Some vote-skippers in the Legislature had excuses; others didn't

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Mar 31, 2008 | by Copyright 2008 Deseret Morning News By Lee Davidson

Some Utah legislators say they miss a lot of votes because they are busy legislative leaders. Others may miss votes because of serious illness. But some skip votes without either excuse, an extensive study by the Deseret Morning News finds.

Among those without the excuses of being sick or party leaders, Rep. Mark Walker, R-Sandy, had the worst voting record in committees during this year's 45-day general session, which ended March 5. He cast just 56.5 percent of his possible committee votes. Why so low?

"I'm running for (state) treasurer. And I had to leave early a few days to attend to that campaign, like going to some county (GOP) Lincoln Day dinners," Walker said.

He also said that as a member of the House Rules Committee, he had to meet with other legislators, lobbyists and citizens about which bills would come out of Rules for floor consideration. Walker said he was also pulled out of committees for various other reasons, including preparing his own legislation and presenting his bills in other committees.

While Walker may have fared poorly in committee attendance, he did pass all three of the bills he sponsored in the 2008 session, a perfect 100 percent ranking.

The Morning News evaluated all votes on the floor, in standing committees and in joint appropriations subcommittees for the 2008 Legislature -- a total of 3,280 votes. Only votes on legislation were included (not those on such motions as for adjournment or approving minutes). A list of how each member rated is available online at deseretnews.com.

The analysis shows that the typical legislator made it to three of every four votes in committee, and nine of every 10 on the floor. It shows, in this election year, who were the best attendees and the worst. But it also revealed some strange happenings. They include:

-- Because of rules loopholes to accommodate legislative leaders, a surprising number of committee votes occur without a majority of committee members present. Sometimes as few as two members of a six- member committee were present for votes, but it was still considered a legal quorum.

-- In half of all joint appropriations subcommittees votes, fewer than a majority of Senate members assigned to that committee were present. (Sometimes only one senator was present to represent the Senate in such budget votes). House members have long complained that poor attendance at such meetings by their Senate counterparts make it difficult to conduct business. Some budget chairmen have resorted to holding votes at only the last meeting or two of the session, making it easier to round up wayward senators for a quorum.

-- The lowest voting percentages are by legislative leaders, who say they are often pulled away for meetings on individual important issues. The leaders' attendance in their assigned committees is often much worse than, say, regular members who are battling a serious illness, like cancer.

Truancy

While the overall voting percent of 91 percent on the floor and 78 percent in committee may sound good at first, consider that Utah law classifies public school students as "habitual truants," subject to court fines, if they are absent eight days a school year without excuse -- or just 4 percent of all days possible.

Under that standard, 93 percent of Utah legislators could earn "unsatisfactory" citizenship grades for missing committee votes, and 73 percent could earn that for missing floor votes.

Legislative party leaders have the lowest voting rates in committee. In fact, they captured the 10 lowest rate spots out of the 104 total legislators.

Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, had the lowest -- making just 16.5 percent of his possible committee votes -- but that was actually more than triple the 5 percent rate he achieved last year.

Next lowest this year was House Majority Leader David Clark, R- Santa Clara, at 25.4 percent, followed by House Majority Whip Gordon Snow, R-Roosevelt, at 33.7 percent and Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble, R-Provo, at 36.9 percent.

Valentine said he puts himself on two budget committees and three standing committees, even though he knows he won't make most of those meetings.

"I'm needed at times to break a tie vote or make the difference in a close vote," even if all those missed meetings may look bad later, Valentine said. At least twice last session, Valentine said, he was needed in close standing committee votes.

In contrast, House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, does not assign himself to any standing committees because he says he would miss most of those votes if he did. However, he is a member of the Joint Executive Appropriations Committee (where all leaders make budget decisions), and achieved a respectable 90 percent voting rate there.

Curtis said: "I know I'm too busy" with leadership duties "to make committees, so I don't put myself on them. Because of their small numbers, the Senate may need to have leaders on some committees. With 75 (House) members and 55 (Republicans) in our caucus, our leaders don't have that problem." The Senate has only 29 total members.