Not including budget bills, one representative and one senator had more than half the bills they sponsored signed into law this year.
Six lawmakers, including a Democrat, batted .500, with half their bills escaping Governor Napolitano’s veto stamp.
It is customary for either the speaker of the House or Senate president to be the prime sponsor of budget bills, but those were not counted in this year’s Arizona Capitol Times tabulation of lawmakers’ final batting averages for the year. Had they been, Speaker Jim Weiers, R-10, would have gone seven for seven at the plate.
Instead, his brother Jerry Weiers, R-12, had the best average of all legislators with six of his nine bills enacted into law, yielding a .667 batting average.
Across the mall, Sen. Jim Waring, R-7, hit 14 in 27 attempts for .519.
For the season, the Legislature dropped 1,615 measures into the hopper, including placeholder bills, memorials and resolutions, and Ms. Napolitano signed 395 bills and vetoed 43.
Bill sponsorships do not include technical corrections bills, memorials or resolutions, unless a resolution became a ballot referendum.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Dean Martin, R-6, led of legislators in the number of bill sponsorships with 94, however only 19 were signed and eight were vetoed by the governor, giving him the distinction of the legislator with the most strikeouts and a .202 batting average.
Sen. John Huppenthal, R-20, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, was second in sponsorship, with 63 bills, 29 of which were enacted for a .460 batting average. One of his bills was among the 43 strikeouts the governor tossed this year.
Before he was appointed to the Senate to replace the late Marilyn Jarrett, Rep. Chuck Gray sponsored 45 bills to lead the sponsorship category among House members. Five of his bills were signed into law, and one was vetoed.
Rep. Amanda Aguirre, D-24, was the star Democrat in a Republican-controlled Legislature. She went three for six at the plate for a .500 average.
Of the 273 Democrat bills introduced this year, only 69 (31 in the House and 38 in the Senate) were heard in committee, and 13 were signed into law.
Other .500 batters were Reps. Jennifer Burns, R-25; John McComish, R-20; Michele Reagan, R-8; Bob Robson, R-20; and Sen. Jake Flake, R-5.
Senate reporter Phil Riske contributed to this article.