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 2023

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 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 of Representatives

1. Prohibiting Ranked-Choice Voting

Good Vote: Yes

SB55 Prohibiting Ranked-Choice Voting (passed 63 to 5 on 3/1/2023). Prevents the State Board of Elections from authorizing and a political subdivision from establishing a system of ranked-choice voting.

2. Criminal Immunity for Women Who Have Abortions

Good Vote: No

HB1220 Criminal Immunity for Women Who Have Abortions (passed 63 to 7 on 2/21/2023). Provides that that a female who undergoes an unlawful abortion may not be held criminally liable.

3. Conscience Exemption from COVID-19 Vaccination

Good Vote: Yes

HB1235 Conscience Exemption from COVID-19 Vaccination (failed 30 to 39 on 2/16/2023). Declares that a person has the right to be exempt from any COVID-19 vaccination mandate on the basis of conscience.

4. “Electronic Money” in the Uniform Commercial Code

Good Vote: No

HB1193 "Electronic Money" in the Uniform Commercial Code (passed 49 to 17 on 2/13/2023). Would adopt a new definition of “electronic money” in the Uniform Commercial Code.

5. Banning Eminent Domain for Carbon Capture Pipelines

Good Vote: Yes

HB1133 Banning Eminent Domain for CO₂ Pipelines (passed 40 to 28 on 2/9/2023). Defines a commodity for the purpose of qualifying as a common carrier.

6. Protecting Minors from Sex Mutilation

Good Vote: Yes

HB1080 Protecting Minors from Sex Mutilation (passed 60 to 10 on 2/2/2023). Prohibits certain medical and surgical interventions on minor patients, including puberty blockers and gender affirmation surgeries.

Legislator Scores

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

Name	Party	District	Score	1	2	3	4	5	6
Amber Arlint	R	HD-012	33%	+	-	-	-	-	+
Julie Auch	R	HD-018	83%	+	-	+	+	+	+
Aaron Aylward	R	HD-006	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Jessica Bahmuller	R	HD-019	80%	+	-	+	+	.	+
Hugh M. Bartels	R	HD-005	33%	+	-	-	-	-	+
Rocky Blare	R	HD-021	50%	+	-	-	-	+	+
Byron Callies	R	HD-005	33%	+	-	-	-	-	+
Gary L. Cammack	R	HD-029	33%	+	-	-	-	-	+
Kirk Chaffee	R	HD-029	33%	+	-	-	-	-	+
Roger Chase	R	HD-022	33%	+	-	-	-	-	+
Roger Degroot	R	HD-007	40%	+	-	-	-	.	+
Mike Derby	R	HD-034	17%	+	-	-	-	-	-
Fred Deutsch	R	HD-004	50%	+	-	+	-	-	+
Joe Donnell	R	HD-001	67%	+	-	+	-	+	+
Becky J. Drury	R	HD-032	50%	+	-	-	-	+	+
Linda K. Duba	D	HD-015	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Steve Duffy	R	HD-032	33%	+	-	-	-	-	+
Eric Emery	D	HD-026A	33%	+	-	-	-	+	-
Mary J. Fitzgerald	R	HD-031	67%	+	-	+	-	+	+
Randy Gross	R	HD-025	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Jon Hansen	R	HD-025	83%	+	-	+	+	+	+
Erin Healy	D	HD-010	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Mellissa Heermann	R	HD-007	33%	+	-	-	-	-	+
Greg Jamison	R	HD-012	50%	+	-	+	-	-	+
Phil Jensen	R	HD-033	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Kevin D. Jensen	R	HD-016	67%	+	-	+	-	+	+
Chris Karr	R	HD-011	83%	+	-	+	+	+	+
Chris Kassin	R	HD-017	33%	+	-	-	-	-	+
Lance R. Koth	R	HD-020	33%	+	-	-	-	-	+
Ben Krohmer	R	HD-020	80%	+	-	+	.	+	+
Dennis Krull	R	HD-030	33%	+	-	-	-	+	-
David Kull	R	HD-002	33%	+	-	-	-	-	+
Trish Ladner	R	HD-030	67%	+	-	+	-	+	+
Karla Lems	R	HD-016	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Oren L. Lesmeister	D	HD-028A	50%	+	-	.	.	+	-
Sue Peterson	R	HD-013	83%	+	-	+	+	+	+
Curt Massie	R	HD-033	33%	+	-	-	-	-	+
Liz May	R	HD-027	83%	+	-	+	+	+	+
John Mills	R	HD-008	67%	+	-	+	-	+	+
Scott Moore	R	HD-023	67%	+	-	+	-	+	+
Will Mortenson	R	HD-024	50%	+	-	-	-	+	+
Tina L. Mulally	R	HD-035	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Brian Mulder	R	HD-011	33%	+	-	-	-	-	+
Kameron Nelson	D	HD-010	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Scott Odenbach	R	HD-031	83%	+	-	+	+	+	+
Jess Olson	R	HD-034	33%	+	-	-	-	+	-
Ernie Otten	R	HD-006	50%	+	-	-	-	+	+
Marty Overweg	R	HD-021	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Carl E. Perry	R	HD-003	50%	+	-	-	-	+	+
Drew Peterson	R	HD-019	33%	+	-	-	-	-	+
Neal Pinnow	R	HD-028B	50%	+	-	-	-	+	+
Peri Pourier	D	HD-027	20%	-	-	-	.	+	-
Tony Randolph	R	HD-035	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Taylor Rehfeldt	R	HD-014	50%	+	-	-	-	+	+
Rebecca Reimer	R	HD-026B	67%	+	-	+	-	+	+
Tim Reisch	R	HD-008	50%	+	-	+	-	-	+
Stephanie Sauder	R	HD-004	33%	+	-	-	-	-	+
Brandei Schaefbauer	R	HD-003	83%	+	-	+	+	+	+
Lynn Schneider	R	HD-022	50%	+	-	+	-	-	+
William Shorma	R	HD-017	50%	+	-	+	-	-	+
John Sjaarda	R	HD-002	83%	+	-	+	+	+	+
Bethany Soye	R	HD-009	83%	+	-	+	+	+	+
Tamara St John	R	HD-001	25%	.	-	-	.	-	+
Mike Stevens	R	HD-018	50%	+	-	-	-	+	+
Kenneth Teunissen	R	HD-009	50%	+	-	-	-	+	+
Tyler Tordsen	R	HD-014	20%	.	-	-	-	-	+
Tony Venhuizen	R	HD-013	50%	+	-	-	-	+	+
James Wangsness	R	HD-023	50%	+	-	-	-	+	+
Mike Weisgram	R	HD-024	33%	+	-	-	-	-	+
Kadyn Wittman	D	HD-015	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party	Score
Republican	56.7%
Democrat	14.7%

Freedom Index

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