Maryland Accountability ProjectMaryland Accountability ProjectPRESS RELEASE
January 10, 2006
Eleven Legislators Receive Lighthouse Awards for Perfect Attendance
ANNAPOLIS – Claiming some legislators have been “crabby” with their time, a watchdog group is greeting five legislators and one Prince George’s County legislative delegation on the first day of the General Assembly with “Crabbie” awards. The Maryland Accountability Project (MAP) today released its second annual “unexcused absence” scorecard, which found that Senator Ulysses Currie (D-25) and Delegates John Arnick (D-06), Joanne Benson (D-24), Jill Carter (D-41), and John Adams Hurson (D-18) had the five worst attendance records on the floor of the General Assembly during the 2005 Session. MAP also announced its first-ever “Crabbie” award to the legislative delegation with the worst attendance record with the award going to the delegation from District 24 of Prince George’s County. The MAP “unexcused absence” scorecard can be downloaded at www.marylandaccountabilityproject.org.
MAP researched each bill brought to the floor of the General Assembly in 2005 and catalogued every time a legislator was “not voting.” The five worst attendance records were as follows:
The General Assembly has its own process for excusing absences, and MAP did not count excused absences against any legislators.
Moreover, during the 2005 Session, District 24 of Prince George’s County had a collective record of 216 unexcused absences and received the first-ever “Crabbie” award given to a legislative delegation. District 24 is represented by Senator Nathaniel Exum (D) and Delegates Joanne Benson (D), Carolyn Howard (D), and Michael Vaughn (D). This is Senator Exum’s second “Crabbie” award.
MAP is also greeting eleven legislators on Wednesday who had zero unexcused absences with “Lighthouse” awards. Winners include:
There were five repeat winners of the “Lighthouse” award: Senator Brochin (D-42) and Delegates Cluster (R-08), Dwyer (R-31), Jennings (R-07), and Lee (D-16). While no legislative delegation qualified for a “Lighthouse” award, the bipartisan delegation from District 42 of Baltimore County came closest with only five votes missed by all four members combined. District 42 is represented by Senator James Brochin (D) and Delegates Susan Aumann (R), William Frank (R), and John Trueschler (R).
“Marylanders 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,” said Doug Graham of the Maryland Accountability Project. “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 and hold their representatives accountable. At the same time, voters should also know which legislators are always on the job and make it to every vote. The eleven legislators who made every vote, especially the five legislators who are repeat winners of the Lighthouse award, deserve the praise of the electorate 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 and to generally encouraging citizens to participate in the democratic process to hold public officials accountable. More information about MAP can be found on the organization’s Web site at www.marylandaccountabilityproject.org.
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(c) 2006 Maryland Accountability Project, Inc. All rights reserved.