The Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) has released its State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES) for the 56th Arizona Legislature (2023-2024), the 2023-2024 Idaho Legislature, and the 2023-2024 Vermont Legislature.
Measuring Legislative Impact
These scores are designed to measure how effectively individual legislators are advancing proposals through the legislative process. The SLES track the number of bills sponsored, how far those bills progress, and their overall significance. This initiative is part of a larger effort to assess lawmaking effectiveness across all 99 state legislative chambers in the United States.
The release of these scores builds on previous reports from Montana and Georgia, with plans to include additional states in the coming months.
Key Findings
The SLES identified top-performing lawmakers in each state and across both parties. The reports likewise highlighted legislators who exceeded expectations, including both seasoned politicians and newcomers. Generally, majority-party legislators were found to be more effective, a trend consistent with previous CEL research.
In Arizona, the data reveals a strong correlation between partisanship and lawmaking success. While minority-party lawmakers across the country typically achieve an average SLES of around 0.6, those in Arizona averaged a score of 0.23. Despite this disadvantage, Democratic legislators in Arizona did manage to pass 20 bills during the 2023-2024 term, compared to 442 passed by Republicans—a ratio of approximately 20 to 1.
Vermont’s 2023-2024 legislative session saw a greater partisan divide than in previous years. Republican lawmakers in the Vermont Senate achieved an SLES of 0.30—the lowest level since 1993, resulting in only 3 laws originating from Republican proposals, compared to 50 from Democrats. In the House, Republicans passed 18 laws, including 7 sponsored by Rep. Marcotte, while Democrats passed 145.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the State Legislative Effectiveness Scores measure?
These scores capture lawmaking effectiveness by tracking the number of bills legislators sponsor, how far those bills advance through the legislative process, and the substantive significance of the proposals.
Which states were included in this latest release?
The SLES were released for the 56th Arizona Legislature (2023-2024), the 2023-2024 Idaho Legislature, and the 2023-2024 Vermont Legislature.
Does party affiliation impact a legislator’s effectiveness?
Consistent with CEL research, majority-party legislators were generally more effective lawmakers. The data from Arizona and Vermont also suggests that partisanship can significantly impact lawmaking success.
As the Center for Effective Lawmaking continues to expand its coverage, will a more comprehensive picture of legislative effectiveness emerge across the United States?
