For Immediate Release: June 20, 2017

GASPEE PROJECT LAUNCHES 2017 LEGISLATOR SCORECARD

Displays Progressive vs Conservative Voting Record  

Providence, RI-- As the voice of Rhode Island taxpayers and small business community, and with a mission to hold lawmakers accountable for their votes, The Gaspee Project (Gaspee) announced today that the 2017 Legislator Scorecard and Freedom Index (scorecard) has been launched on its website, GaspeeProject.com.

The scorecard ranks lawmakers according to whether or not they support freedom for small business owners and taxpayers ... or whether they tend to advance a progressive, special-interest agenda that has dominated Rhode Island politics for recent decades. The progressive agenda has caused the Ocean State to suffer the 50th rank in overall business climate, 48th rank in Jobs & Opportunity Index (JOI), and 45th rank in Family Prosperity (FPI).

While the vast majority of the 2017 legislative votes will be taken in the closing days of the session later this month, early scores are consistent with past results. The top-13 rated House and Senate lawmakers are all Republican, while only 16 of 112 lawmakers currently have total scores above zero.

As of today, Senator Elaine Morgan (R, Hopkinton, D34) can boasts the highest score, while Representative Carol McEntee (D, Wakefield, District 33) earned the lowest score.

Gaspee takes over publication of the scorecard from the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity, which published the Index for the past 5 years and which still ranks bills that it determines have notable impact on Rhode Island families and businesses.

Each tracked-bill receives a factor rating from +3 to (-3). Legislators obtain a +1 or (-1) factor based on whether they voted for or against a bill, respectively. The product of these two factors determines the lawmakers' positive or negative score for that bill. Similar scores for other tracked-bills that received a floor vote are totaled to give legislators their freedom index total score.

All bill ratings and legislator scores are tentative and will be reviewed following the close of the 2017 General Assembly session.

Gaspee plans to cite lawmakers' Freedom Index scores in upcoming public awareness mailers and social media campaigns this year, as well as in its election mailers next year.

The Gaspee Project is the umbrella organization for various advocacy partners such as the Gaspee Business Network, StopTollsRI.com, Rhode Islanders Against Mandated HPV Vaccines, the Property Rights Alliance of Rhode Island, and its most recent partner - the Gaspee Self-Defense Alliance.