The RI House Scoring System

Here’s the scoring system for Anchor Rising's legislative rankings that will appear in the following post. The heading-links will take you to the posts that explain the legislation involved and the complete vote tallies in detail.

Pension Reform:

• +2 for voting for the pension reform article or for the amendment affecting new hires.

Reducing State Car-Tax Reimbursement and
Increasing Local Car Tax Authority:

• +2 for voting against the amendment reducing the exemption from $3,000 (in the original bill) to $500 and voting against the final article.
• +1 for voting against the amendment reducing the exemption but voting for the final article.
• Zip for voting for the amendment reducing the exemption, even combined with a vote against the final article.
• -1 for voting against the amendment establishing a uniform reimbursement rate throughout the state.

Relief from Unfunded Mandates:

• +2 for voting for amendments relieving both municipal-side and educational-side unfunded mandates.
• +1 for voting for one amendment but not the other.
• -1 for voting for educational unfunded mandate relief in 2009 but not 2010 (when the legislature was increasing local taxing authority via the car tax).

Education Reform:

• (For legislators in office prior to 2009) +2 for voting against the amendments to water down Mayoral academies in 2008, and for mayoral academy and charter school start-up funding in 2009.
• (For legislators in office prior to 2009) +1 for voting for the start-up funding in 2009, after a vote to water-down mayoral academies in 2008.
• (For legislators in office prior to 2009) Zip for going wobbly and voting against start-up funding in 2009, regardless of 2008 votes.
• (For legislators who took office for the first time in 2009) +2 for voting for start-up funding in 2009.
• (For all legislators) -1 for voting against expanding the charter cap in 2010.

Teacher’s Health Insurance Board:

• +2 for voting against the override that implemented the board.