Freedom Index

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

Utah Legislative Scorecard  »  Freedom Index  »  UT Scorecard 2023

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

UT Scorecard 2023

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 Utah State 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

House of Representatives

1. Closing Abortion Clinics

Good Vote: Yes

HB467 Closing Abortion Clinics (passed 56 to 14 on 3/3/2023). Prevents an abortion clinic from being licensed after May 2, 2023, and from operating on or after January 1, 2024, or when their license expires.

2. CHIP "Benefits" for Illegal Aliens

Good Vote: No
SB217 CHIP "Benefits" for Illegal Aliens (passed 64 to 7 on 3/1/2023). Creates new Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) “benefits” for non-citizen children aged 18 or younger who are not lawfully present in United States.

3. Rightful Return of Firearms Seized at Airports

Good Vote: Yes
Rightful Return of Firearms Seized at Airports (passed 58 to 14 on 2/24/2023). Provides that a firearm seized from an individual at an airport shall be returned to that individual if they are the rightful owner of and may lawfully possess the firearm.

4. Contingency Voting in Primary Elections

Good Vote: No
HB205 Contingency Voting in Primary Elections (passed 38 to 36 on 2/17/2023). Would establish a majority-based runoff process in regular primary elections through contingency voting.

5. State Funding of Low-Income Family 529 Plans

Good Vote: No
HB116 State Funding of Low-Income Family 529 Plans (passed 66 to 0 on 2/13/2023). Allows an individual experiencing “intergenerational poverty” to receive a state match of deposits into certain 529 savings accounts.  

6. Ban on Sex Mutilation Against Minors

Good Vote: Yes

SB16 Ban on Sex Mutilation Against Minors (passed 58 to 14 on 1/26/2023). Bans “transgender medical treatments and procedures” against minor children.

Legislator Scores
[ + ] Pro-liberty Vote[ - ] Anti-liberty Vote[ . ] Did not Vote
Name Party District Score 123456
Nelson T. Abbott R HD-057 67% +-++-+
Cheryl K. Acton R HD-038 50% +-+--+
Carl R. Albrecht R HD-070 50% +-+--+
Stewart E. Barlow R HD-017 83% ++++-+
Gay Lynn Bennion D HD-041 0% ------
Kera Birkeland R HD-004 67% +.+-..
Bridger Bolinder R HD-029 67% +++--+
Brady Brammer R HD-054 67% +-++-+
Joel K. Briscoe D HD-024 0% ----.-
Walt Brooks R HD-075 67% +-++-+
Jefferson S. Burton R HD-064 60% +-+-.+
Scott H. Chew R HD-068 40% .-+--+
Kay J. Christofferson R HD-053 50% +-+--+
Tyler Clancy R HD-060 67% +-++-+
James Cobb R HD-048 67% +-++-+
Paul Cutler R HD-018 67% +-++-+
Jennifer Dailey-Provost D HD-022 0% -.----
James A. Dunnigan R HD-036 60% +-+.-+
Steve Eliason R HD-043 50% +-+--+
Joseph Elison R HD-072 67% +-++-+
Melissa G. Ballard R HD-020 67% +-++-+
Brett Garner D HD-031 0% -----.
Stephanie Gricius R HD-050 67% +++--+
Matthew H. Gwynn R HD-006 80% +-++.+
Katy Hall R HD-011 67% +-++-+
Jon Hawkins R HD-055 60% +-.+-+
Sahara Hayes D HD-032 0% -.--.-
Sandra Hollins D HD-021 0% ------
Ken Ivory R HD-039 67% +-++-+
Colin Jack R HD-073 67% +-++-+
Tim Jimenez R HD-028 67% +-++-+
Dan N. Johnson R HD-003 50% +-+--+
Marsha Judkins R HD-061 50% +-+--+
Brian S. King D HD-023 0% ------
Mike Kohler R HD-059 80% ++++-.
Quinn Kotter R HD-026 50% +-++--
Jason Kyle R HD-008 50% +-+--+
Trevor Lee R HD-016 50% +-+--+
Rosemary T. Lesser D HD-010 17% ---+--
Karianne Lisonbee R HD-014 67% +-++-+
Anthony Loubet R HD-027 50% +-+--+
Steven J. Lund R HD-066 80% +++-.+
Phil Lyman R HD-069 67% +-++-+
A. Cory Maloy R HD-052 83% ++++-+
Ashlee Matthews D HD-037 17% ---+--
Carol Spackman Moss D HD-034 0% ------
Jefferson Moss R HD-051 50% +-+--+
Calvin R. Musselman R HD-009 60% +.+--+
Doug Owens D HD-033 0% ------
Michael J. Petersen R HD-002 67% +-++-+
Val L. Peterson R HD-056 80% +-++.+
Karen M. Peterson R HD-013 67% +-++-+
Thomas Peterson R HD-001 50% +-+--+
Candice B. Pierucci R HD-049 40% .-+--+
Susan Pulsipher R HD-045 50% +-+--+
Angela Romero D HD-025 0% ------
Mike Schultz R HD-012 40% .-+--+
Rex P. Shipp R HD-071 67% +-++-+
Casey Snider R HD-005 50% +-+--+
Robert M. Spendlove R HD-042 80% +-++.+
Jeffrey D. Stenquist R HD-046 50% +-+--+
Andrew Stoddard D HD-040 17% --+---
Keven J. Stratton R HD-058 67% +-++-+
Mark A. Strong R HD-047 67% +-++-+
Jordan D. Teuscher R HD-044 67% +++--+
Norman K. Thurston R HD-062 60% +-.+-+
Neil Walter R HD-074 50% +--+-+
Raymond P. Ward R HD-019 67% +-++-+
Christine F. Watkins R HD-067 60% .-++-+
Judy Weeks Rohner R HD-030 60% .-++-+
Douglas R. Welton R HD-065 50% +-+--+
Mark A. Wheatley D HD-035 17% ---+--
Stephen L. Whyte R HD-063 67% +-++-+
Ryan D. Wilcox R HD-007 40% +-.--+
Brad R. Wilson R 60% +-+-.+

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party Score
Republican 61.2%
Democrat 4.9%