2015 RATINGS of SOUTH DAKOTA

Transcription

1 2015 RATINGS of SOUTH DAKOTA Conservative.org TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter from the Chairman 2 SD Senate Vote Descriptions 5 ACU & ACUF Board Members 3 SD Senate Scores 6 Selecting the 3 SD House Vote Descriptions Winners & Losers 4 SD House Scores 9

2 LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN Dear Fellow Conservatives, I am pleased to present the American Conservative Union Foundation s ratings for the 2015 meeting of the South Dakota Legislature. Like our Congressional Ratings, our State Ratings reflect how elected officials view the role of government in an individual's life. The South Dakota legislators with the strongest scores voted most consistently with the ideals articulated in the US Constitution: limited and transparent government, individual rights, personal responsibility, and a healthy culture. The 2014 election completed a political transformation that began in 2010 and resulted in voters of almost half the states, 23 in all, entrusting Republicans with the governorships as well as control of both chambers in the respective state, the biggest sweep since the first half of the 20th Century. By examining all our State Ratings (which cover a wide variety of issues) we can see which states have best used their Republican majorities to apply conservative principles, how others have struggled, and in yet other states, how conservatives have stood up against liberal majorities. I know that this guide will provide you with the most comprehensive evaluative tool to learn how your legislators measure up. Sincerely, Matt Schlapp Chairman American Conservative Union 2

3 ACU BOARD MEMBERS Matt Schlapp Chairman Thomas Winter First Vice Chairman Carolyn Meadows Second Vice Chairman Jameson Campaigne, Jr. Secretary Larry Beasley Bob Beauprez Kimberly Bellissimo Morton Blackwell Ambassador John Bolton Al Cardenas Jose Cardenas Ron Christie Muriel Coleman ACU FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBERS Matt Schlapp Chairman Millie Hallow Vice Chairman Van Hipp, Jr. Treasurer Tim Goeglein Secretary Kimberly Bellissimo Jose Cardenas Amy Frederick Jonathan Garthwaite Charlie Gerow Colin Hanna Willes Lee Kellyanne Conway Tom DeLay John Eddy Luis Fortuno Amy Frederick Charlie Gerow Alan Gottlieb Van Hipp, Jr. James Lacy Carolyn Meadows Thomas Winter Michael Long Grover Norquist Becky Norton Dunlop Ron Robinson Ned Ryun Fred Smith, Jr. Matt Smith Lewis Uhler Ed Yevoli SELECTING THE VOTES ACU researched and selected a range of bills before the South Dakota Legislature that determine a member s adherence to conservative principles. We selected bills that focus on Ronald Reagan s philosophy of the three-legged stool : 1) fiscal and economic: taxes, budgets, regulation, spending, healthcare, and property; 2) social and cultural: 2nd amendment, religion, life, welfare, and education; and 3) government integrity: voting, individual liberty, privacy, and transparency. This wide range of issues are designed to give citizens an accurate assessment that conveys which of South Dakota s elected leaders best defend the principles of a free society: Life, Liberty and Property. To contact ACU, please call H Street NW, Suite 500 South Dakota, DC (202)

4 2015 WINNERS & LOSERS AWARD FOR CONSERVATIVE EXCELLENCE < 10 COALITION OF THE RADICAL LEFT SENATE HOUSE SENATE HOUSE CAMMACK DEUTSCH n/a Gibson MONROE OTTEN OMDAHL SOLANO AWARD FOR CONSERVATIVE ACHIEVEMENT SENATE SENATE HOUSE HOUSE BROWN LEDERMAN CRAIG SCHAEFER CURD OLSON HAGGAR SCHOENFISH EWING OTTEN HEINEMANN TULSON HAVERLY RAMPELBERG HUNT WERNER HEINEMAN RUSCH JOHNS WILLADSEN HOLIEN TIESZEN MUNSTERMAN WINK JENSEN NOVSTRUP ZIKMUND QUALM 4

5 SOUTH DAKOTA SENATE VOTE DESCRIPTIONS Department of Education. This resolution urges Congress and the President to abolish the federal Department of Education. ACU supports the elimination of a bureaucracy that wastes billions of dollars that could be used for deficit reduction and improving education at the local level and thus supported this resolution. The Senate passed the resolution on January 29, 2015 by a vote of Regulation Freedom Amendment. This resolution urges Congress to propose a regulation freedom amendment to the Constitution that would require the President to submit a regulation to the Congress for approval when one quarter of the House or Senate requests it. ACU supports efforts to rein in the runaway federal bureaucracy and supported this resolution. The Senate passed the resolution on February 3, 2015 by a vote of SB 132 Teacher Pay. This bill allows school districts to recruit teachers by providing financial incentives through individual negotiations. ACU supports these free market reforms and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on February 11, 2015 by a vote of SB 177 Minimum Wage. This bill establishes a separate minimum wage for workers under the age of 18 at one dollar an hour below the state level of $8.50. ACU opposes setting an artificial wage level but once they are established, supports a separate wage for young workers who are hurt the most by minimum wage increases and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on February 18, 2015 by a vote of EPA Mandates. This resolution expresses the state of South Dakota s opposition to the mandates on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants in the state, stressing the economic harm they will cause. ACU opposes President Obama s EPA mandates because they are based on the fantasy of catastrophic climate change and will burden American companies and communities and supported this resolution. The Senate passed the resolution on February 27, 2015 by a vote of Payments for Abortions. This bill prohibits prepayment of abortions before the day the abortion is performed. ACU views abortion as a human tragedy and supports efforts to restrict the practice and educate patients, and supported this bill. The Senate passed this bill on March 3, 2015 by a vote of Zoning Reform. This bill allows county zoning boards to issue conditional use permits by a simple majority vote instead of the two-thirds vote now required. The bill is designed to permit large-scale feedlots. ACU supports local control of land use whenever possible and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 4, 2015 by a vote of SB 159 Special Interest Tax Provisions. This bill exempts amateur baseball coaches on teams sponsored by the American Legion and VFW organizations from sales and use taxes. ACU opposes these special interest tax breaks that lead to increased taxes for those not favored by the government and opposed this bill. The Senate failed to override the Governor s veto on March 30, 2015 by a vote of (a two-thirds vote was required). 5. SB 189 School Choice. This bill creates a needs-based tax credit scholarship program that allows students to attend the private school of their parents choice. ACU supports school choice and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on February 24, 2015 by a vote of SB 180 Wind Energy Subsidies. This bill reduces taxes on wind energy production but not on any other type of energy production. ACU believes that all forms of energy should compete within the free market and government should refrain from helping favored energy sources and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on February 25, 2015 by a vote of

6 SOUTH DAKOTA SENATE SCORES SOUTH DAKOTA SENATE STATISTICS OVERALL AVERAGE 65 REPUBLICAN AVERAGE 77 LOWEST REPUBLICANS PETERS, SOHOLT 50 DEMOCRAT AVERAGE 24 HIGHEST DEMOCRAT BRADFORD 33 SOUTH DAKOTA SENATE VOTE DETAIL Party District SB 132 SB 177 SB 189 SB SB 159 Bradford D E BROWN R Buhl O'Donnell D 15 - E E CAMMACK R CURD R E + + E + E EWING R Frerichs D E GREENFIELD R E HAGGAR R HAVERLY R n/a 80 HEINEMAN R E + + E Heinert D HOLIEN R Hunhoff D JENSEN R E LEDERMAN R MONROE R ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG 6

7 SOUTH DAKOTA SENATE VOTE DETAIL Party District SB 132 SB 177 SB 189 SB SB 159 NOVSTRUP R E OLSON R OMDAHL R 11 E E OTTEN R E Parsley D PETERS R Peterson D E RAMPELBERG R E RAVE R RUSCH R n/a 80 SOHOLT R SOLANO R Sutton D TIDEMANN R TIESZEN R VAN GERPEN R VEHLE R WHITE R ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG 7

8 SOUTH DAKOTA HOUSE VOTE DESCRIPTIONS Department of Education. This resolution urges Congress and the President to abolish the federal Department of Education. ACU supports the elimination of a bureaucracy that wastes billions of dollars that could be used for deficit reduction and improving education at the local level and thus supported this resolution. The House passed the resolution on January 27, 2015 by a vote of Regulation Freedom Amendment. This resolution urges Congress to propose a regulation freedom amendment to the Constitution that would require the President to submit a regulation to the Congress for approval when one quarter of the House or Senate requests it. ACU supports efforts to rein in the runaway federal bureaucracy and supported this resolution. The House passed the resolution on January 29, 2015 by a vote of Firearm Regulations. This bill streamlines firearm regulations by allowing initial background checks for pistol permits to serve for future firearm purchases and eliminates the requirement for a separate check for each firearm purchase. ACU supports protecting our founder s belief in the Second Amendment and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on February 5, 2015 by a vote of Concealed Carry. This bill eliminates the need for concealed carry firearm permits. ACU supports protecting our founder s belief in the Second Amendment and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on February 10, 2015 by a vote of Government Transparency. This bill expands the open meetings law so that more records (electronic text colloquy) will be available for review by the public. ACU supports government transparency and supported this bill that updates the law to reflect new technology. The House passed the bill on February 25, 2015 by a vote of Zoning Reform. This bill allows county zoning boards to issue conditional use permits by a simple majority vote instead of the two-thirds vote now required. The bill is designed to permit large-scale feedlots. ACU supports local control of land use whenever possible and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on February 25, 2015 by a vote of Payments for Abortions. This bill prohibits prepayment of abortions before the day the abortion is performed. ACU views abortion as a human tragedy and supports efforts to restrict the practice and educate patients, and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on March 3, 2015 by a vote of SB 159 Special Interest Tax Provisions. This bill exempts amateur baseball coaches on teams sponsored by the American Legion and VFW organizations from sales and use taxes. ACU opposes these special interest tax breaks that lead to increased taxes for those not favored by the government and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 5, 2015 by a vote of SB 180 Wind Energy Subsidies. This bill reduces taxes on wind energy production but not on any other type of energy production. ACU believes that all forms of energy should compete within the free market and government should refrain from helping favored energy sources and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 10, 2015 by a vote of SB 132 Teacher Pay. This bill allows school districts to recruit teachers by providing financial incentives through individual negotiations. ACU supports these free market reforms and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on March 10, 2015 by a vote of EPA Mandates. This resolution expresses the state of South Dakota s opposition to the mandates on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants in the state, stressing the economic harm they will cause. ACU opposes President Obama s EPA mandates because they are based on the fantasy of catastrophic climate change and will burden American companies and communities and supported this resolution. The House passed the resolution on February 25, 2015 by a vote of

9 SOUTH DAKOTA HOUSE SCORES SOUTH DAKOTA HOUSE STATISTICS OVERALL AVERAGE 64 REPUBLICAN AVERAGE 72 LOWEST REPUBLICAN JENSEN 36 DEMOCRAT AVERAGE 21 HIGHEST DEMOCRAT FEICKERT 45 SOUTH DAKOTA HOUSE VOTE DETAIL Party District SB 159 SB 180 SB 132 ANDERSON R Bartling D BEAL R n/a 73 BOLIN R Bordeaux D 26A E - E E n/a 13 BRUNNER R n/a 73 CAMPBELL R CONZET R E E CRAIG R E E CRONIN R E DEUTSCH R n/a 91 DiSANTO R n/a 64 DRYDEN R DUVALL R Feickert D Gibson D GOSCH R ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG 9

10 SOUTH DAKOTA HOUSE VOTE DETAIL Party District SB 159 SB 180 SB 132 GREENFIELD R HAGGAR R HARRISON R n/a 73 HAUGAARD R n/a 73 Hawks D E E E Hawley D HEINEMANN R E HICKEY R HOLMES R HUNHOFF R E HUNT R n/a 82 JENSEN R n/a 36 JOHNS R KAISER R Killer D E Kirschman D KLUMB R n/a 64 LANGER R LATTERELL R MARTY R 28B n/a 73 MAY R McCleerey D n/a 27 MICKELSON R MUNSTERMAN R 7 E NOVSTRUP R E OTTEN R PATRIDGE R n/a 64 PETERSON R QUALM R RASMUSSEN R Ring D ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG 10

11 SOUTH DAKOTA HOUSE VOTE DETAIL Party District SB 159 SB 180 SB 132 ROMKEMA R ROUNDS R ROZUM R RUSSELL R SCHAEFER R 26B E SCHOENBECK R E n/a 70 SCHOENFISH R Schrempp D 28A E E SLY R Soli D SOLUM R STALZER R STEVENS R TULSON R VERCHIO R E E WERNER R WESTRA R WIIK R n/a 64 WILLADSEN R n/a 82 WINK R WOLLMANN R n/a 73 ZIKMUND R n/a 82 ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG 11