Freedom Index

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

South Dakota Legislative Scorecard  »  Freedom Index  »  SD 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

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

Senate
House of Representatives

Senate

1. Airport Grants

Good Vote: No

SB144 Airport Grants (Passed 27 to 6 on March 6, 2024). Appropriates $10,000,000 from the general fund to the Aeronautics Commission for grants aimed at enhancing airport terminal infrastructure projects, including airport expansion.

2. Pipeline Easements

Good Vote: No

HB1186 Pipeline Easements (Passed 24 to 10 on 3/6/2024). Forces landowners to grant a right-of-way for carbon dioxide pipelines, putting their property at risk, disguising it at "property rights."

3. Homeless IDs

Good Vote: No

HB1131 Homeless IDs (Passed 27 to 6 on 2/27/2024). Mandates the South Dakota Department of Public Safety to waive the fee for an original or duplicate nondriver identification card one time for applicants who are homeless.

4. Central Bank Digital Currency

Good Vote: Yes

HB1161 Central Bank Digital Currency (Passed 32 to 1 on 2/15/2024). Prohibits the state of South Dakota and its agencies from accepting central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) for any payments, including taxes, fees, and debts.

5. Prohibit Guaranteed Income Programs

Good Vote: Yes
SB115 Prohibit Guaranteed Income Programs (Passed 29 to 4 on 2/7/2024). Prohibits counties, townships, and municipalities in South Dakota from establishing ordinances, orders, or rules that implement a guaranteed income program.

6. Carbon-Capture Pipeline

Good Vote: No

SB201 Carbon-Capture Pipeline (Passed 24 to 10 on 3/6/2024). Facilitates the construction of carbon-capture pipelines that threaten property rights, permits state authorities to override local ordinances regulating the pipelines for safety or economic reasons, and fails to impose restrictions on eminent domain.

Legislator Scores
[ + ] Pro-liberty Vote[ - ] Anti-liberty Vote[ . ] Did not Vote
Name Party District Score 123456
Arch Beal R SD-012 33% ---++-
Jim Bolin R SD-016 67% -+-+++
Shawn Bordeaux D SD-026 50% -+-+-+
Bryan J. Breitling R SD-023 33% ---++-
Casey Crabtree R SD-008 50% --+++-
Sydney Davis R SD-017 33% ---++-
Randy Deibert R SD-031 33% ---++-
Michael Diedrich R HD-034 NA ......
Helene Duhamel R SD-032 33% ---++-
Red Dawn Foster D SD-027 50% -+-+-+
Julie Frye-Mueller R SD-030 100% ++++++
Brent Hoffman R SD-009 83% -+++++
Jean Hunhoff R SD-018 33% ---++-
David Johnson R SD-033 33% ---++-
Joshua Klumb R SD-020 33% ---++-
Jack Kolbeck R SD-013 33% ---++-
Steve Kolbeck R SD-002 33% ---++-
Liz Larson D SD-010 17% ---+--
Ryan Maher R SD-028 50% --+++-
Jim Mehlhaff R SD-024 33% ---++-
Reynold F. Nesiba D SD-015 0% ------
Al Novstrup R SD-003 67% -+-+++
Herman Otten R SD-006 75% -+..++
Tom Pischke R HD-025 100% ++++++
Tim Reed R SD-007 33% ---++-
Michael Rohl R SD-001 67% -+-+++
Lee Schoenbeck R SD-005 33% ---++-
Kyle Schoenfish R SD-019 33% ---++-
Jim Stalzer R SD-011 33% ---++-
Erin Tobin R SD-021 33% ---++-
Michael Walsh R SD-035 20% ---+.-
David Wheeler R SD-022 33% ---++-
John Wiik R SD-004 50% --+++-
Dean Wink R SD-029 67% -+-+++
Larry P. Zikmund R SD-014 33% ---++-

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party Score
Republican 46.3%
Democrat 29.3%