---.++
Robert Clements R SD-002 67% ++++--
Jen Day D SD-049 50% --.+.+
Wendy DeBoer D SD-010 40% --.+-+
Myron Dorn R SD-030 83% ++++-+
Steve Erdman R SD-047 67% ++++--
Mike Flood SD-019 83% ++++-+
Curt Friesen SD-034 67% ++++--
Suzanne Geist R 80% .+++-+
Timothy Gragert SD-040 83% ++++-+
Michael Groene SD-042 NA ....--
Steve Halloran R SD-033 67% ++++--
Matt Hansen SD-026 25% ---..+
Ben Hansen R SD-016 67% ++++--
Michael Hilgers I SD-021 67% ++++--
Robert Hilkemann SD-004 80% .+++-+
Dan Hughes SD-044 67% ++++--
Megan Hunt I SD-008 33% ----++
Michael Jacobson R SD-042 100% ++++..
Mark Kolterman SD-024 83% ++++-+
Steve Lathrop SD-012 50% -.-.++
Brett Lindstrom SD-018 67% ++++--
Lou Linehan R SD-039 80% ++++-.
John Lowe R SD-037 67% ++++--
John McCollister SD-020 75% .-.+++
Mike McDonnell D SD-005 80% .+++-+
Terrell McKinney D SD-011 75% +-..++
Adam Morfeld SD-046 60% --+.++
Mike Moser R SD-022 67% ++++--
Dave Murman R SD-038 67% ++++--
Rich Pahls SD-031 75% ..++-+
Patty Pansing Brooks SD-028 80% .-++++
Rita Sanders R SD-045 67% ++++--
Julie Slama R SD-001 83% ++++-+
John Stinner SD-048 100% ++++.+
Tony Vargas D SD-007 75% .-.+++
Lynne Walz D SD-015 67% .-+..+
Justin Wayne D SD-013 80% +.++-+
Matt Williams SD-036 83% ++++-+
Anna Wishart D SD-027 83% +-++++

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party Score
Republican 75.5%
Democrat 60.2%
71.9%
Independent 50%