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Most Republican state lawmakers on the Gulf Coast are 'A' players in the eyes of the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
In fact, 27 out of 31 Republican legislators who represent a Gulf Coast district scored at least a 90 on the chamber's annual Legislature scorecard of pro-business votes. Nine of those 27 earned a perfect 100. That perfection list includes State Sen. Garrett Richter, a prominent Naples banker, and State Rep. Doug Holder from Sarasota, who is rumored to have a shot at being named lieutenant governor. Another three Republicans scored an 85, for a solid B.
The lone GOP lawmaker to do poorly in the chamber's scorecard is State Rep. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, who earned a 71 — barely a C grade. Fasano, in what's not likely a coincidence, has been a leading anti-Republican voice within his own party for at least parts of the last three sessions.
Fasano called Florida Gov. Rick Scott clueless in 2011 for what the legislator says was the governor's mistaken strategy to depopulate Citizens Property Insurance Corp. Fasano has also publicly criticized leading House and Senate Republicans, including onetime Senate President Mike Haridopolos.
The Florida chamber, meanwhile, looked at six economy-related categories in its scorecard, and that's where Fasano stood out. Fasano scored a 43 in the business climate and competitiveness category, for example, where he voted against eight chamber-backed bills and supported six. Fasano has been a legislator for nearly 20 years, first in the Florida House, from 1994 to 2002 and then in the Senate, from 2002 to 2012. He won an election back to the House in 2012.
Still, while Fasano bucked his party, his pro-business C from the chamber beat the seven Democrats who represent a Gulf Coast district. All seven of those lawmakers earned Ds or Fs. State Rep. Dwight Richard Dudley, D-St. Petersburg, earned the lowest score in the region, a 47. Dudley scored a 15 in the business climate and competitiveness category, where he supported two chamber-backed bills.
The chamber, according to a press release, tabulated more than 8,000 votes from the session for all 160 lawmakers statewide. “Business leaders and voters deserve to know their legislators are voting in support of private-sector jobs and a stronger economy,” Florida Chamber Executive Vice President David Hart says in the release. “The Florida Chamber's Legislative Report Card gives job creators and voters the information they need to make informed decisions on who they will support in the future.”
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