If measuring the effectiveness of legislators were as simple as keeping baseball statistics, Sen. Dean Martin, R-Dist. 6, would be the 46th Legislature’s home run leader. He had more bills signed by the governor this past session than any other legislator.

As for batting averages, two freshman legislators who introduced fewer than a dozen bills are the leaders in that category.

This kind of measurement will get you an argument in any political crowd.

For example Stan Barnes, a political consultant and former member of both the House and Senate, says “throw out the statistics” when it comes to deciding which legislators are effective. “It’s not hitting a ball out of the park,” he said, adding, “It has less to do with philosophy; it’s the kind of person you are.”

In Mr. Barnes’s view, legislative effectiveness is “building a power base” on both sides of the political aisle. Legislators who are able to do that, he said, “grow into the next speaker, Senate president or committee chairmen.”

Mr. Martin and other lawmakers who were successful in moving bills they sponsored to Governor Napolitano’s desk tend to agree.

“The president was the true leader,” Mr. Martin said, referring to Senate President Ken Bennett. “He held together a divided caucus. He shepherded a lot of bills, plus the budget.”

Rookie Success

House freshman William Konopnicki, R-Dist. 5, and Senate newcomer Jay Tibshraeny, R-Dist. 21, brought only 11 bills between them to the plate in their rookie season, but ended the session with the best batting averages: Four of five Konopnicki bills were signed for an .800 average, and the governor approved of four of Mr. Tibshraeny’s six bills, earning him a .667.

The most effective legislators, Mr. Tibshraeny said, are those who “accomplish worthy goals that benefit the entire population of the state.” Using that definition, he judged the entire Senate as being the most effective this past session because it broke a three-week fiscal impasse by producing a bipartisan budget for fiscal 2004.

“That was a budget of the body,” Mr. Tibshraeny said.

Mr. Konopnicki attributed his success to working both sides of the aisle in both houses and having a “give and take relationship” with other legislators, plus “a little luck.”

He gave high marks to freshmen legislators, but credited Speaker Jake Flake, R-Dist. 5, with being the most effective for getting the budget and the university research facilities bills passed in the House.

“When push came to shove, he got it done,” Mr. Konopnicki said.

Among the statistical leaders in lawmaking during the first session, only Mr. Konopnicki is not a committee chairman; he is vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

Dean Martin Bats .435

Mr. Martin, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and in his second term, had 20 of his 46 bills signed, for a batting average of .435. His bills included expansion of victims’ rights, registration of sex offenders on college campuses, state funding for Phoenix Civic Plaza expansion, and regulation of unwanted e-mail advertising.

Mr. Martin’s successes also included bills dealing with state retirement, victims’ rights, and teacher performance.

Ms. Napolitano vetoed Mr. Martin’s bill to permit a taxpayer who protests a state notice of tax deficiency to bring the action directly to tax court.

Being a Republican committee chairman was an advantage in getting many of his bills through the Senate, Mr. Martin said, adding that Mr. Bennett “empowered his chairmen. He never crossed his chairmen.”

Among Mr. Konopnicki’s successful bills was one that increases penalties for causing a wildfire. He also sponsored a resolution to limit voter-approved spending that passed the House and cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee but did not make it to the Senate floor for a vote.

Mr. Tibshraeny, the only freshman with a chairmanship, said it was an advantage being chairman of the Senate Government Committee, from which emerged three of his four successful bills.

His legislation dealt with criminal trespass on critical public utilities property, options for counties and cities to estimate populations for state revenue sharing; exemptions from campaign expense reporting for utilities in franchise elections, and alternative design and build options for large construction projects.

He said that as a freshman he also had the advantage of having “no past baggage” and no preconceptions about the Legislature, though at first, he said, it was a disadvantage not being familiar with “procedural nuances” of moving legislation.

Carolyn Allen

Also posting an impressive batting average — .625, though with more trips to the plate — was legislative veteran Sen. Carolyn Allen, R-Dist. 8. She introduced 24 bills, 15 of which were signed by the governor.

Ms. Allen’s biggest headlines, however, came over a bill the governor didn’t sign: S1009, the Allen bill to increase unemployment benefits and also to increase the weeks-worked qualification requirement. Ms. Napolitano vetoed that bill, and after trying unsuccessfully to resurrect it, Ms. Allen threw in the towel.

Her .625 becomes .667 if she is given credit for passage of the Maricopa County special hospital district bill, which she also sponsored and managed on the Senate floor. An identical bill was sponsored and guided though the House by Rep. Phil Hanson, R-Dist. 9, and as it turned out, the House bill was the one that was sent to the governor.

Linda Gray

Rounding out the legislative scorecard, Rep. Linda Gray, R-Dist. 10, chairwoman of the House Education Committee, was prime sponsor of 36 bills, 13 of which were signed by Ms. Napolitano, and two that will become law without her signature. That gave Ms. Gray a batting average of .416.

The governor vetoed two of Ms. Gray’s bills.One veto was the voter ID bill that requires proof of identification at the polls. The Governor vetoed H2345 June 26.

In addition to Mr. Konopnicki and Mr. Tibshraeny, two freshmen senators and 12 freshmen representatives were prime sponsors of 17 bills that will become law Sept. 18. —