By Conduit for Commerce
June 13, 2017
Much like any specific vote, scoring of votes by Conduit for Commerce (CFC) is not an exact science as some bills have a greater impact on Arkansas if passed. However, the weekly pre-vote publications (score cards) released during the Regular Session by Conduit for Action (CFA) referencing specific bills is reflective of the measure used in CFC’s final vote tallies.
Likewise, only bills which reflect the focus and mission of CFC are taken into account when deriving these rankings. Therefore, our scoring is weighted for principles based upon the following preferred outcomes:
- Reduces the size of government,
- Reduces dependency on government, and/or
- Reduces spending by the government.
Votes cast by legislators on bills on the floor and during committees (when known) are all considered. In total 30 Senate floor votes, along with three supportive committee votes, were scored. For the members of the House of Representatives, 35-floor votes and 13 committee votes were included in the scoring.
It is believed that the methods used by CFC will ultimately yield a better assessment of the pattern of voting by a specific senator or house member. It is our goal to assist voters as they measure differences in their expectations and results. Ultimately our intent is that the voting pattern of these elected officials, as they relate to the above principles, is made clear.
Likewise, as the methods and results of the CFC rankings are compared to other groups, differences may be noted. These differences should be filtered with the understanding that CFC is an Arkansas-founded and small business-focused organization, which not only understands the fiscal impact of these bills but is able to use knowledge and background regarding directly related issues that may not be apparent to national groups.
(Note: Floor votes on bills are reflected at the following government site: http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/SearchCenter/Pages/historicalbil.aspx This is the third Regular Session Report Card, starting in 2013, published by Conduit for Commerce. For more information contact brenda@conduitforcommerce.org)
