Representative Effectiveness Scores
The Legislative Effectiveness Score measures a lawmaker's proven ability to advance their policy proposals through the legislative process and into law.
Rather than simply counting how many bills a legislator passes—which can reward lawmakers who only tackle easy, symbolic issues—this score uses the methodology developed by the Center for Effective Lawmaking to evaluate a legislator's true impact on the chamber's agenda.
How the Score is Calculated
Every bill a legislator primarily sponsors is evaluated based on two criteria: how far it gets, and how much it matters.
- The Five Stages of Lawmaking: Legislators earn credit as their bills successfully navigate the five major hurdles of the legislative process
- Introduction
- Action in Committee
- Action Beyond Committee (e.g., reaching the floor)
- Passing the Chamber
- Becoming Law
- Bill Significance: Not all legislation is equal. A complex bill overhauling state taxes is weighted more heavily than a bill naming a local bridge. Every bill is categorized into one of three levels: Commemorative (purely symbolic), Substantive (standard policy), or Significant (high-priority, heavily debated legislation).
By tracking how many bills a lawmaker advances across these different stages and significance levels, we build a complete footprint of their lawmaking effort.
Graded on a Cruve
To ensure the score is fair, lawmakers are only compared against other members of the exact same general assemlby session. This accounts for years when divided government causes gridlock, or when a unified government passes a record number of bills.
The formula compares a specific legislator's output against the chamber average. Because of this, the scoring system has a fixed baseline:
- A score of 1.000 means the lawmaker performed exactly at the chamber average
- A score of 1.500 means they were 50% more effective than the average member
- A score of 0.500 means they were half as effective as the average member
Ultimately, a high Legislative Effectiveness Score indicates a lawmaker who is willing to tackle substantive issues and possesses the coalition-building skills required to push those ideas forward.
| Order |
Representative |
Total Passed / Total Sponsored |
Score |
Top Topics |
|
|
|
|
1
|
Brian Stewart
| District |
12 |
| Chamber |
House |
| Party |
Republican |
|
8 / 21
|
12.143
|
- Local Government
- Environment
- Criminal Justice
|
|
|
|
2
|
Sean P. Brennan
| District |
14 |
| Chamber |
House |
| Party |
Democrat |
|
0 / 38
|
2.976
|
- Local Government
- Education
- Taxation & Finance
|
|
|
|
3
|
Josh Williams
| District |
44 |
| Chamber |
House |
| Party |
Republican |
|
2 / 120
|
2.883
|
- Criminal Justice
- Local Government
- Taxation & Finance
|
|
|
|
4
|
Terry Johnson
| District |
14 |
| Chamber |
Senate |
| Party |
Republican |
|
5 / 33
|
2.873
|
- Environment
- Local Government
- Business & Commerce
|
|
|
|
5
|
Andrew O. Brenner
| District |
19 |
| Chamber |
Senate |
| Party |
Republican |
|
4 / 34
|
2.856
|
- Education
- Local Government
- Environment
|
|
|
|
6
|
Brian Lorenz
| District |
60 |
| Chamber |
House |
| Party |
Republican |
|
1 / 47
|
2.745
|
- Local Government
- Education
- Business & Commerce
|
|
|
|
7
|
Eric Synenberg
| District |
21 |
| Chamber |
House |
| Party |
Democrat |
|
0 / 15
|
2.500
|
- Education
- Local Government
- Environment
|
|
|
|
8
|
George F. Lang
| District |
4 |
| Chamber |
Senate |
| Party |
Republican |
|
1 / 32
|
2.411
|
- Business & Commerce
- Environment
- Local Government
|
Cited Sources
BUCCHIANERI, PETER, CRAIG VOLDEN, and ALAN E. WISEMAN. “Legislative Effectiveness in the American States.” American Political Science Review 119.1 (2025): 21–39. Web.
