Freedom Index

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

Pennsylvania Legislative Scorecard  »  Freedom Index  »  PA 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

PA 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 Pennsylvania Legislature in 2023 and ranks state representatives and senators based on their fidelity to (U.S.) constitutional and limited-government principles.

This is our third 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 Representatives

Senate

1. Parental Control

Good Vote: Yes
SB7 Parental Control (Passed 29 to 21 on 10/24/23). Requires school entities' governing bodies to develop a parental control policy for instructional materials and books containing sexually explicit content.

2. Government Loans

Good Vote: No

SB248 Government Loans (Passed 50 to 0 on 5/8/23). Establishes the Veteran-owned Business Loan Guarantee Program.

3. Forced Student Loans

Good Vote: No

SB750 Forced Student Loans (Passed 46 to 4 on 6/28/23). Introduces a new section in the Public School Code, requiring all students to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before completing high school.

4. Constitution Display

Good Vote: Yes

SB456 Constitution Display (Passed 42 to 8 on 10/23/23). Requires the governing board of a school entity to display the Preamble of the Constitution of the United States at the entrance of each school building.

5. Dog Licenses

Good Vote: No

SB746 Dog Licenses (Passed 43 to 7 on 6/20/23). Makes changes to the Dog Law, notably to dog and kennel licensing, advertising the sale of dogs, strengthen penalties for Dog Law violations, and improve customer service, public safety, and animal welfare.

6. WIC Advisory Board

Good Vote: No
SB721 WIC Advisory Board (Passed 50 to 0 on 12/12/23). Establishes a Women, Infants, and Children State Advisory Board to advise the Department of Health on the Pennsylvania Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.
Legislator Scores
[ + ] Pro-liberty Vote[ - ] Anti-liberty Vote[ . ] Did not Vote
Name Party District Score 123456
David Argall R SD-029 33% +--+--
Ryan Aument R SD-036 33% +--+--
Lisa Baker R SD-020 33% +--+--
Camera Bartolotta R SD-046 33% +--+--
Lisa Boscola D SD-018 33% +--+--
James Brewster D SD-045 17% ---+--
Michele Brooks R SD-050 50% +--++-
Amanda Cappelletti D SD-017 0% ------
Jarrett Coleman R SD-016 50% +--++-
Maria Collett D SD-012 0% ------
Carolyn Comitta D SD-019 0% ------
Jay Costa D SD-043 17% ---+--
Jimmy Dillon D SD-005 17% ---+--
Giovanni DiSanto R SD-015 50% +--++-
Cris Dush R SD-025 33% +--+--
Wayne Fontana D SD-042 17% ---+--
Chris Gebhard R SD-048 33% +--+--
Arthur Haywood D SD-004 17% ---+--
Vincent Hughes D SD-007 17% ---+--
Scott Hutchinson R SD-021 67% +-+++-
John Kane D SD-009 17% ---+--
Timothy Kearney D SD-026 17% --+---
Wayne Langerholc R SD-035 33% +--+--
Daniel Laughlin R SD-049 50% +--++-
Scott Martin R SD-013 33% +--+--
Doug Mastriano R SD-033 67% +-+++-
Nicholas Miller D SD-014 17% ---+--
Katie Muth D SD-044 0% ------
Tracy Pennycuick R SD-024 33% +--+--
Kristin Phillips-Hill R SD-028 50% +--++-
Joe Pittman R SD-041 33% +--+--
Michael Regan R SD-031 33% +--+--
Devlin Robinson R SD-037 33% +--+--
Steven Santarsiero D SD-010 0% ------
Nikil Saval D SD-001 0% ------
Judy Schwank D SD-011 17% ---+--
Patrick Stefano R SD-032 33% +--+--
Sharif Street D SD-003 17% ---+--
Christine Tartaglione D SD-002 17% ---+--
Elder Vogel R SD-047 33% +--+--
Judith Ward R SD-030 33% +--+--
Kim Ward R SD-039 33% +--+--
Anthony Williams D SD-008 33% --++--
Lindsey Williams D SD-038 0% ------
Gene Yaw R SD-023 33% +--+--

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party Score
Republican 39.4%
Democrat 12.9%