Being effective means more than just being busy.

Earlier this week, al(dot)com published a story that claimed to illustrate the effectiveness of north Alabama lawmakers. Using a simple scoring system to rank state reps and senators on the pieces of legislation they sponsored and ushered through to become laws, the story claimed to show how effective the north Alabama delegation was in the last session.

Except, that’s no way to judge effectiveness as a lawmaker. Especially in a state legislature that is controlled by a supermajority of one party that has the ability to shove through any piece of legislation it wishes.

Effectiveness goes far beyond passing legislation. It should, under any objective measure, include at least some passing judgment of the legislation’s effect on the populac

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