Sen. Tom Nelson, R-Lead, believes he had a successful legislative session in 2011.
A conservative group lead by former Republican senator Gordon Howie disagrees.
Nelson scored just 17 percent on a "Republican Legislator Voting Score Card" put out by the Life & Liberty Group, which rates lawmakers based on their adherence to principles of "less government spending, no new taxes (and) traditional Christian values."
The Life & Liberty Group's report card is at least the third to come out this year from conservative groups, judging lawmakers based on their adherence to the Republican Party platform or social or fiscal conservatism.
Howie, who introduced the report card at a public meeting Tuesday night with many lawmakers present, said it was intended to be an aid to voters.
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"What we are suggesting is that it's time for all elected officials to be held accountable for their votes and to the principles of their party," Howie said.
He was candid that all such report cards are subjective -- and said that the purpose was not to tell voters to "vote this bum out, or keep this gem."
But Howie said voters should keep the scores in mind when deciding who to support.
And he wasn't talking about the general election.
The report card itself urged readers to "become a candidate to replace a liberal incumbent or candidate in the next primary election," or, failing that, to "help recruit strong conservative Christian candidates to challenge liberal Republicans."
There are a "wide variety of issues," Howie said, that "give rise to the need for primary challenges."
Some local Republican legislators said they think it's good for outside groups to rate their performance.
"I think that it's good, I really do," said Rep. Lance Russell, R-Hot Springs. "I think it's important that we get these issues out there for people to understand so they don't feel disconnected from government."
Russell received a score of 67 percent from Howie's group, lower than only eight of the 50 House Republicans.
Rep. Kristin Conzet, R-Rapid City, received that same 67 percent score.
"It's always healthy to have that out there," she said.
But Conzet cautioned voters to not read too much into a percentage or a letter grade.
"With every bill that comes out, there are a lot of things that need to be taken into account - not only does it serve the Republican Party, but I need to look at if it's in the best interests of the people who voted for me and did not vote for me," she said.
More outspoken against some of the ratings was Rep. Mark Kirkeby, R-Rapid City.
"If anybody wants to take a shot at me personally, right at my face, that I did not stand up for Republican values ... because I did not support hunting coyotes on a snowmobile, to (heck) with you guys," Kirkeby said at the meeting Tuesday night.
Kirkeby was referring to a different legislator report card, posted at www.sdrepublicans.org - a group not formally associated with the South Dakota Republican Party but claiming to speak for the party's principles. Kirkeby got a 47 percent on that report card.
A vote against 2011's Senate Bill 55, which allowed landowners to hunt coyotes from snowmobiles, cost lawmakers points on the www.sdrepublicans.org report card. The Life & Liberty Group's report card did not consider the coyote hunting bill.
Nelson said he didn't mind that a group gave him a low score.
"All my votes are well thought out," Nelson said. "I try to communicate with my constituents and gather the best information at hand and make my vote accordingly. I'm very proud of my voting record."
House Majority Leader David Lust, R-Rapid City, said he's skeptical of voter report cards that consider just a handful of bills - nine for the Life & Liberty Group report and 20 for the www.sdrepublicans.org report.
"I just think you have to be really careful when you're arbitrarily picking bills and legislation to judge legislators," Lust said. "The fairest thing to do would be to look at everything that was voted on and not pick and choose."
Lust got a 50 percent on the Life & Liberty report, and a 40 percent on the www.sdrepublicans.org report.
But Howie challenged people who dismissed the report cards out of hand.
"Whether you agree with the biases or the prejudices of the people who may have put this together, or not, these are hard votes. They're accurate reporting of information," he said. "I would just suggest that it's not excusable for Republicans to get a 50 percent on faith, family and fiscal issues."
Contact David Montgomery at 394-8329 or david.montgomery@rapidcityjournal.com