The Liberty Scorecard rates Colorado legislators on a narrow libertarian scale. In 2025, 73 out of 100 legislators received an F — including 8 Republicans. Nearly half the Republican caucus scored a D or F. Their own 38-question scoring rubric doesn't include a single question about public safety, families, or fentanyl. Here's what the scorecard doesn't tell you.
See What's Missing ↓The Liberty Scorecard claims to provide "accurate and unbiased information." But its methodology has fundamental problems that distort the picture of how conservative your legislator really is.
Their own scoring rubric — a 38-question "Principles of Liberty Worksheet" — evaluates bills only on individual rights, free markets, and limited government. Not a single question asks whether a bill protects public safety, strengthens law enforcement, defends families, protects children, secures the border, or fights fentanyl. Zero. Those aren't oversights — they're excluded by design.
A landmark vote on TABOR taxpayer protections carries the exact same weight as a procedural vote on a minor licensing regulation. In 2025, they rated 439 out of 657 bills introduced — and opposed 349 of them (79.5%). A legislator can vote correctly on every major conservative priority and still be dragged down by disagreements on minor bills most voters have never heard of.
Only 5 legislators earned an A. 73 out of 100 received an F — including 8 Republicans: Sen. Kirkmeyer (48.8), Rep. Taggart (48.5), Sen. Simpson (46.7), Sen. Bright (56.9), Sen. Frizell (56.4), Sen. Liston (54.7), Sen. Catlin (53.8), and Sen. Lundeen (53.7). When that many Republicans fail, the test is the problem.
In 2025, the Liberty Scorecard opposed 349 out of 439 bills it reviewed — nearly 80%. Their own scoring worksheet is structurally biased toward opposition: of 38 questions, roughly 30 are framed so that any government action triggers an "oppose" answer. A bill funding police, fighting fentanyl, or protecting children from trafficking all "expand government" under this rubric. When your default answer is no to four out of five bills, you're not measuring conservatism — you're measuring obstruction.
Colorado Republicans are a legislative superminority. In 2025, the Democratic majority even invoked rules to cut off Republican debate on controversial bills. A pragmatic conservative in a swing district who holds the seat Republican is doing more for conservatism than a safe-seat purist. The scorecard makes no distinction.
A volunteer team of officers and bill analysts decide which bills to rate and what position to take. No external audit, no appeals process, no diverse advisory board. They call themselves "the Conscience of the Colorado GOP" — but no one elected them to that role.
The Liberty Scorecard publishes a "Principles of Liberty Worksheet" — a 38-question rubric they use to evaluate every bill. We read it. Here's what it asks, and what it doesn't.
Of the 38 questions, roughly 30 are framed so that any government action automatically triggers an "oppose" answer. For example, the worksheet asks:
"Does this bill contract or expand government?" — Expand = Oppose
"Does this bill create intervention by government?" — Yes = Oppose
"Does this bill limit spending to constitutional roles?" — No = Oppose
Under these questions, a bill that funds more police officers, a bill that increases penalties for child trafficking, and a bill that fights fentanyl distribution all "expand government" and "create intervention." All three would trigger an oppose. That's not a conservative framework — it's an anti-government framework that treats every Republican legislative priority requiring funding or enforcement as a failure.
These bills have broad conservative support — from Republican sponsors, law enforcement, chambers of commerce, and family advocacy groups. The Liberty Scorecard rates them all "Oppose."
Requires police to ask 11 questions to determine if a DV victim is at high risk of being killed, then connect them to an advocate. 44 counties already do this voluntarily. Total cost: $11,780. The scorecard opposes it because it "mandates police procedures."
R Sponsor: Rep. Gonzalez (R) & Sen. Pelton (R)Extends a tax credit for private charitable donations to child care facilities. Generates $60M annually in private giving to 6,000 organizations. Passed committee 10-0 unanimously. The scorecard calls it "targeted tax subsidies."
R Sponsor: Minority Leader Caldwell (R-Monument)Colorado's most important job-creation tool. Brought Lockheed Martin, Fidelity, Blue Origin, and Charles Schwab to Colorado. Generates $33M more annually than it costs. Supported by every chamber of commerce in the state. Passed 9-2. The scorecard calls it "corporate welfare."
R Sponsor: Rep. Taggart (R-Grand Junction)Lets seniors choose to opt out of jury duty — a personal freedom 41 states already provide. Previous version passed 73-27 in 2025. Colorado forces judges to retire at 72 but makes jurors keep serving. A "liberty" scorecard opposing individual freedom for seniors.
Bipartisan — Passed 73-27 in 2025 (Vetoed by Gov. Polis)Note: Republican Rep. Rick Taggart — the co-sponsor of the Job Growth Incentive Tax Credit that every chamber of commerce supports — scored a 48.5 (F) on the 2025 Liberty Scorecard. Republican Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, who is running for Governor, scored 48.8 (F). The scorecard says these legislators are failing conservatives. Colorado's business community says the opposite.
We scored the top 100 bills of the 2026 Colorado legislative session across six conservative pillars — not just the three the Liberty Scorecard uses. We agree with them 81% of the time. But on public safety, families, economic growth, and school choice, their narrow lens gets it wrong.
| Bill | Name | Liberty | Ours | Fiscal | Safety | Liberty | Econ | Family | Gov | Score | Match |
|---|
A comprehensive evaluation of conservative governance would measure the full range of priorities that Republican voters actually care about — not just the libertarian slice.
Taxes, spending, TABOR, pension reform, government efficiency
Law enforcement, criminal justice, fentanyl, immigration, Second Amendment
Regulatory burden, property rights, government overreach, privacy
Business climate, energy policy, workforce development, job creation
Parental rights, school choice, curriculum transparency, child protection
Transparency, ethics, election integrity, 10th Amendment sovereignty
Fair questions deserve straight answers.
No. We're not defending liberal voting records. We're arguing that a legislator with an 80% conservative voting record who sponsors conservative bills, holds a competitive seat, and fights for amendments shouldn't be branded a failure because a small group of libertarians disagree with them on 20% of minor votes. Reagan said it best: "The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally — not a 20 percent traitor."
Because it's the most visible one, and a simple letter grade is easy to understand. Easy doesn't mean accurate. A broken thermometer is easy to read too. The scorecard fills a vacuum — voters deserve better tools to evaluate their legislators, not just the loudest one.
Absolutely. But the standard should be comprehensive, fair, and relevant to what voters actually care about. A strict standard that only measures one dimension of conservatism isn't strict — it's narrow. We want accountability that measures the full picture: fiscal responsibility AND public safety AND family values AND governing effectiveness.
We're Colorado conservatives who got tired of watching good Republican legislators get branded as failures by a system that doesn't measure what matters. We believe in accountability, but we believe in accuracy more. We're not affiliated with any legislative caucus, party committee, or elected official.
Of course. But voting "no" is the bare minimum. A scorecard that only rewards saying no and never rewards the hard work of sponsoring legislation, winning amendments, or holding competitive seats isn't measuring conservative effectiveness — it's measuring obstruction. We can do better.
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