Local Legislators Get High Marks From Indiana Chamber

Friday, June 14, 2019 at 11:59 AM

By Mike Perleberg @mikedup84

Find out how business-friendly your legislator's voting record was this year.

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - Local lawmakers are getting grades on how business-friendly their voting record was during the 2019 legislative session.

The Indiana Chamber of Commerce released its Legislative Vote Analysis on Thursday.

“The Legislative Vote Analysis is how we hold lawmakers accountable for their voting records and is an important source of information for employers and citizens across our state,” says Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar.

“The report’s purpose is to keep Hoosiers informed about what’s going on at the Indiana Statehouse and how their legislators are voting on issues vital to Indiana’s economic future. This report makes it clear which legislators support pro-job growth and pro-economy issues and which legislators do not.”

State Senator Chip Perfect (R-Lawrenceburg) received a pro-business voting score of 89 percent. Senator Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) received an 86.

State Representative Randy Frye's (R-Greensburg) record this year was rated at 84 percent. State Representative Randy Lyness (R-West Harrison) earned a 92 percent. State Representative Cindy Zeimke (R-Batesville) received a perfect 100 percent grade from the Indiana Chamber.

The chamber was largely happy with the results of the 2019 legislative session. Brinegar said there were important wins with bills regarding sentencing guidelines for hate crimes, increased investment/efforts to deploy broadband to rural areas, transferability of the venture capital investment tax credit, significant water infrastructure funding, school accountability improvements and statewide preschool expansion.

However, Brinegar said there was one "big failure to act" on increasing the cigarette tax or raising the legal tobacco purchasing age from 18 up to 21.

The scores are available on the Indiana Chamber’s website at www.indianachamber.com/lva.