Freedom Index

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

South Carolina Legislative Scorecard  »  Freedom Index  »  SC Scorecard 2024

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

House

1. Ban on Sex Mutilation of Children

Good Vote: Yes
H4624 Ban on Sex Mutilation of Children (passed 67 to 26 on 5/9/2024). Bans a health care professional from engaging in the provision or performance of “gender transition procedures” to a person under 18 years of age.

2. South Carolina "Health Czar" Bill

Good Vote: No

S915 South Carolina "Health Czar" Bill (passed 98 to 15 on 5/8/2024). Would create the office of the Secretary of Public Health and Policy to develop a “cohesive, coordinated, and comprehensive State Health Services Plan.”

3. Non-Citizen Voter Registration

Good Vote: No
Motion to Table: HA29A-H5100 Prohibiting Non-Citizen Voter Registration (passed 98 to 14 on 5/8/2024). Struck down an amendment to the FY 2024-25 General Appropriations Act that would have prohibited state agencies from distributing voter registration forms to non-citizens.

4. Defeating James Smith for Circuit Court Judge

Good Vote: Yes

J35 Defeating James Smith for Circuit Court Judge (passed 70 to 36 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.

5. Expanding Government-Run Education

Good Vote: No
H5164 Expanding Government-Run Education (passed 69 to 27 on 3/21/2024). Would increase the amounts of annual refundable tax credits allocated to the Education Scholarship Trust Fund and expand eligibility to all private and homeschool students.

6. Article V Convention: Balanced Budget Amendment

Good Vote: No
H3676 Article V Convention: Balanced Budget Amendment (passed 68 to 30 on 2/29/2024). Would apply to Congress for a “convention of the states” under Article V of the U.S. Constitution "limited" to proposing a balanced budget amendment.
Legislator Scores
[ + ] Pro-liberty Vote[ - ] Anti-liberty Vote[ . ] Did not Vote
Name Party District Score 123456
Terry Alexander D HD-059 0% ---...
Carl L. Anderson D HD-103 25% ---.+.
Lucas Atkinson D HD-057 33% +-.-..
William H. Bailey R HD-104 33% +--+--
Nathan Ballentine R HD-071 20% +----.
Justin T. Bamberg D HD-090 33% .--+..
Bruce W. Bannister R HD-024 20% +----.
Heather Bauer D HD-075 33% ----++
Thomas Beach R HD-010 50% ++-+--
Beth E. Bernstein D HD-078 40% .---++
Bart T. Blackwell R HD-081 0% .-----
Jeffrey A. "Jeff" Bradley R HD-123 NA ....--
Gary Brewer R HD-114 33% +--+--
Thomas C. "Case" Brittain, Jr. R HD-107 40% +--+.-
James Mikell "Mike" Burns R HD-017 80% ++++-.
Joseph M. "Joe" Bustos R HD-112 33% +--+--
Paula Rawl Calhoon R HD-087 20% .--+--
Jerry T. Carter R HD-003 40% .--++-
Micajah P. "Micah" Caskey, IV R HD-089 20% .--+--
Don Chapman R HD-008 33% +--+--
William M. "Bill" Chumley R HD-035 75% .+++-.
William "Bill" Clyburn D HD-082 33% ----++
Gilda Cobb-Hunter D HD-095 33% ----++
Neal A. Collins R HD-005 20% +---.-
Benjamin Connell R HD-052 40% +--+-.
Bobby J. Cox R HD-021 NA ...+..
Brandon Cox R HD-092 33% +--+--
Heather Ammons Crawford R HD-068 20% .--+--
April Cromer R HD-006 67% ++++--
Sylleste H. Davis R HD-100 33% +--+--
Chandra E. Dillard D HD-023 40% .---++
Jason Elliott R HD-022 33% +--+--
Shannon S. Erickson R HD-124 33% +--+--
R. Raye Felder R HD-026 40% +--+.-
Cally R. "Cal" Forrest R HD-039 33% +--+--
Craig A. Gagnon R HD-011 33% +--+--
Kambrell H. Garvin D HD-077 20% ----.+
Gil Gatch R HD-094 NA ..-+..
Daniel Gibson R HD-012 50% +--++-
Leon D. "Doug" Gilliam R HD-042 33% +--+--
Wendell G. Gilliard D HD-111 33% ----++
Val Guest R HD-106 40% +--+.-
Brandon Guffey R HD-048 33% +--+--
Patrick B. Haddon R HD-019 40% +-.+--
Bill Hager R HD-122 40% +--+.-
Kevin Hardee R HD-105 40% +--+-.
Rob Harris R HD-036 100% ++++.+
Christopher R. "Chris" Hart D HD-073 NA -..-..
Tom Hartnett R HD-110 33% +--+--
Jackie E. "Coach" Hayes D HD-055 25% +---..
Rosalyn D. Henderson-Myers D HD-031 NA .--...
Patricia Moore "Pat" Henegan D HD-054 NA ..--..
William G. "Bill" Herbkersman R HD-118 17% +-----
Lee Hewitt R HD-108 33% +--+--
David R. Hiott R HD-004 33% +--+--
William M. "Bill" Hixon R HD-083 50% +--+..
Lonnie Hosey D HD-091 20% ----+.
Leon Howard D HD-076 25% --.-.+
Max T. Hyde, Jr. R HD-032 0% .-----
Joseph H. Jefferson, Jr. D HD-102 20% ----.+
Jermaine L. Johnson, Sr. D HD-070 40% -.--++
Jeffrey E. "Jeff" Johnson R HD-058 40% +--+.-
Stewart O. Jones R HD-014 60% .+++--
Wendell Jones D HD-025 33% ----++
Wallace H. "Jay" Jordan, Jr. R HD-063 20% .--+--
Jay Kilmartin R HD-085 67% ++++--
John Richard C. King D HD-049 25% ---.+.
Roger K. Kirby D HD-101 33% ----++
Kathy Landing R HD-080 33% +--+--
Brian Lawson R HD-030 33% +--+--
Matthew Leber R HD-116 33% +--+--
Thomas R. "Randy" Ligon R HD-043 33% +--+--
Steven Wayne Long R HD-037 40% .--+-+
Phillip D. Lowe R HD-060 40% +--+-.
Josiah Magnuson R HD-038 100% ++++.+
Robert J. "RJ" May, III R HD-088 60% .+++--
Donald R. "Ryan" McCabe, Jr. R HD-096 100% ++++.+
John R. McCravy, III R HD-013 50% +--+-+
Annie E. McDaniel D HD-041 50% ---+++
Timothy A. "Tim" McGinnis R HD-056 33% +--+--
Cody Mitchell R HD-065 33% +--+--
Travis A. Moore R HD-033 20% .--+--
JA Moore D HD-015 40% .---++
T. Alan Morgan R HD-018 80% ++++.-
Adam M. Morgan R HD-020 67% ++++--
Dennis C. Moss R HD-029 50% +---++
Chris Murphy R HD-098 40% +--+-.
Mike Neese R HD-044 33% +--+--
Wm. Weston J. Newton R HD-120 20% +--.--
Brandon Newton R HD-045 33% +--+--
Roger A. Nutt R HD-034 60% .+-+-+
David O'Neal R HD-066 60% ++.+--
Melissa Lackey Oremus R HD-084 25% .-.+--
Russell L. Ott D HD-093 33% ----++
Jordan Pace R HD-117 67% ++++--
Fawn Pedalino R HD-064 33% +--+--
Marvin R. Pendarvis D HD-113 75% .-.+++
Thomas E. "Tommy" Pope R HD-047 33% +--+--
Michael F. Rivers, Sr. D HD-121 33% ----++
Robby Robbins R HD-097 33% +--+--
Seth Rose D HD-072 33% ----++
J. Todd Rutherford D HD-074 33% ----++
William E. "Bill" Sandifer, III R HD-002 40% +--+-.
Carla Schuessler R HD-061 33% +--+--
Heath Sessions R HD-046 40% +--+.-
G. Murrell Smith, Jr. R HD-067 40% +-.+--
Marvin "Mark" Smith R HD-099 33% +--+--
Tiffany Spann-Wilder D HD-109 NA -..-..
Leonidas E. "Leon" Stavrinakis D HD-119 33% ----++
Bill Taylor R HD-086 33% +--+--
Anne J. Thayer R HD-009 NA .....-
Ivory Torrey Thigpen D HD-079 20% ----.+
Ashley B. Trantham R HD-028 67% ..++.-
David Vaughan R HD-027 33% +--+--
J. David Weeks D HD-051 33% ----++
John Taliaferro "Jay" West, IV R HD-007 20% .--+--
Elizabeth "Spencer" Wetmore D HD-115 20% ----+.
William W. "Will" Wheeler, III D HD-050 33% ..--+.
Joe White R HD-040 50% ..++--
William R. "Bill" Whitmire R HD-001 33% +--+--
Robert Q. Williams D HD-062 33% ----++
Mark N. Willis R HD-016 25% .--+-.
Chris Wooten R HD-069 33% +--+--
Richard L. "Richie" Yow R HD-053 20% .--+--

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party Score
Democrat 31.7%
Republican 39.9%