Which Kansas legislators supported taxpayer friendly policies in the 2008 legislative session?

According to the Kansas Taxpayers Network, which released its ratings of legislators today, eight Senators and 63 house members achieved a score of 75 percent or higher, based on votes they cast during the 2008 session. Lawmakers who score 75 percent or higher are considered taxpayer friendly.

Not a single Democrat in the House or Senate scored 75 percent or better.

 Five lawmakers, including three House members and two Senators, all Republicans, scored a perfect 100 percent. They were: Rep. Clay Aurand, R-Courtland; Rep. Jeff Colyer, R-Overland Park; Rep. Sharon Schwartz, R-Washington; Sen. Tim Huelskamp, R-Meade; and Sen. Dennis Pyle, R-Hiawatha.

Only four lawmakers, all House Democrats, managed to achieve 0.0 percent scores, meaning, according to KTN, that they voted against the interests of taxpayers every time an opportunity arose.

They were: Tom Burroughs, D-Kansas City; Vaughn Flora, D-Topeka; Broderick Henderson, D-Kansas City; and Annie Kuether, D-Topeka.

Karl Peterjohn, executive director of KTN, said the kerfuffle over a proposed coal plant expansion played a significant role in this year’s ratings.

“The 2008 rankings were influenced by the dominant issue of this year’s legislature, the proposed expansion of the western Kansas power plant at Holcomb,” said Peterjohn.  “KTN used a number of the legislative votes from both houses on this scorecard. Energy and the government restrictions on generating electricity that also produce carbon dioxide are likely to be the top issue in the 2008 Kansas legislative elections.”

The average score for Republicans in the House was 82.59; the average for House Democrats was 23.

In the Senate, Republicans averaged a score of 64.59 while their Democrat counterparts scored an average of 32.17.

Republican House members who achieved the lowest ratings were Rep. Jill Quigley, R-Lenexa, and Rep. Pat Colloton, R-Leawood, both of whom earned a 33.3. Three House Democrats, Bill Feuerborn, Eber Phelps, and Vincent Wetta, scored 50.

In the Senate, the lowest scoring Republicans were Sen. Jay Emler, R-Lindsborg, and Sen. Carolyn McGinn, R-Sedgwick. They both received scores of 36.4.

The highest ranking Democrats in the Senate were Mark Gilstrap, Chris Steineger and David Haley, all of Kansas City, and Jim Barone of Frontenac. They all scored 54.5.

Senators who rated as taxpayer friendly were: Tim Huelskamp, R-Meade; Dennis Pyle, R-Hiawatha; Phil Journey, R-Wichita; Julia Lynn, R-Olathe; Ralph Ostmeyer, R-Grinnell; Peggy Palmer, R-Augusta; and Mark Taddiken, R-Clifton. Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican, barely missed the cut, with a ranking of 72.7.

Taxpayer-friendly House members were: Virginia Beamer, R-Oakley; Bob Bethell, R-Alden; Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia; Anthony Brown, R-Eudora; Steven Brunk, R-Bel Aire; Mike Burgess, R-Topeka; Richard Carlson, R-St. Mary’s; Barbara Craft, R-Junction City; David Crum, R-Augusta; Owen Donohoe, R-Shawnee; Rocky Fund, R-Hoyt; Pat George, R-Dodge City; Mario Goico, R-Wichita; Lana Gordon, R-Topeka; John Grange, R-El Dorado; Gary Hayzlett, R-Lakin; Don Hill, R-Emporia; Benjamin Hodge, R-Overland Park; Carl Holmes, R-Liberal; Mitch Holmes, R-St. John; Deena Horst, R-Salina; Steve Huebert, R-Valley Center; Joe Humerickhouse, R-Osage City; Kasha Kelley, R-Arkansas City; Dick Kelsey, R-Goddard; Mike Kiegerl, R-Olathe; Lance Kinzer, R-Olathe; Forrest Knox, R-Altoona; Brenda Landwehr, R-Wichita; Bill Light, R-Rolla; Peggy Mast, R-Emporia; Ty Masterson, R-Andover; Joe McLeland, R-Wichita; Ray Merrick, Stilwell; Jim Morrison, R-Colby; Judy Morrison, R-Shawnee; Tom Moxley, R-Council Grove; Don Myers, R-Derby; Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls; Rob Olson, R-Olathe; Michael O'Neal, R-Hutchinson; Joe Patton, R-Topeka; Virgil Peck, R-Tyro; Jo Ann Pottorff, R-Wichita; Larry Powell, Garden City; Ted Powers, R-Mulvane; Richard Proehl, R-Parsons; Marc Rhoades, R-Newton; Charles Roth, R-Salina; Don Schroeder, R-Inman; Sharon Schwartz, Sharon, R-Washington; Clark Shultz, Lindsborg; Arlen Siegfried, R-Olathe; Vern Swanson, R-Clay Center; Lee Tafanelli, R-Ozawkie; Jene Vickrey, R-Louisburg; Jason Watkins, R-Wichita; Jeff Whitham, R-Garden City; Kenny Wilk, R-Lansing; Bill Wolf, R-Great Bend; and Kevin Yoder, R-Overland Park.