Guest Columnist

Clayton Roberts
 

Virginia FREE: Ranking the Legislators

 

Every year, the Virginia Foundation for Research and Economic Education rates state legislators for their pro-business voting records, their effectiveness and their stewardship. Here are the latest ratings, published April 2003.

 

For an explanation of the ratings, click here.

 

State Senate
    2003   Performance 2003    
    Business District Versus Vote 2003 2003
District Delegate Rating Score Expectation Percentage Stewardship Effectiveness
14   Blevins 77    85    -23    75%    79    65   
4   Bolling 71    78    -22    71%    70    74   
34   Byrne 50    79    -44    54%    45    39   
28   Chichester 84    82    -13    80%    88    93   
29   Colgan 70    91    -36    56%    83    80   
37   Cuccinelli 62    89    -42    77%    46    40   
25   Deeds 57    35    +7    46%    67    61   
21   Edwards           53    24    +14    43%    63    53   
24   Hanger 77    70    -8    79%    74    72   
19   Hawkins 80    58    +7    76%    84    82   
17   Houck 55    71    -31    40%    70    67   
32   Howell 63    64    -16    60%    66    63   
9   Lambert 62    19    +28    59%    65    63   
18   Lucas 58    7    +36    58%    57    53   
16   Marsh 53    9    +29    54%    52    51   
11   Martin 68    81    -28    80%    56    56   
2   Maxwell 47    16    +16    47%    46    37   
26   Miller, K. 78    63    0    75%    81    71   
5   Miller, Y. 47    13    +19    53%    41    37   
33   Mims 73    91    -33    75%    71    74   
23   Newman 73    64    -6    77%    68    67   
  3   Norment 92    68    +9    100%    83    87   
39   O'Brien 80    88    -23    93%    66    60   
27   Potts 66    82    -31    65%    67    66   
38   Puckett 68    35    +18    69%    67    60   
36   Puller 65    55    -5    62%    67    59   
13   Quayle 74    68    -9    75%    72    66   
6   Rerras 76    47    +14    92%    59    50   
20   Reynolds 63    43    +5    54%    72    62   
15   Ruff 70    49    +6    71%    68    60   
35   Saslaw 61    43    +3    47%    75    78   
8   Stolle 88    80    -7    94%    81    85   
12   Stosch 84    83    -14    83%    85    89   
30   Ticer 57    44    -2    54%    60    53   
22   Trumbo 61    73    -27    40%    82    83   
7   Wagner 87    79    -7    100%    73    72   
40   Wampler 68    53    0    58%    78    86   
10   Watkins 77    87    -25    73%    80    77   
31   Whipple 57    47    -5    54%    60    57   
1   Williams 79    71    -7    86%    72    78   
 House of Delegates 
    2003   Performance 2003    
    Business  District  Versus Vote 2003 2003
District Delegate Rating Score Expectation Percentage Stewardship Effectiveness
59 Abbitt 56 44 -3 50% 61 58
42 Albo 78 77 -14 79% 76 78
89 Alexander 69 9 +45 79% 59 41
47 Almand 78 47 +16 86% 70 66
44 Amundson 78 43 +20 93% 62 53
10 Armstrong  74 45 +14 79% 68 64
18 Athey 70 77 -22 77% 63 55
64 Barlow  82 65 +2 93% 70 59
71 Baskerville  70 11 +44 79% 61 55
58 Bell 67 84 -32 69% 65 59
32 Black 62 102 -55 77% 47 49
63 Bland  63 15 +33 77% 48 39
100 Bloxom 78 31 +32 69% 86 72
43 Bolvin  81 61 +5 94% 67 59
48 Brink 72 47 +10 86% 57 51
30 Broman 84 71 -2 93% 75 61
23 Bryant  74 46 +13 69% 79 79
22 Byron 61 69 -23 56% 65 61
34 Callahan 78 79 -16 78% 77 82
5 Carrico 64 56 -7 63% 65 50
92 Christian 64 19 +30 73% 55 44
24 Cline 62 65 -18 60% 63 51
88 Cole 53 87 -49 50% 55 44
78 Cosgrove 66 87 -36 71% 60 57
75 Councill 68 10 +43 63% 73 64
66 Cox 69 82 -28 64% 73 78
95 Crittenden 62 12 +35 69% 54 45
49 Darner 63 36 +12 63% 62 51
35 Devolites 71 78 -22 79% 62 66
41 Dillard 78 80 -17 81% 74 72
87 Drake 75 35 +25 78% 72 78
9 Dudley 64 64 -15 63% 64 63
91 Gear 55 79 -39 57% 52 44
8 Griffith 68 81 -28 72% 64 81
69 Hall 71 15 +41 73% 68 70
93 Hamilton 77 46 +16 81% 72 75
55 Hargrove 77 88 -26 82% 71 69
60 Hogan 67 31 +21 62% 72 65
28 Howell 70 74 -19 57% 83 93
40 Hugo 71 101 -45 73% 68 54
38 Hull 66 43 +8 71% 61 56
16 Hurt 65 57 -7 60% 70 63
62 Ingram 69 71 -17 67% 71 70
56 Janis 62 88 -41 63% 60 55
79 Joannou 58 35 +8 61% 55 50
4 Johnson 67 46 +6 65% 68 60
76 Jones, D.C. 60 81 +34 67% 57 53
70 Jones, S,C. 71 81 -25 64% 78 80
6 Keister 61 46 0 67% 55 49
1 Kilgore. 62 54 -7 53% 70 71
25 Landes 67 70 -18 56% 78 70
31 Lingamfelter 65 81 -31 75% 55 55
15 Louderback 63 63 -15 64% 62 59
68 Marrs 64 76 -27 73% 55 54
14 Marshall, D. 74 40 +19 80% 68 59
13 Marshall, R. 64 93 -44 73% 55 56
33 May 73 91 -33 69% 77 74
84 McDonnel 74 65 -6 78% 70 80
97 McDougle  60 76 -31 57% 62 55
51 McQuigg 75 76 -16 87% 63 53
80 Melvin 68 12 +41 71% 64 67
74 Miles 61 17 +29 64% 58 50
46 Moran 81 33 +33 93% 69 70
98 Morgan 72 72 -15 67% 77 74
27 Nixon 71 82 -26 67% 74 72
7 Nutter 59 54 -10 50% 67 59
73 O'Bannon 67 79 -27 64% 69 64
94 Oder 67 61 -9 67% 67 62
54 Orrock 70 81 -26 64% 76 73
50 Parrish 84 84 -15 89% 79 77
37 Petersen 72 76 -19 86% 58 48
2 Phillips 64 33 +16 71% 57 54
36 Plum 63 53 -5 67% 58 57
99 Pollard 66 58 -7 71% 60 52
82 Purkey 74 82 -23 83% 65 64
19 Putney 64 75 -26 54% 74 75
96 Rapp 60 85 -40 60% 59 53
67 Reese 78 87 -24 94% 61 51
72 Reid 71 85 -29 75% 67 72
52 Rollison 74 60 -1 69% 79 79
86 Rust 82 71 -4 94% 70 60
20 Saxman 58 66 -23 50% 65 60
53 Scott 73 49 +9 83% 63 56
90 Sears 75 11 +49 86% 64 58
29 Sherwood 70 70 -15 71% 69 68
12 Shuler 74 24 +35 79% 69 62
77 Spruill 66 18 +33 73% 59 53
3 Stump 64 22 +27 64% 63 61
81 Suit 75 84 -24 73% 77 74
85 Tata 75 84 -24 80% 69 67
17 Thomas 76 72 -11 75% 76 69
45 Van Landingham 66 48 +3 75% 57 50
57 Van Yahres 63 31 +17 69% 57 50
83 Wardrup 70 59 -4 71% 69 74
65 Ware 65 93 -43 61% 68 64
39 Watts 78 69 -6 93% 62 55
26 Weatherholtz 66 63 -12 67% 65 58
21 Welch 59 65 -21 64% 54 48
11 Woodrum 78 10 +53 83% 73 74
61 Wright 61 46 0 57% 65 57

 

Explanation of Virginia FREE Ratings

BUSINESS RATING

The Virginia FREE Business Rating is the legislator's score based on Virginia FREE evaluations of incumbent performance on important business issues. Each legislator's Business Rating is determined by averaging the results of two tests: 1) Incumbent Voting Records on important business issues  2) The Virginia FREE Stewardship Evaluation of legislators.  

The Business Rating represents a percentage where 100 is strongly pro-business.

 

Business Rating Scale

 

Base - Legislators with a Business Rating of 75 or above; consistent supporters of pro-business views.

             

Swing -  Legislators with a Business Rating of 74-55; frequent supporters of pro-business views.

                                  

Occasional - Legislators with a Business Rating below 55; occasional supporters of pro-business views.

District Score

 

Virginia FREE's District Score indicates the percentage probability of electing a strong, pro-business candidate in each of Virginia 's 140 legislative districts. On a 100-point scale, higher District Scores indicate the presence of demographic characteristics, election histories and voter attitudes generally supportive of a strong pro-business candidate. In simplest terms, the higher the score, the more pro-business the district.

 

The District Score is the result of scientific research and analysis conducted by Virginia FREE and Luminat Technologies. This includes an analysis of actual election histories in each district and extensive demographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

 

District Evaluation Scale

 

Base - A district where there is a 60 percent-or-greater probability of electing a strong  pro-business candidate.

 

Swing - A district where there is a 45% - 59% probability of electing a strong pro-business candidate.

 

Occasional - A district where the probability of electing a strong pro-business candidate is less than 45%.

 

Performance Versus Expectations

 

Performance Versus Expectation is a scaled comparison of a legislator's Business Rating with his or her District Score. It is a relative indicator used to measure a legislator's performance on important business issues against the level of performance business leaders can reasonably expect from that legislator's district.

 

Performance Versus Expectation is determined by the following formula:

 

1) Measure the legislator's Business Rating against the pro-business legislator threshold of 75 ("Performance" = Amount X).

 

2) Measure the legislator's District Score against the pro-business district threshold of 60 ("Expectation" = Amount Y).

 

3) Determine the net score (+ or -) by combining Amounts X and Y relative to the pro-business threshold for legislators (75) and for districts (60).

 

Example:

A legislator's Business Rating of 80 measured against the pro-business legislator threshold of 75 yields a +5 (Amount X). A District Score of 45 measured against the pro-business district threshold of 60 yields a -15 (Amount Y). The net score of combining X and Y relative to the pro-business thresholds of 75 and 60 yields Performance Versus Expectation of +20.

 

Voting Records

 

Virginia FREE compiles annual voting records of all General Assembly members on important legislation affecting business and industry. This evaluation does not portray a legislator's complete performance on important business issues. Nor does it include all legislation affecting business and industry. Rather, it provides a representative sample of important bills and votes affecting Virginia's business environment. Voting Record scores are combined with Stewardship Evaluations to determine each legislator's Business Rating.

 

To compile Voting Records, all Virginia FREE members are asked to submit at least five bills from each legislative session affecting their business interests and to indicate whether they favor or oppose each one. Virginia FREE takes no position on legislation and therefore stringently follows the consensus position of its members. Hundreds of bills are submitted by members each year to be considered for use in Voting Records. Bills and votes are then reviewed and selected by the Virginia FREE Evaluations Committee and approved by the Board of Directors.

 

To be included in Voting Record evaluations, a bill must meet the following criteria:

 

1) A meaningful vote must be recorded on the bill.

 

2) The bill must be of substantial concern to a broad base of business interests.

 

3) There must be a consensus pro-business position on the bill among Virginia FREE members.

 

Stewardship

 

The Stewardship Evaluation is the result of an annual survey of about 100 Virginia FREE member government affairs professionals. The purpose of this survey is to determine, in the informed opinion of about 100 leading business lobbyists, the percentage of time each legislator can be counted on to advocate the best interests of business and industry. Stewardship Evaluation ratings are combined with Voting Records to determine a legislator's Business Rating.

 

To determine Stewardship Evaluations, Virginia FREE member government affairs professionals are asked to complete a confidential, anonymous survey in which they subjectively evaluate legislators on a 10-point scale from 0 - 100. In gauging the level of stewardship displayed by an individual legislator, survey participants are asked to consider each legislator’s willingness to:

 

  • Face problems honestly

  • Listen and learn before acting

  • Look out for the long-term best interests of the Commonwealth

  • Consider the impact of an issue on the state's economic health and competitiveness

  • Target the state's resources where they will produce tangible benefits

  • Set aside partisanship and political safety when they conflict with doing what's best for the people.

This category builds on the previous subjective rating based on "the percentage of time each legislator can be counted on to advocate the best interests of business and industry," but those considerations remain a valid part of this broader evaluation.

Effectiveness

 

The Effectiveness Rating is the result of an annual survey of Virginia FREE member government affairs professionals. The purpose of the survey is to determine, in the informed opinion of nearly 100 leading business lobbyists, how effective each legislator is in accomplishing his or her legislative objectives - without regard to the legislator’s position on business issues.

 

To determine the Effectiveness Rating, Virginia FREE member government affairs professionals are asked to complete a confidential, anonymous survey in which they rate the level of effectiveness of each legislator on a 10-point scale from 10-100 where 100 represents extremely effective. The results of all survey forms are averaged to determine each legislator’s Effectiveness Rating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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