2011 Scorecard Introduction
Thank you for allowing us to share our North Dakota 2011 legislative session NDFA Action scorecard with you.
As you will see we selected bills which NDFA believed were of great interest to the family, and had the ability to affect our families and the legacy we leave to our children.
While a legislative scorecard should be pretty straight forward, there are some instances where a vote does not tell the whole story. A legislator could have voted in alignment with NDFA Action’s position on the final passage, our position in committee, or used their influence to oppose our position prior to the final vote.
On the scorecard you will see the 2011 bill number with a title (if you are unfamiliar with the detailed nature of the bill, you can find it on this website under “Legislative Watch 2011” or call our office). You will see how the legislators voted, and if red, that depicts a vote in opposition to our position prior to the final vote.
If a bill, such as HB1279, shows a vote in one chamber but not the other, that reflects that the bill was defeated in the first chamber, and never required a vote in the other chamber.
The + indicator represents recognition for a legislator who went above and beyond in their efforts on that particular bill. In many, but not all cases, those legislators may have been on the committee hearing the bill.
The – indicator represents legislators whose efforts resulted in visible opposition to the position held by NDFA Action. The –* indicator represents legislators whose efforts opposed NDFA Action’s position while voting favorably on the final version of the bill.
As the 2012 general election nears, NDFA Action will circulate a “voter guide” request to candidates for their response on issues that are important to the family—as we did in 2008 and 2010. Utilizing their voter guide responses, this scorecard (if they served in 2011), and other pertinent data and information, NDFA Action will determine which candidates merit our support.
The combination of a voter guide request before being elected and a scorecard assessment after a legislative session provides a great resource for us as we prepare to cast our ballots in the next general election. Not only can we view a candidate’s response as to how they will vote, where their support lies, but then we can track their votes and support during the session.
I hope this is useful to you as you review those in your legislative district, or those of interest to you.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to give us a call or email.
Click here to view the 2011 Scorecard.
Best regards, NDFA Action