Among all the conservative politicians at the N.C. General Assembly, it appears none are conservative enough to suit Civitas Action.
The non-profit voter education group, with has ties to the conservative John William Pope Civitas Institute, released its Conservative Effectiveness Rankings for the 2009 legislative session on Monday.
Rep. Dale Folwell, a Forsyth County Republican, snagged the title of the most conservative member of the N.C. House, with a 89.8 score on the 100-point scale developed by Civitas Action. At the other end of the spectrum, Speaker Joe Hackney, a Democrat from Orange County, was awarded a score of 0.
In the state Senate, Davie County Republican Sen. Andrew Brock was rated as the body's most conservative member, with a score of 79. Three Democrats, Sens. Ellie Kinnaird of Orange, Katie Dorsett of Guilford and Martin Nesbitt of Buncombe were all scored at the bottom, tying at 2.1 on the group's scale.
Civitas Action's scale is based on the elected officials' votes on bills and amendments the group identified as demonstrative of commitment to conservative ideals as "derived from free-market economic policies, limited government, personal responsibility and civic engagement," according to the group's web site.
By that measure, the most conservative member of the state House got the equivalent of a B+, whole the most conservative senator got a C+.
UPDATE: Bill Holmes, spokesman for Speaker Hackney, points out that the Democratic leader didn't vote on 49 of the 50 bills Civitas Action graded. The speaker typically only votes to break a tie or at other points where his support is determinative, Holmes said. Sen. Vernon Malone, who died in April, also got a 0 score from the group due to his being "absent" when many of the bills came up.
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Folwell was docked points for five votes, including his support of adding coverage of lymphedema to the list of health care treatments mandated for coverage by health insurance companies and the state health plan, as well as ordering the health plan to cover the costs of hearing aids.
Folwell was also criticized for votes in favor of banning plastic shopping bags on the Outer Banks and authorizing $25 million to build a state-run fishing pier at Nags Head.
Brock lost points for votes in favor of corporate incentives for Apple Computer, authorizing increased regulation of home inspectors, hair braiders and polysomnographists.
Civitas' position is that any such professional regulations or licensing restrictions imposed by the state impede the free market. He also supported covering hearing aids and lymphedema, a debilitating disease affecting the lymphatic system for which there is no known cure. The group says placing such coverage mandates on insurance companies increases health care costs for everyone else.
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