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

SD Scorecard 2021-2022

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 Dakota Legislature 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

House of Representatives

1. Budget

Good Vote: No

HB1340 Budget (passed 59 to 10 on 3/10/2022). Provides approximately $5.9 billion in funding for the operations of the state's government for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, and ending June 30, 2023.

2. Exemption from COVID-19 Vaccination

Good Vote: Yes

SB211 Exemption from COVID-19 Vaccination (passed 37 to 32 on 3/7/2022). Declares that a person may exercise their right of conscience as a basis for exemption from any COVID-19 vaccination mandate by any entity, but this act would not apply to certain health care facilities and the South Dakota National Guard.

3. Informed Consent by Pregnant Minors

Good Vote: No

HB1223 Informed Consent by Pregnant Minors (passed 37 to 33 on 2/23/2022). Would authorize the informed consent by a pregnant minor for any medical or dental procedure or service related to the minor’s prenatal care, the delivery process, or postnatal care if the minor’s parent or guardian is either “unavailable or withholds consent."

4. Limiting Enforcement of Federal Firearms Laws

Good Vote: Yes

HB1052 Limiting Enforcement of Federal Firearms Laws (failed 28 to 39 on 2/22/2022). Would limit the enforcement of federal laws and directives related to firearms, ammunitions, and components or accessories.

5. Article V Convention: Constitutional Amendments

Good Vote: No

HJR5001 Article V Convention: Constitutional Amendments (passed 39 to 30 on 1/25/2022). Would apply to Congress, under the provisions of Article V of the U.S. Constitution, to call for a "convention of states" for the purpose of proposing constitutional amendments.

6. Educational Freedom

Good Vote: Yes

SB177 Educational Freedom (passed 41 to 27 on 3/2/2021). Revises the provisions of parental choice regarding compulsory school attendance by expanding “alternative instruction” (e.g., home education) options.

Legislator Scores

[ + ] Pro-liberty Vote[ - ] Anti-liberty Vote[ . ] Did not Vote

Name	Party	District	Score	1	2	3	4	5	6
David L. Anderson	R	HD-016	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Aaron Aylward	R	HD-006	60%	+	+	-	+	-	.
Hugh M. Bartels	R	HD-005	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Doug Barthel	R	HD-010	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Rocky Blare	R	HD-021	33%	-	-	+	-	-	+
Gary L. Cammack	R	HD-029	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Kirk Chaffee	R	HD-029	50%	-	+	+	-	-	+
Roger Chase	R	HD-022	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Ryan Cwach	D	HD-018	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Drew Dennert	R	HD-003	67%	+	-	+	+	-	+
Mike Derby	R	HD-034	50%	-	-	+	-	+	+
Fred Deutsch	R	HD-004	50%	-	+	+	-	-	+
Becky J. Drury	R	HD-032	33%	-	-	-	-	+	+
Linda K. Duba	D	HD-015	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Caleb Finck	R	HD-021	33%	-	+	-	+	-	-
Mary J. Fitzgerald	R	HD-031	67%	-	+	+	+	-	+
Tim Goodwin	R	HD-030	33%	-	+	-	-	-	+
Spencer Gosch	R	HD-023	50%	-	+	+	-	+	-
Lana Greenfield	R	HD-002	67%	-	+	+	+	+	-
Randy Gross	R	HD-025	83%	-	+	+	+	+	+
Jon Hansen	R	HD-025	67%	-	+	+	+	-	+
Steven Haugaard	R	HD-010	83%	+	+	+	+	-	+
Erin Healy	D	HD-010	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Jennifer Keintz	D	HD-001	20%	-	-	-	.	+	-
Taffy Howard	R	HD-033	83%	+	+	+	+	-	+
Greg Jamison	R	HD-012	20%	-	.	-	-	-	+
Phil Jensen	R	HD-033	83%	+	+	+	+	-	+
Kevin D. Jensen	R	HD-016	50%	-	+	-	+	-	+
Chris Johnson	R	HD-032	67%	-	+	+	-	+	+
Chris Karr	R	HD-011	67%	-	+	+	+	-	+
Lance R. Koth	R	HD-020	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Trish Ladner	R	HD-030	67%	-	+	+	+	+	-
Oren L. Lesmeister	D	HD-028A	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Sue Peterson	R	HD-013	67%	-	+	+	+	-	+
Sam Marty	R	HD-028B	67%	-	+	+	+	-	+
Liz May	R	HD-027	67%	-	+	+	+	-	+
John Mills	R	HD-008	67%	-	+	+	+	-	+
Rhonda Milstead	R	HD-009	80%	.	+	+	-	+	+
Paul R. Miskimins	R	HD-020	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Will Mortenson	R	HD-024	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Tina L. Mulally	R	HD-035	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Scott Odenbach	R	HD-031	67%	-	+	+	+	-	+
Jess Olson	R	HD-034	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Ernie Otten	R	HD-006	50%	-	-	+	+	-	+
Marty Overweg	R	HD-021	67%	-	+	+	+	-	+
Carl E. Perry	R	HD-003	50%	-	+	-	+	-	+
Kent Peterson	R	HD-019	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Peri Pourier	D	HD-027	20%	-	-	-	-	+	.
Tony Randolph	R	HD-035	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Taylor Rehfeldt	R	HD-014	33%	-	-	-	+	-	+
Rebecca Reimer	R	HD-026B	17%	-	-	-	-	-	+
Lynn Schneider	R	HD-022	67%	-	+	+	-	+	+
Jamie Smith	D	HD-015	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Bethany Soye	R	HD-009	83%	+	+	+	+	-	+
Tamara St John	R	HD-001	20%	-	-	-	.	-	+
Mike Stevens	R	HD-018	33%	-	-	+	-	+	-
Richard Thomason	R	HD-013	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Larry Tidemann	R	HD-007	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Richard Vasgaard	R	HD-017	50%	-	+	+	-	-	+
Kaleb Weis	R	HD-002	83%	+	+	+	+	-	+
Mike Weisgram	R	HD-024	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Marli Wiese	R	HD-008	80%	-	+	+	.	+	+
Mark Willadsen	R	HD-011	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Nancy York	R	HD-005	33%	-	+	-	-	+	-

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party	Score
Republican	47.6%
Democrat	17.9%

Freedom Index

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