HJTA has carefully evaluated the 2004 voting records of all California legislators and assigned grades based on their votes on 43 bills that would increase the burden on taxpayers. Although, as a whole, lawmakers showed a slight improvement over last year, the results are still appalling, with nearly two-thirds receiving Ds and Fs. California is already a high tax state, yet those receiving Fs have shown a total contempt for taxpayers. Those receiving Ds and Cs have demonstrated a disregard for taxpayers that makes them untrustworthy. Those receiving Bs need to improve, but they have shown some respect for the concerns of taxpayers. Finally, the minority of lawmakers who received As have proved that they can be counted on to respect and protect the taxpaying public.

[NOTE: Assemblyman Tom Harmon is claiming he received an A grade from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers for his voting record — that was true for this 2004 list. In 2005, Harmon lost his A grade because he has been promoting legislation to take away the taxpayers' right to vote on taxes.]

The total of legislators evaluated is only 119 due to the passing of Senator Pete Knight, who last year received an A. Because a new session of the Legislature began after the November election, HJTA will report on the records of new members late this year.

2004 Report Card on the California Legislature

Here are the number of legislators earning each grade:

See the 2003 Report Card.