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

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

1. Airport Grants

Good Vote: No

SB144 Airport Grants (Passed 55 to 15 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. Reject Eminent Domain

Good Vote: Yes

HB1219 Reject Eminent Domain (Rejected 32 to 36 on 2/20/2024). Prohibits companies from using eminent domain to construct pipelines primarily for transporting carbon oxide for geological storage or sequestration.

3. Prohibit Drag Shows on Campus

Good Vote: Yes

HB1178 Prohibit Drag Shows on Campus (Passed 62 to 7 on 2/29/2024). Prohibits the Board of Regents or any institution under its control from using state resources for drag shows or other "obscene live conduct" on college campuses.

4. Prohibit Guaranteed Income Programs

Good Vote: Yes

SB115 Prohibit Guaranteed Income Programs (Passed 64 to 5 on 2/26/2024). Prohibits counties, townships, and municipalities in South Dakota from establishing ordinances, orders, or rules that implement a guaranteed income program.

5. Pipeline Easements

Good Vote: No

HB1186 Pipeline Easements (Passed 41 to 29 on 3/6/2024). Forces landowners to grant a right-of-way for carbon dioxide pipelines, putting their property at risk, disguising it as "property rights."

6. Carbon-Capture Pipeline

Good Vote: No

SB201 Carbon-Capture Pipeline (Passed 39 to 31 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	1	2	3	4	5	6
Amber Arlint	R	HD-012	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Julie Auch	R	HD-018	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Aaron Aylward	R	HD-006	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Jessica Bahmuller	R	HD-019	83%	-	+	+	+	+	+
Hugh M. Bartels	R	HD-005	50%	-	+	+	+	-	-
Rocky Blare	R	HD-021	50%	-	+	+	+	-	-
Byron Callies	R	HD-005	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Gary L. Cammack	R	HD-029	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Kirk Chaffee	R	HD-029	67%	-	-	+	+	+	+
Roger Chase	R	HD-022	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Kristin Conzet	R	HD-032	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Roger Degroot	R	HD-007	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Mike Derby	R	HD-034	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Fred Deutsch	R	HD-004	50%	-	-	+	+	-	+
Joe Donnell	R	HD-001	83%	-	+	+	+	+	+
Becky J. Drury	R	HD-032	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
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	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Randy Gross	R	HD-025	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Jon Hansen	R	HD-025	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Erin Healy	D	HD-010	17%	-	+	-	-	-	-
Mellissa Heermann	R	HD-007	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Greg Jamison	R	HD-012	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Phil Jensen	R	HD-033	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Kevin D. Jensen	R	HD-016	83%	-	+	+	+	+	+
Chris Karr	R	HD-011	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Chris Kassin	R	HD-017	40%	-	.	+	+	-	-
Lance R. Koth	R	HD-020	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Ben Krohmer	R	HD-020	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Dennis Krull	R	HD-030	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
David Kull	R	HD-002	50%	-	+	+	+	-	-
Trish Ladner	R	HD-030	83%	-	+	+	+	+	+
Karla Lems	R	HD-016	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Oren L. Lesmeister	D	HD-028A	33%	-	+	-	+	-	-
Sue Peterson	R	HD-013	80%	-	+	.	+	+	+
Curt Massie	R	HD-033	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Liz May	R	HD-027	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
John Mills	R	HD-008	83%	-	+	+	+	+	+
Scott Moore	R	HD-023	83%	-	+	+	+	+	+
Will Mortenson	R	HD-024	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Tina L. Mulally	R	HD-035	100%	+	.	+	+	+	+
Brian Mulder	R	HD-011	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Kameron Nelson	D	HD-010	20%	-	+	-	.	-	-
Scott Odenbach	R	HD-031	83%	-	+	+	+	+	+
Ernie Otten	R	HD-006	83%	-	+	+	+	+	+
Marty Overweg	R	HD-021	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Carl E. Perry	R	HD-003	83%	-	+	+	+	+	+
Drew Peterson	R	HD-019	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Neal Pinnow	R	HD-028B	67%	-	-	+	+	+	+
Peri Pourier	D	HD-027	50%	-	+	-	-	+	+
Tony Randolph	R	HD-035	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Taylor Rehfeldt	R	HD-014	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Rebecca Reimer	R	HD-026B	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Tim Reisch	R	HD-008	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Stephanie Sauder	R	HD-004	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Brandei Schaefbauer	R	HD-003	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Lynn Schneider	R	HD-022	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
William Shorma	R	HD-017	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
John Sjaarda	R	HD-002	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Bethany Soye	R	HD-009	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Tamara St John	R	HD-001	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Mike Stevens	R	HD-018	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Kenneth Teunissen	R	HD-009	67%	-	-	+	+	+	+
Tyler Tordsen	R	HD-014	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Tony Venhuizen	R	HD-013	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
James Wangsness	R	HD-023	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Mike Weisgram	R	HD-024	33%	-	-	+	+	-	-
Kadyn Wittman	D	HD-015	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party	Score
Republican	59.7%
Democrat	21.9%

Freedom Index

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