Freedom Index

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

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

WV 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 West Virginia Legislature in 2023 and ranks state delegates 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.

House of Delegates

1. Ban on Sex Mutilation of Children

Good Vote: Yes

HB2007 Ban on Sex Mutilation of Children (passed 88 to 10 on 3/11/2023). Bans a physician from providing “irreversible gender reassignment surgery” or “gender altering medication” to a person who is under 18 years of age.

2. Prohibiting State Funds for ESG Initiatives

Good Vote: Yes

HB2862 Prohibiting State Funds for ESG Initiatives (passed 73 to 23 on 3/11/2023). Prohibits the West Virginia Investment Management Board and the Board of Treasury Investments, as well as their fiduciaries, from casting shareholder votes for the purpose of furthering “Environmental, social, corporate governance, or other similarly oriented considerations.”

3. Enforcement of Canadian Protective Orders

Good Vote: No
HB3566 Enforcement of Canadian Protective Orders (passed 84 to 8 on 2/25/2023). Allows law enforcement in West Virginia to enforce domestic violence protective orders issued in Canada without requiring that such orders be registered with a court in the United States.

4. Conscience Exemption from Vaccine Mandates

Good Vote: Yes
HB2036 Conscience Exemption from Vaccine Mandates (failed to advance 14 to 84 on 2/22/2023). Would exempt state employees, K-12 school children, and students in public institutions of higher education from mandatory immunizations based on a “conscientious or personal objection.”

5. Concealed Carry on College Campuses

Good Vote: Yes
SB10 Concealed Carry on College Campuses (passed 84 to 13 on 2/21/2023). Authorizes concealed handgun license holders to carry firearms on public college and university campuses.

6. Aiding and Abetting Ectopic Abortions

Good Vote: No

HB3199 Aiding and Abetting Ectopic Abortions (passed 65 to 31 on 2/14/2023). Removes the requirement that a “termination of an ectopic pregnancy” be reported in West Virginia.

Legislator Scores
[ + ] Pro-liberty Vote[ - ] Anti-liberty Vote[ . ] Did not Vote
Name Party District Score 123456
David Adkins R HD-030 67% ++--++
William Anderson R HD-010 33% +---+-
Trenton Barnhart R HD-009 67% ++--++
Jordan Bridges R HD-033 NA +.....
Eric Brooks R HD-045 83% ++-+++
Adam Burkhammer R HD-064 67% ++--++
Jim Butler R HD-018 83% ++-+++
Jarred Cannon R HD-021 50% ++--+-
Moore Capito R HD-035 50% ++--+-
Geno Chiarelli R HD-078 67% ++--++
Wayne Clark R HD-099 50% ++--+-
Elias Coop-Gonzalez R HD-067 83% ++-+++
Roy Cooper R HD-040 50% ++--+-
Adrian Criss R HD-012 33% +---+-
Kathie Crouse R HD-019 50% ++--+-
Mark Dean R HD-034 83% ++-+++
Mike DeVault R HD-074 60% ++--+.
Henry Dillon R HD-029 100% ++++++
Lori Dittman R HD-063 33% +---+-
Joe Ellington R HD-038 50% ++--+-
Paul Espinosa R HD-098 33% +---+-
Tom Fast R HD-051 67% ++--++
Bob Fehrenbacher R HD-011 33% +---+-
Dana Ferrell R HD-060 50% ++--+-
Shawn Fluharty D HD-005 0% ------
Dave Foggin R HD-014 67% +++-+-
Don Forsht R HD-091 50% ++--+-
Geoff Foster R HD-020 80% ++-++.
Joey Garcia D HD-076 0% ------
Marty Gearheart R HD-037 50% ++--+-
Heather Tully R HD-049 50% ++--+-
Rickey Griffith D HD-027 33% ++----
Walter Hall R HD-058 50% ++--+-
Anita Hall R HD-036 100% ++++++
Caleb Hanna R HD-044 67% ++--++
Evan Hansen D HD-079 0% ------
Roger Hanshaw R HD-062 20% +-.---
John Hardy R HD-097 40% +.--+-
Scot Heckert R HD-013 33% +---+-
Rick Hillenbrand R HD-088 50% ++--+-
Michael Hite R HD-092 50% ++--+-
Josh Holstein R HD-032 50% ++--+-
Mike Honaker R HD-042 67% ++--++
Sean Hornbuckle D HD-025 0% ------
Michael Hornby R HD-093 50% ++--+-
Charles Horst R HD-095 80% ++.-++
John Hott R HD-085 75% ++..+-
Eric Householder R HD-096 50% ++--+-
Gary Howell R HD-087 50% ++--+-
Dean Jeffries R HD-061 60% ++--.+
Buck Jennings R HD-084 50% ++--+-
Riley Keaton R HD-011 67% ++--++
David Kelly R HD-008 50% ++--+-
Laura Kimble R HD-071 67% ++--++
Todd Kirby R HD-044 100% ++++++
Larry Kump R HD-094 67% ++-++-
Daniel Linville R HD-022 50% ++--+-
Todd Longanacre R HD-047 67% ++--++
Patrick Lucas R HD-024 50% ++--+-
Phil Mallow R HD-075 40% .+--+-
Keith Marple R HD-069 33% +---+-
Carl Martin R HD-065 67% ++--++
Jordan Maynor R HD-041 50% ++--+-
Pat McGeehan R HD-001 83% +++-++
George Miller R HD-090 33% +---+-
Ty Nestor R HD-066 67% ++--++
Mickey Petitto R HD-070 60% +.-++-
Chris Phillips R HD-068 67% +++-+-
Jonathan Pinson R HD-017 67% ++--++
Chris Pritt R HD-053 83% +++-++
Elliott Pritt D HD-050 75% ++.-+.
Mike Pushkin D HD-054 0% ------
Charlie Reynolds R HD-004 50% ++--+-
Bill Ridenour R HD-100 83% ++-+++
Clay Riley R HD-072 33% +---+-
Matthew Rohrbach R HD-026 50% ++--+-
Mark Ross R HD-028 80% +.-+++
Larry Rowe D HD-052 0% ------
Margitta Mazzocchi R HD-031 50% ++--+-
Andy Shamblin R HD-059 50% ++--+-
Charles Sheedy R HD-007 50% ++--+-
Doug Skaff D HD-035 0% ------
Doug Smith R HD-039 60% ++.-+-
Joseph Statler R HD-077 33% +---+-
Brandon Steele R HD-042 83% ++-+++
Erikka Storch R HD-003 17% +-----
George Street R HD-083 50% ++--+-
Amy Summers R HD-073 50% ++--+-
Darren Thorne R HD-089 67% ++--++
Christopher Toney R HD-043 50% ++--+-
Adam Vance R HD-035 100% ++++++
Danielle Walker D HD-081 0% ------
Bryan Ward R HD-086 67% ++--++
Debbie Warner R HD-082 50% ++--+-
Steve Westfall R HD-016 0% .-.-.-
John Williams D HD-080 0% --.---
Jimmy Willis R HD-003 50% ++--+-
Evan Worrell R HD-023 67% ++--++
Kayla Young D HD-035 0% ------
Mark Zatezalo R HD-002 50% ++--+-

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party Score
Republican 57.3%
Democrat 9%