JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – For the second year in a row, the American Conservative Union will announce its legislative ratings for the Missouri General Assembly later today.
The rankings – distributed by ACU to Congress since 1971 – are often used by Republicans to shore up their conservative bona fides. ACU distributes them in 20 states (including Missouri) so far, and plans to expand to all 50 states this year. They are ever more important as lawmakers go back home for reelection in their primaries later this year.
“For 42 years, ACU has set the gold standard for Congressional ratings, and we are now able to offer that same level of transparent information to the voters of Missouri so they can hold their elected officials accountable at the state level as well,” said Al Cardenas, chairman of ACU. “In our second year rating the Show-Me State, we applaud conservatives in the Missouri General Assembly who continue to fight for tax reform, employee rights, and conscience protections.”
Cardenas said ACU was hopeful the General Assembly would circle back to approving a tax credit this session, as well as legislation that would move to change the state constitution to cap annual spending increases (legislation that passed the House last year).
The rating considered nearly a dozen bills, including support of the HB 253 tax cut legislation, the HB 436 gun nullification bill, the SB 350 tax credit bill, and opposition to last year’s state sales and use tax for transportation. All but two of the Republicans who voted no on the controversial tax bill – Rep. Lynn Morris and Rep. Lyle Rowland – did not make the list this year.
Who Ranked?
In the Senate, three members received the “ACU Defenders of Liberty Award,” which is awarded to lawmakers who receive 100 percent ratings. The members were Dan Brown, Brian Nieves, and Eric Schmitt.
In the House, 20 lawmakers received the rating, including Reps. Kurt Bahr, Eric Burlison, Mike Cierpiot, Steve Cookson, Robert Cornejo, Stanley Cox, Kevin Elmer, Chuck Gatschenberger, Elijah Haahr, Ron Hicks, Caleb Jones, Timothy Jones, Shelley Keeney, Andrew Koenig, Mark Parkinson, Shawn Rhoads, Todd Richardson, Robert Ross, and Bryan Spencer.
Several more members received 80 percent ratings from the group, and the group named them “ACU Conservatives.” In the Senate, 80 percent ratings were awarded to Ed Emery, Will Kraus, Brad Lager, John Lamping, Doug Libla, Mike Parson, David Pearce, David Sater, Kurt Schaefer, Ryan Silvey, and Gary Romine.
Dozens of Republican members of the House received the rating, including Reps. Sue Allen, Sonya Anderson, Kevin Austin, Mike Bernskoetter, T.J. Berry, Rick Brattin, Wanda Brown, Kathie Conway, Sandy Crawford, Gary Cross, Paul Curtman, Charlie Davis, John Diehl, Dean Dohrman, Tony Dugger, Kevin Engler, Scott Fitzpatrick, Tom Flanigan, Diane Franklin, Keith Frederick, Doug Funderburk, Don Gosen, Jeff Grisamore, Casey Guernsey, Marsha Haefner, Dave Hinson, Denny Hoskins, Jay Houghton, Tom Hurst, Delus Johnson, Jeffery Justus, Mike Kelley, Glen Kolkmeyer, Bart Korman, Mike Lair, Bill Lant, Mike Leara, Donna Lichtenegger, Warren Love, Steve Lynch, Rocky Miller, Mike Moon, Lynn Morris, Dave Muntzel, Myron Neth, Randy Pike, Jeff Pogue, Holly Rehder, Bill Reiboldt, Tim Remole, Jeanie Riddle, Lyle Rowland, Dwight Scharnhorst, Dave Schatz, Noel Shull, Lindell Shumake, Chrissy Sommer, Rick Stream, Kathryn Swan, Paul Wieland, and Kenneth Wilson.
Seventeen members of the House Democratic Caucus received scores of 0 percent, and were labeled ACU “True Liberals.” The members include Reps. Bob Burns, Randy Dunn, Jacob Hummel, Jeremy LaFaver, Gail McCann Beatty, Tom McDonald, Sue Meredith, Bonnaye Mims, Genise Montecillo, Judy Morgan, Mary Nichols, Bill Otto, Joshua Peters, Tommie Pierson, Jay Swearingen, Rochelle Walton Gray, and Stephen Webber.