Freedom Index

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

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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 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 South Carolina 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
House

Senate

1. Educational Scholarship Trust Fund

Good Vote: No

S39 Educational Scholarship Trust Fund (Passed 28 to 15 on 1/31/2023). Establishes an educational scholarship initiative aimed at offering financial assistance to eligible elementary and secondary students to cover approved educational costs.

2. Infrastructure

Good Vote: No

H3604 Infrastructure (Passed 36 to 4 on 3/14/2023). Allocates funds received by South Carolina from the ARPA bill to a corporate welfare project, specifically earmarking $1.2 billion for the construction of a site in Columbia to benefit Volkswagen.

3. Housing Tax Credit

Good Vote: No

SJR739 Housing Tax Credit (Passed 43 to 0 on 5/3/2023). Grants a one-time approval for South Carolina Housing Tax Credits, not to exceed $29,806,029.

4. Statewide Education and Workforce Development Act

Good Vote: No

H726 Statewide Education and Workforce Development Act (Passed 41 to 2 on 5/10/2023). Establishes the Office of Statewide Workforce Development Coordination (SWDC) within the Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW).

5. Genetic Counselors

Good Vote: No

S241 Genetic Counselors (Passed 39 to 6 on 3/22/2023). Establishes the South Carolina Board of Genetic Counselors within the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation (LLR).

6. Alien Ownership of Property

Good Vote: Yes

S576 Alien Ownership of Property (Passed 31 to 5 on 3/23/2023). Prohibits corporations controlled by foreign adversaries, as defined in the bill, from acquiring any real property within the state.

Legislator Scores
[ + ] Pro-liberty Vote[ - ] Anti-liberty Vote[ . ] Did not Vote
Name Party District Score 123456
Brian Adams R SD-044 0% ----..
Thomas C. Alexander R SD-001 17% -----+
Karl B. Allen D SD-007 17% +-----
Sean M. Bennett R SD-038 17% -----+
George E. "Chip" Campsen, III R SD-043 20% --.--+
Richard J. Cash R SD-003 50% -+-+-+
Wes Climer R SD-015 33% ----++
Thomas D. "Tom" Corbin R SD-005 67% -+-+++
Ronnie W. Cromer R SD-018 20% -.---+
Tom Davis R SD-046 17% -----+
Mike Fanning D SD-017 20% +----.
Michael W. Gambrell R SD-004 0% -.---.
Billy Garrett R SD-010 17% -----+
Stephen L. Goldfinch R SD-034 33% -...-+
Lawrence K. "Larry" Grooms R SD-037 17% -----+
Penry Gustafson R SD-027 17% -----+
Richard A. "Dick" Harpootlian D SD-020 0% .-----
Greg Hembree R SD-028 17% -----+
Brad Hutto D SD-040 25% +--.-.
Darrell Jackson D SD-021 25% +--.-.
Kevin L. Johnson D SD-036 33% +----+
Michael Johnson R SD-016 33% ----++
Josh Kimbrell R SD-011 33% ----++
Marlon E. Kimpson D SD-042 25% +.---.
Dwight A. Loftis R SD-006 17% -----+
Gerald Malloy D SD-029 33% +----+
Shane R. Martin R SD-013 40% ++---.
A. Shane Massey R SD-025 33% ----++
Margie Bright Matthews D SD-045 33% +----+
J. Thomas McElveen, III D SD-035 20% .----+
Mia S. McLeod D SD-022 20% +----.
Harvey S. Peeler, Jr. R SD-014 17% -----+
Luke A. Rankin R SD-033 20% --.--+
Mike Reichenbach R SD-031 40% -.--++
Rex F. Rice R SD-002 20% .----+
Ronnie A. Sabb D SD-032 17% +-----
John L. Scott, Jr. D SD-019 17% +-----
Sandy Senn R SD-041 17% -----+
Nikki G. Setzler D SD-026 33% +----+
Katrina Frye Shealy R SD-023 17% -----+
Vernon Stephens D SD-039 17% +-----
Scott Talley R SD-012 0% -.---.
Ross Turner R SD-008 17% -----+
Daniel B. "Danny" Verdin, III R SD-009 33% -+---+
Kent M. Williams D SD-030 20% +----.
Tom Young, Jr. R SD-024 17% -----+

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party Score
Republican 23.2%
Democrat 22.2%