The non-partisan and highly respected North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research released its 2007-08 legislative survey on Saturday.  All 50 State Senators, 120 House Members, 614 registered lobbyists, and 12 state capital news correspondents were asked to rate the effectiveness of each member of the North Carolina General Assembly on a scale of 1 to 10.   

The survey's purpose was to identify the most effective legislators in the General Assembly.  The Center asked respondents to base their ratings on:

• Legislators' participation in committee work
• Legislators' skill at guiding bills through committee and floor debate
• Legislators' general knowledge and expertise in special fields
• Legislators' respect they command from their peers
• Legislators' ethics
• Legislators' enthusiasm with which they execute various legislative responsibilities
• Legislators' political power
• Legislators' ability to sway the opinion of fellow lawmakers
• Legislators' aptitude for the overall legislative process 

The top 10 House members in effectiveness for 2007-08 are:

1. Speaker Joe Hackney (D-Chatham/Moore/Orange)

2. Rep. Bill Owens, Rules Committee Chairman (D-Camden/Currituck/Pasquotank/Tyrrell)

3. Rep. Hugh Holliman, Majority Leader (D-Davidson)

4. Rep. Rick Glazier, House Education Appropriations Co-chair and Co-chair of the Joint Ethics Committee

5. Rep. Jim Crawford, Appropriations Co-Chairman (D-Granville/Vance)

6. Rep. Mickey Michaux, Appropriations Co-Chairman (D-Durham)

7. Rep. Deborah Ross, Democratic Whip (D-Wake)

8. Rep. Dan Blue, former Speaker of the House and Judiciary II Chairman (D-Wake)

9. Rep. Pryor Gibson, Finance Committee Chairman (D-Anson/Union)

10. Rep. Paul Stam, Minority Leader (R-Wake)

In his first term in 2003-04 Glazier was ranked 44th out of 120, the second highest ranking of the 33 freshman legislators. In 2005-06 he ranked 19th, the second highest ranking of any sophomore or freshman legislator. 

 Other Cumberland County legislators’ rankings were:

• Rep. Margaret Dickson ranked 22nd, rising from 35th
• Rep. Marvin Lucas ranked 34th, from 53rd
• Rep. William Brisson ranked 98th in his first term
• Rep. Mary McAllister ranked 99th  

On the Senate side, Majority Leader Tony Rand ranked as the second most effective in the Senate for the fifth straight term, with only President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight ranking as more effective. Senator Larry Shaw ranked 33rd of 50. 

The North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to the goals of a better-informed public and more effective, accountable, and responsive government. The Center identifies public policy issues facing North Carolina and enriches the dialogue among citizens, the media, and policymakers.

Based on its research, the Center makes recommendations for improving the way government serves the people of this state. In all its efforts, the Center values reliable and objective research as a basis for analyzing public policy, independence from partisan bias and political ideology, the richness of the states diverse population, and a belief in the importance of citizen involvement in public life.

For more information visit http://www.nccppr.org/