Source: NORTH CAROLINA FREE ENTERPRISE FOUNDATION, 10/20/11

The North Carolina FreeEnterprise Foundation today released its Business Ratings of the 2011 North Carolina General Assembly. The 2011 Business Ratings report provides an analysis of the actions and attitudes of state lawmakers toward the interests and concerns of the state's business community during the 2011 Legislative Session. The Business Ratings are derived from a compilation of the voting records of state lawmakers on key business issues as well as the informed opinions of North Carolina business leaders and government affairs professionals representing a wide range of industries, interests and geographic areas across the state.

"North Carolina's business community is the engine that drives our state's economy and provides jobs for our working families," said John L. Rustin, Executive Director of the North Carolina FreeEnterprise Foundation.

"The 2011 Business Ratings come at a time when economic and employment conditions are top concerns on the minds of North Carolinians, and the Foundation is pleased to provide this valuable insight into the response of state lawmakers toward the key business issues of the 2011 Legislative Session."

Former Speaker of the N.C. House Rep. Harold Brubaker (R-Randolph) obtained the highest business rating of any member of the state legislature with a score of 96.8 on a 100-point scale. Senate Majority Leader Harry Brown (R-Onslow) closely followed with a 96.7, the highest rating obtained by a member of the State Senate. President Pro Tempore of the Senate Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) and current Speaker of the House Thom Tillis (R-Mecklenburg) earned the second-highest ratings in their respective chambers, both obtaining a 96.0, while Sen. Tom Apodaca (R-Henderson), with a 95.8, and Rep. Johnathan Rhyne (R-Lincoln), who resigned from the House in August and scored a 95.3, rounded out the top three in the Senate and House. Rep. Jim Crawford (D-Granville) achieved the highest rating among Democratic lawmakers with a score of 90.5, while Sen. Clark Jenkins (D-Edgecombe) earned the highest rating among Senate Democrats with a 78.3.

This year, 33 of the 50 state senators received a Business Rating of 70 or higher, placing them in the "Base" category and identifying them as consistent supporters of the free enterprise position. Seventy-three out of the 120 members of the state House scored above 70 and earned the "Base" designation.

"We thank all of the business leaders who participated in this important evaluation, and we congratulate the members of the North Carolina General Assembly who demonstrated a consistent commitment to our state's business community and the principals of the free enterprise system," said Jay Rouse, Director of Government Affairs for the North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the North Carolina FreeEnterprise Foundation.

The entire 2011 Business Ratings report can be found on the Foundation's website at www.ncfef.org.