A new study from the Center for Effective Lawmaking ranks State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) as the most effective Alabama Senate Republican and the only senator to exceed expectations for four consecutive legislative sessions.

The Center for Effective Lawmaking, a joint research enterprise of Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia measures legislative effectiveness using its State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES), factoring in how many bills a lawmaker sponsors, how far those bills advance through the process, and how many ultimately become law.

During the latest quadrennium (2019-2022), Orr scored 3.15, the highest among Senate Republicans. He introduced 94 bills, 63 passed the Senate, and 37 became law.

The study compares each lawmaker to a benchmark based on their seniority, party status, and committee positions.

Orr, who chairs the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee, was the only senator in either party to exceed that benchmark for four straight sessions.

Among House Republicans, State Rep. Jim Hill (R-Moody) ranked first with a score of 3.64. State Rep. Laura Hall (D-Huntsville) topped House Democrats with a score of 1.81. State Sen. Rodger Smitherman (D-Birmingham) led Senate Democrats with a score of 1.73.

The full rankings and methodology are available at the Center for Effective Lawmaking’s website.

Sawyer Knowles is a capitol reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].