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

RI 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 Rhode Island General Assembly 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.

Senate

1. "Driver Privilege Cards" for Illegal Aliens

Good Vote: No

H7939 "Driver Privilege Cards" for Illegal Aliens (passed 28 to 10 on 6/23/2022). Allows the division of motor vehicles to issue “driver privilege cards and permits” to applicants “unable to establish legal presence in the United States.”

2. Restricting Firearms Purchases to Ages 21+

Good Vote: No

H7457 Restricting Firearms Purchases to Ages 21+ (passed 31 to 5 on 6/14/2022). Restricts the lawful sale of firearms or ammunition to persons 21 years of age or older, with the exemption of full-time law enforcement, state marshals, and members of the U.S. military.

3. Expanding Government Wiretapping

Good Vote: No

S2706 Expanding Government Wiretapping (passed 66 to 0 on 5/31/2022). Grants the ability to apply ex parte for a court order authorizing the “interception of any wire, electronic, or oral communications” based on alleged felony violations of the Uniform Act on Prevention for Human Trafficking.

4. Permanent Early, Mail-In Voting

Good Vote: No

S2007 Permanent Early, Mail-In Voting (passed 29 to 6 on 4/26/2022). Permits early voting by mail without an excuse, removes the requirement that mail ballots be signed by a notary public or two witnesses, and directs every municipality to maintain at least one ballot drop box.

5. United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

Good Vote: No

S2423 United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (passed 32 to 4 on 5/3/2022). Urges the federal government to sign and ratify the U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

6. Forced Minimum Wage Increases

Good Vote: No

H5130 Forced Minimum Wage Increases (passed 29 to 7 on 5/18/2021). Increases the minimum wage from $11.50 per hour to $15.00 per hour, over a 4-year period.

Legislator Scores
[ + ] Pro-liberty Vote[ - ] Anti-liberty Vote[ . ] Did not Vote
Name Party District Score 123456
Jonathon Acosta D SD-016 0% ------
Dennis Algiere R SD-038 60% +.-+-+
Kendra Anderson D SD-031 0% ------
Stephen Archambault D SD-022 0% --..--
Samuel Bell D SD-005 0% ------
John Burke D SD-009 0% ------
Jeanine Calkin D SD-030 0% --..-.
Sandra Cano D SD-008 0% ------
Frank Ciccone D SD-007 0% ------
Cynthia Coyne D SD-032 0% ------
Jessica de la Cruz R SD-023 83% ++-+++
Alana DiMario D SD-036 0% ------
Louis Dipalma D SD-012 0% ------
Dawn Euer D SD-013 0% ------
Walter Felag D SD-010 20% +.----
Hanna Gallo D SD-027 0% ------
Gayle Goldin D SD-003 NA ......
Maryellen Goodwin D SD-001 0% ------
Meghan Kallman D SD-015 0% ------
Valarie Lawson D SD-014 0% ------
Frank Lombardi D SD-026 33% +----+
Frank Lombardo D SD-025 17% +-----
Tiara Mack D SD-006 0% ----.-
Michael McCaffrey D SD-029 0% ------
Cynthia Mendes D SD-018 0% ------
Joshua Miller D SD-028 0% ------
Elaine Morgan R SD-034 83% ++-+++
Melissa Murray D SD-024 0% ------
Thomas Paolino R SD-017 83% ++-+++
Ryan Pearson D SD-019 0% ----.-
Roger Picard D SD-020 33% +--+--
Ana Quezada D SD-002 0% ------
Leonidas Raptakis D SD-033 75% ++..-+
Gordon Rogers R SD-021 83% ++-+++
Dominick Ruggerio D SD-004 0% ------
James Seveney D SD-011 0% ------
Susan Sosnowski D SD-037 0% ------
Bridget Valverde D SD-035 0% ------

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party Score
Democrat 5.6%
Republican 78.4%