Researchers Analyze N.C. Legislators' Votes

Nine state representatives and 12 state senators received perfect scores from the N.C. Public Interest Research Group, an interest group that focuses on environmental issues. The grade was issued based on the legislators' votes on environmental, consumer and "good government" legislation from the 2001 session.

Eleven of the lawmakers who received perfect scores represent parts of the Triangle.

On average, representatives scored 56 percent, and senators scored 76 percent.

Nine bills on which the N.C. House voted and six bills on which the N.C. Senate voted provided the basis for the scores. The bills included reducing coal-fired power plant pollution by 70 percent, a bill allowing citizens to sue their HMOs and a bill raising fees on small, short-term loans.

Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange, received a perfect score of 100. She attributed her score to strong personal opinions about specific issues. "The bills and issues scored are the ones that I'm interested in, so we coincided," she said.

Kinnaird added that her score reflects her effort to serve her constituency.

But NCPIRG spokeswoman Elizabeth Ouzts said that while legislators passed several significant bills, the N.C. General Assembly does not have a perfect record in the areas deemed important by her group.

"There is certainly room for improvement in both houses," she said. "The General Assembly passed one of the strongest patients' rights bills in the country, but the House didn't take up the clean smokestacks bill."

Kinnaird said that although her work was rewarded by a high score this year, she will not rest on her laurels. "These are issues that we need to keep working on," she said. "We need to stay vigilant so that we get good environmental bills through and stop very bad environmental bills."

But legislators who received low scores questioned the importance of such a scorecard.

Both Rep. Sam Ellis, R-Wake, and Sen. David Hoyle, D-Gaston, expressed disappointment for being judged on less than 10 votes when they make more than 1,000 votes a year.

Ellis scored 22 percent, and Hoyle scored 40 percent.

Hoyle said he received a low score because he voted against the clean smokestacks bill, but he said he is an environmental advocate who has pushed similar legislation in previous years.

"I've sponsored bills to protect and preserve our environment in the past," Hoyle said. "And what did that get me (on the score card)? A zero percent probably."

Ellis said the relevance of a study with such a narrow scope is limited. "I could have a group that could come out and say, 'Sam Ellis is the most wonderful thing ever' and get a grade of 100."

But Ouzts said the score card is important because it shows people how their representatives are voting on key measures.

"Folks have to be able to find out how their representatives are voting on important issues," she said. "Obviously, they can't haul over to Raleigh every time there's an important vote."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.