Several Republicans earned perfect scores, and no Democrat cracked the 70 percent mark in a legislative scorecard from the National Federation of Independent Business.
The report card was based on eight votes ranging from the Delaware Competes Act to barring employees from discussing the wages of other employees.
The NFBI opposed the wage discussion measure and endorsed Delaware Competes.
Delaware Competes puts corporate tax practices in line with neighboring states and was a key factor in keeping chemical company Chemours in Delaware and getting two of three headquarters of the companies slated to be spun off from the merger of Dow and DuPont.
Foes cited the loss of tax revenue from the change.
Some issues that had the blessing of the NFIB passed unanimously in one or both houses.
Legislators with 100 percent scores were typically Republicans who resided south of the C&D Canal. Earning a 100 percent score was state Sen. Colin Bonini, R-Dover, who is now running for Gov. against U.S. Rep. John Carney.
The most liberal Democrats earned the lowest scores including State Sen and unsuccessful Congressional candidate Bryan Townsend and Rep. John Knowalko, both of whom represent portions of the Newark area. Kowalko was a fierce opponent of the Delaware Competes Act.
Among Republicans, State Sen. Ernesto Lopez, R-Lewes, had the lowest score at 75 percent.
Republicans north of the canal typically had scores in the 80 percent-plus range.
“Our voting record is an incredibly valuable tool that allows voters to determine whether or not the issues vital to small businesses in Delaware are a priority for individual legislators,” according to NFIB Delaware state director, Mike O’Halloran. “We consider anything above 70 percent to be a passing grade but the higher the percentage, the more a lawmaker voted for the pro-small business position.”
The voting record was distributed to all NFIB small business members in the state ahead of the November elections as a guide to supporting lawmakers that have proven they stand by small business with their votes on bills before the legislature. Out of 62 members of the current General Assembly, 24 scored higher than 70 percent.
“The influence of small business voters can be felt throughout the state and we certainly believe that lawmakers scoring above 70 percent on our voting record understand and prioritize the needs of the small business sector. This election will be vital to establishing policies that encourage growth and economic improvement. We look forward to working with a new legislature that is friendly to small business in Delaware and is committed to improving our regulatory and fiscal climate,” O’Halloran said.
Click on the link below for report card scores:
http://www.nfib.com/pdfs/Delaware-Voting-Record.pdf
