THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 28, 1996 TAG: 9604280176
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
Dare County's state senator, Marc Basnight, has been rated the most effective member of the 50-member body, according to a survey released last week by a Raleigh think tank.
The study, conducted by the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research, polled legislators, lobbyists and capital correspondents in rating the senators.
Basnight, the president pro tempore, ranked ahead of Sen. Anthony E. ``Tony'' Rand, D-Cumberland. Sen. Aaron W. Plyler, D-Union, finished third. Finishing last among the 49 senators rated was Buncombe County Republican R.L. Clark.
Only 49 were included because of the death of Sen. Thomas E. Sawyer, R-Guilford.
Ran Coble, director of the nonpartisan, nonprofit research group, said a variety of factors are considered in ranking legislators, including leadership, constituent service, bills introduced and passed, enthusiasm for the job, influence in the legislature and understanding of the legislative process.
Each member of the Senate was surveyed, as were 371 North Carolina-based lobbyists and legislative liaisons and 33 capital news correspondents.
``We wanted to include people who are there for every day of the session, and who have the opportunity to observe the senators on a day-to-day basis,'' Coble said. ``This is a way to provide legislators with some feedback as to how they are doing.''
Coble said that while many first-term lawmakers may score low in the survey, that is not always an indicator of their abilities.
``Most of the time, first-term legislators score low,'' he said. ``But generally, as they gain experience, those scores tend to go up.''
The survey was based on legislators' performance during the 1995 regular session.
Basnight said he was honored and humbled by the ranking.
``I've never considered myself to be better than anyone else,'' he said. ``I just try to do the best job I can for the people who chose to put me in office.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Side Bar]
The top 10 most effective senators:
According to the Raleigh-based Center for Public Policy Research,
which surveyed senators, North Carolina-based lobbyists and
legislative liaisons, and capital news correspondents.
1. Marc Basnight, D-Dare
2. Anthony E. ``Tony'' Rand, D-Cumberland
3. Aaron W. Plyler, D-Union
4. Roy A. Cooper III, D-Nash
5. Betsy L. Cochrane, R-Davie
6. Beverly M. Perdue, D-Craven
7. J. Richard Conder, D-Richmond
8. T.L. ``Fountain'' Odom, D-Mecklenburg
9. David W. Hoyle, D-Gaston
10. John H. Kerr, III, D-Wayne
KEYWORDS: LEGISLATIVE EFFECTIVENESS SURVEY NORTH CAROLINA by CNB