Committee on Political Education releases 2003 ratings of Oregon legislators

SALEM † State legislators this year faced tougher issues than they faced in more than a decade † and set a dubious record for the longest legislative session in Oregon history. Nonetheless, despite some bitter losses for labor on issues like public employee retirement benefits, the proportion of floor votes in which lawmakers sided with the interests of working families (at 65 percent) was the best in more than a decade.

Lawmakers¡ votes were rated as ÀRight” if a legislator voted in accordance with the recommendation of the Oregon AFL-CIO. The analysis is confined to action taken on the floor of one or both chambers. Nine legislators scored perfect 100 percent AFL-CIO voting records † eight were House Democrats including Phil Barnhart of Eugene, Mitch Greenlick, Steve March, Jeff Merkley and Diane Rosenbaum of Portland, Floyd Prozanski of Eugene, Carolyn Tomei of Milwaukie, and Kelley Wirth of Corvallis. In the Senate, only Portland Democrat Ginny Burdick scored 100 percent for the AFL-CIO.

The best Republican mark was recorded by Senator Lenn Hannon of Ashland, at 94 percent. The two worst were Senators Ben Westlund of Bend, at 27 percent and Roger Beyer of Molalla, at 35 percent. The best House Republican voting record came from Pat Farr of Eugene, at 71 percent. The worst was recorded by Jeff Kruse of Roseburg, at 20 percent.

© Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co. Inc.