Maryland Accountability Project

PRESS RELEASE                                                                                                                                                      

January 22, 2007                                                                                                                                                         

 

WATCHDOG GROUP GREETS LEGISLATORS WITH THIRD ANNUAL ATTENDANCE SCORECARD

FIVE GET “CRABBIE” AWARDS FOR MISSING VOTES

WHILE TEN GET “LIGHTHOUSE” AWARDS FOR GOOD ATTENDANCE

 

ANNAPOLIS – Though a minority in Maryland’s General Assembly, Republicans dominated Democrats four-to-one in awards for worst attendance records compiled by the Maryland Accountability Project, a non-partisan watchdog group.

 

Senators John Hafer (R-01), J. Robert Hooper (R-07), E.J. Pipkin (R-36) and J. Lowell Stolzfus (R-38) joined Delegate Clarence Davis (D-45) in receiving the awards for worst attendance in the 2006 regular and special sessions of the General Assembly.  Davis’ attendance record was worst, with a total of 218 unexcused absences, which easily exceeded all others. 

 

“Every year we examine the voting records of Maryland’s state legislators to see who has been crabby with their time and has failed to cast votes on legislation,” said Doug Graham, executive director of the Maryland-based group.  “Delegate Clarence Davis led the pack in being AWOL, an Absent Legislator Without Leave, by missing 218 out of 1,245 Houser votes.  He skipped over 17.5 percent of the votes cast in the House of Delegates during the regular and special sessions of 2006”

 

“The entire Senate Republican Caucus averaged 132 unexcused absences from what appears to be a concerted effort by all fourteen Senate Republicans to abstain from voting on a number of bills.  In other words, the delegation failed to cast a vote in over 10.8 percent of the 1,212 votes held in the Senate during the regular and special sessions of 2006,” Graham said.  “As a result, four of those Senate Republicans qualify for the Crabbie Awards for their large number of unexcused absences.”

 

MAP researched each bill brought to the floor of the General Assembly in 2006 and catalogued every time a legislator was “not voting.”  The five worst attendance records were as follows:

 

  • Senator John Hafer (R-01) of Allegany, Garrett & Washington Counties, who recently retired, did not cast votes 194 times;
  • Senator J. Robert Hooper (R-07) of Harford County missed 177 votes;
  • Senator E.J. Pipkin (R-36) of Caroline, Cecil, Kent & Queen Anne's Counties missed 154 votes;
  • Senator J. Lowell Stoltzfus (R-38) of Somerset, Wicomico & Worcester Counties missed 146 votes; and
  • Delegate Clarence Davis (D-45) of Baltimore City , who recently retired, missed 218 votes, the worst record of all.

 

The number of legislators winning Lighthouse Awards for perfect attendance declined from eleven in 2005 to ten recipients in 2006.  Winners include:

 

  • Senator James DeGrange Sr., (D-32) of Anne Arundel County;
  • Senator Phil Jimeno (D-31) of Anne Arundel County) who recently retired;
  • Delegate Joseph Boteler (R-08), of Baltimore County;
  • Delegate Eric Bromwell (D-08) of Baltimore County;
  • Speaker Michael Busch (D-30) of Anne Arundel County, who is a repeat winner;
  • Delegate John Cluster (R-08) of Baltimore County who is a three-time winner; Delegate Cluster was defeated in last year’s general election;
  • Delegate George Edwards (R-01A) of Garrett & Allegany Counties, who was elected to the Senate in 2006;
  • Delegate J.B. Jennings (R-07) of Baltimore & Harford Counties who is a three-time winner;
  • Delegate Anne Kaiser (D-14) of Montgomery County who is a two-time winner; and
  • Delegate Susan Krebs (R-09B) of Carroll County.

 

This year, we decided to note which delegation is the hardest-working and which is the least,” Graham said.  Racking up a combined 267 unexcused absences, the District 45 delegation from Baltimore City had the distinction of holding the worst attendance record, one which was directly impacted by Delegate Clarence Davis’ 218 unexcused absences.  The District 31 delegation from Anne Arundel County had the best attendance record with only 6 absences combined.

 

This year MAP is introducing its first county and district-by-district scorecard to help Maryland citizens track the attendance records of their entire delegation in the Legislature.  It can be accessed at this link: delegate scorecard.

 

“Taxpayers have to show up for work every day, and it is not too much to expect our paid elected officials to make it to work, as well,” Graham said.  “If these senators and delegates are missing votes, they are failing to properly represent their constituents’ interests in Annapolis and the voters should know this.  At the same time, voters should also know those who are always on the job and make it to every vote.  The ten legislators who made every vote, especially the two legislators who have won three years straight, deserve praise for never missing a vote and always showing a presence on behalf of their constituents.”

 

The Maryland Accountability Project (MAP) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to educating citizens about Maryland’s state government and the activities of state public officials.  It seeks to encourage citizens to participate in the democratic process to hold public officials accountable.  More information about MAP can be found on its Web site at www.mapscorecard.org.