Vote Scoring Methodology for 2003

Legislators’ Voting Records on Crucial Life Issues are based on the votes cast by California state legislators in year 2003 on 25 bills that affect crucial life issues of abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, and cloning. A synopsis of these bills is contained in Crucial Life Issues Bills of 2003.

A Legislator's Vote Score is the percentage of a legislator's votes that are pro-life.  The State Budget, which through its abortion funding accounts for the largest killing of unborn children by the state government, is 25% of the Total Score. A "Not Voting" entry received no credit if adverse to pro-life and half credit if favorable. The only distinction for an excused absence was made for Assemblyman Marco Firebaugh (sick) and Assemblyman Ken Maddox (on active military duty) for the State Budget vote since it carries so much weight. In these two cases, their budget non-vote was excluded and their final Vote Score was based on all their other votes.