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 2024

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 2024 and ranks state representatives and senators based on their fidelity to (U.S.) constitutional and limited-government principles.

Senate
House

Senate

1. 2024-25 State Budget

Good Vote: No
H5100 State Budget (passed 41 to 0 on 5/8/2024). Serves as the $14.5 billion General Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2024-25.

2. Ban on Sex Mutilation of Children

Good Vote: Yes
H4624 Ban on Sex Mutilation of Children (passed 28 to 8 on 5/2/2024). Bans a health care professional from engaging in the provision or performance of “gender transition procedures” to a person under 18 years of age.

3. Defeating James Smith for Circuit Court Judge

Good Vote: Yes

J35 Defeating James Smith for Circuit Court Judge (passed 24 to 21 on 4/17/2024). Prevented former State Rep. and Democratic gubernatorial candidate James Smith from being elected to the position of Circuit Court Judge, 5th Judicial Circuit, Seat 1.

4. U.S. Citizenship Requirement to Vote

Good Vote: Yes
S1126 U.S. Citizenship Requirement to Vote (passed 40 to 3 on 4/3/2024). Proposes to amend the state's constitution to provide that only a citizen of the United States and South Carolina who is at least 18 years of age and properly registered is entitled to vote.

5. South Carolina "Health Czar" Bill

Good Vote: No
S915 South Carolina "Health Czar" Bill (passed 44 to 1 on 2/21/2024). Would create the office of the Secretary of Public Health and Policy to develop a “cohesive, coordinated, and comprehensive State Health Services Plan.”

6. "Gun-Free Zones"

Good Vote: No
SA13-H3594 "Gun-Free Zones" (passed 22 to 20 on 1/30/2024). Mandates stiffer criminal penalties for persons who carry handguns into various locations specified by law, regardless of whether they have a concealed weapons permit.
Legislator Scores
[ + ] Pro-liberty Vote[ - ] Anti-liberty Vote[ . ] Did not Vote
Name Party District Score 123456
Brian Adams R SD-044 80% .+++-+
Thomas C. Alexander R SD-001 67% -+++-+
Karl B. Allen D SD-007 17% ---+--
Sean M. Bennett R SD-038 50% -+++--
George E. "Chip" Campsen, III R SD-043 60% .+++--
Richard J. Cash R SD-003 67% -+++-+
Wes Climer R SD-015 67% -+++-+
Thomas D. "Tom" Corbin R SD-005 83% -+++++
Ronnie W. Cromer R SD-018 67% -+++-+
Tom Davis R SD-046 33% -+-+--
Tameika Devine D SD-019 0% ------
Mike Fanning D SD-017 25% -.-+-.
Michael W. Gambrell R SD-004 60% -.++-+
Billy Garrett R SD-010 67% -+++-+
Stephen L. Goldfinch R SD-034 40% .+-+--
Lawrence K. "Larry" Grooms R SD-037 60% -+++-.
Penry Gustafson R SD-027 67% -+++-+
Richard A. "Dick" Harpootlian D SD-020 17% ---+--
Greg Hembree R SD-028 50% -+++--
Brad Hutto D SD-040 17% ---+--
Darrell Jackson D SD-021 17% ---+--
Kevin L. Johnson D SD-036 20% -.-+--
Michael Johnson R SD-016 67% -+++-+
Josh Kimbrell R SD-011 67% -+++-+
Marlon E. Kimpson D SD-042 NA ......
Dwight A. Loftis R SD-006 80% .+++-+
Gerald Malloy D SD-029 0% -.-.--
Shane R. Martin R SD-013 67% -+++-+
A. Shane Massey R SD-025 40% -+.+--
Margie Bright Matthews D SD-045 0% ------
J. Thomas McElveen, III D SD-035 0% -.-.-.
Mia S. McLeod D SD-022 17% --+---
Harvey S. Peeler, Jr. R SD-014 67% -+++-+
Luke A. Rankin R SD-033 25% ..-+--
Mike Reichenbach R SD-031 67% -+++-+
Rex F. Rice R SD-002 67% -+++-+
Ronnie A. Sabb D SD-032 20% -.-+--
John L. Scott, Jr. D SD-019 NA ......
Sandy Senn R SD-041 33% -+-+--
Nikki G. Setzler D SD-026 20% -.-+--
Katrina Frye Shealy R SD-023 67% -+++-+
Vernon Stephens D SD-039 0% -.-.-.
Scott Talley R SD-012 20% -.-+--
Deon T. Tedder D SD-042 17% ---+--
Ross Turner R SD-008 80% -+++.+
Daniel B. "Danny" Verdin, III R SD-009 67% -+++-+
Kent M. Williams D SD-030 33% -+-+--
Tom Young, Jr. R SD-024 50% -+-+-+

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party Score
Republican 59.4%
Democrat 13.8%