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

SC 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 South Carolina 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. Rental Assistance

Good Vote: No

H3770 Rental Assistance (Passed 41 to 0 on 3/24/2021). Disburses funds from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 to assist eligible households that are unable to pay rent and utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. ARPA Funds

Good Vote: No

H4408 ARPA Funds (Passed 41 to 0 on 4/19/2022). Authorizes the expenditure of federal funds that have been disbursed to the state in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

3. Vote to Table Constitutional Carry

Good Vote: No

H3094 Amendment 3B Constitutional Carry (Passed 25 to 21 on 5/5/2021). Tables constitutional carry and would leave it so the requirement that you must possess a permit when carrying a concealable weapon or firearm.

4. Vote to Table the Elimination of Planned Parenthood Funding

Good Vote: No

H4100 Amendment 16 Planned Parenthood Funding (Rejected to table 23 to 23 on 4/28/2021).  Directs that none of the state funds appropriated for family planning shall be expended to directly or indirectly subsidize abortion services or organizations.

5. Vaccine Mandates

Good Vote: Yes

H3126 Vaccine Mandates (Passed 29 to 12 on 4/6/2022). Prohibits state and local government entities from accepting federal funds to enforce illegal federal mask or vaccine mandates. Also, no government body or school district in the state can impose a vaccine mandate.

6. Con Con

Good Vote: No

H3205 Con Con (Passed 27 to 13 on 3/9/2022). Applies to Congress, under the provisions of Article V of the U.S. Constitution.

Legislator Scores
[ + ] Pro-liberty Vote[ - ] Anti-liberty Vote[ . ] Did not Vote
Name Party District Score 123456
Brian Adams R SD-044 60% --+++.
Thomas C. Alexander R SD-001 33% --+-+-
Karl B. Allen D SD-007 0% ------
Sean M. Bennett R SD-038 17% ----+-
George E. "Chip" Campsen, III R SD-043 33% ---++-
Richard J. Cash R SD-003 50% --+++-
Wes Climer R SD-015 60% -.+++-
Thomas D. "Tom" Corbin R SD-005 67% --++++
Ronnie W. Cromer R SD-018 50% --+++-
Tom Davis R SD-046 33% --+-+-
Mike Fanning D SD-017 0% ----.-
Michael W. Gambrell R SD-004 50% --+++-
Billy Garrett R SD-010 50% --+++-
Stephen L. Goldfinch R SD-034 50% --+++-
Lawrence K. "Larry" Grooms R SD-037 50% --+++-
Penry Gustafson R SD-027 33% ---++-
Richard A. "Dick" Harpootlian D SD-020 20% ----.+
Greg Hembree R SD-028 17% ----+-
Brad Hutto D SD-040 17% -----+
Darrell Jackson D SD-021 17% -----+
Kevin L. Johnson D SD-036 17% -----+
Michael Johnson R SD-016 33% ---++-
Josh Kimbrell R SD-011 50% --+++-
Marlon E. Kimpson D SD-042 33% ..--.+
Hugh Leatherman R SD-031 NA ..--..
Dwight A. Loftis R SD-006 80% -.++++
Gerald Malloy D SD-029 0% -----.
Shane R. Martin R SD-013 75% -.+++.
A. Shane Massey R SD-025 33% ---++-
Margie Bright Matthews D SD-045 0% .----.
J. Thomas McElveen, III D SD-035 17% -----+
Mia S. McLeod D SD-022 17% -----+
Harvey S. Peeler, Jr. R SD-014 50% --+++-
Luke A. Rankin R SD-033 17% ----+-
Mike Reichenbach R SD-031 NA .-..+.
Rex F. Rice R SD-002 50% --+++-
Ronnie A. Sabb D SD-032 20% ----.+
John L. Scott, Jr. D SD-019 20% -.---+
Sandy Senn R SD-041 20% .---+-
Nikki G. Setzler D SD-026 0% -----.
Katrina Frye Shealy R SD-023 50% --+++-
Vernon Stephens D SD-039 17% -----+
Scott Talley R SD-012 50% .-++.-
Deon T. Tedder D SD-042 NA ......
Ross Turner R SD-008 50% --+++-
Daniel B. "Danny" Verdin, III R SD-009 50% --+++-
Kent M. Williams D SD-030 17% -----+
Tom Young, Jr. R SD-024 50% --+++-

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party Score
Republican 45.2%
Democrat 13.3%