This week the American Conservative Union Foundation (ACUF) released its ratings for Georgia state legislators based on the results of the 2018 legislative session. The right-leaning advocacy group grades elected officials based on their voting record over the course of the session in an attempt to see just how conservative they really are. By grading legislators in every state across the country, they seek to inform conservative voters on which elected officials best fit their ideals.
With Republicans heading up every part of the state government, (for now at least) there is no shortage of legislators claiming to be wearing the brightest red bow tie, but how conservative are Georgia’s Republicans really?
The grading system is based on Ronald Reagan’s “three-legged stool” philosophy which points to three key areas where conservatism is needed and judged; fiscal and economic, social and cultural, and government integrity. In Georgia the key issues (and accompanying legislation) the group looked at included support for school vouchers and charter schools, protecting free speech on college campuses, requiring local cooperation with federal immigration authorities, and pushing for tax relief and the easing of certain regulations.
The average score for Republican Georgia House Representatives was 71 percent, while just 13 percent of all representatives earned awards for scoring 80 percent or better. Just 12 Georgia State Senators earned awards, with that chamber’s average rating coming in lower at 56.26 percent. Over all the General Assembly’s ‘conservative score’ ticked up slightly over 2017, from 55.72 percent to 56.26 percent.
State Sen. Brian Strickland (R-McDonough) and State Rep. Dale Rutledge (R-McDonough) rated highest among all Republicans, voting along ‘conservative’ lines more than 90 percent of the time. Republican State Sens. including Bill Cowsert, Steve Gooch, and William Ligon, were between 80 and 90%, while State Reps. above that threshold included Earl Ehrhart, Buzz Brockway and Matt Dollar (amongst others).
Democrats naturally didn’t score highly on the ACUF’s scale, though they may view it as a badge of honor to be named among the group’s “Coalition of the Radical Left.” Names on that list include Senate Minority Leader Steven Henson (D-Stone Mountain) and House Minority Leader Bob Trammel (D-Luthersville).
