Scoring Methodology

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3 Broad Categories Are Considered When Choosing to Score a Bill

1

Fiscal Impact

Spending, Taxation, Budgets

2

Agenda Politics

Cronyism, Transparency, Agendas

3

Property and Civil Rights

Personal and Economic Freedom

Scoring Methodology: 2-Score System

Each chosen bill is tracked through the legislative process from sponsorship to floor vote
Score 1

Voting Score

Considers bills voted upon by both the whole legislature on the floor and committee votes

Multiple votes by any member for a single bill are tallied and averaged in order to maintain equality between members who have varied opportunities to vote. If every vote you cast is a pro-freedom vote, you cannot be hurt by fewer opportunities.

High voting scores show an individual legislator’s commitment to freedom friendly public policy

Score 2

Leadership Grade

  • TLRC-chosen pro-freedom bills filed, are credited to sponsors and co-sponsors whether or not they were taken up in committee.
  • Sponsorships of bills 
  • Co-sponsorships of bills
  • Committee members acting to derail a TLRC-chosen bill are penalized
  • Amendments, if consequential, are considered
  • Deeds and behavior are evaluated
  • Vote scores improve the overall grade

High leadership grades show the legislator's ability to do the right thing, regardless of circumstances.

Scoring Values

Voting Score:

Floor Votes: +3 for pro-freedom, -3 for anti-freedom, 0 for no vote

Committee Votes: +1 for pro-freedom, -1 for anti-freedom, 0 for no vote

Leadership Grade:

  • Bill Sponsorship: +3 pro-freedom, -3 anti-freedom
  • Bill Co-Sponsorship: +1 pro-freedom, -1 anti-freedom
  • Amendments to bills, +3 pro-freedom, -3 anti-freedom
  • Meritorious deeds are rewarded 1-5 points
  • Deleterious deeds are penalized 1-5 points
  • Vote scores over 95% + 3
  • Vote scores over 90% + 2
  • Vote scores over 85% + 1

Report card summary: Just like a student’s report card, the summary tells the part of the story quantitative scoring and letter grades can’t. This information is gathered through first-hand accounts of the bill making process including legislator meetings and committee hearing attendance.