Even if Maricopa wasn’t blessed with an efficient (or even passable) highway, it did luck out with some pretty darn dedicated state legislators.
Rep. Teresa Martinez (R-Casa Grande) and Sen. T.J. Shope (R-Coolidge) were two of three GOP Arizona legislators noted for perfect attendance this session by the Arizona Agenda.
The other lawmakers who made it a point to show up 100% of the time to the House or Senate floors were Sen. Sine Kerr (R-Buckeye) and Reps. Deborah Nardozzi (D-Scottsdale) and Junelle Cavero (D-Phoenix).
For Martinez, being present was integral to being able to do her job as western Pinal County’s representative.
“You’re missing votes, you’re missing procedures, you’re missing committees, you’re missing proclamations, all of this,” Martinez said of those with less stellar attendance. “I take it seriously and show up every day. I think in three years, I’ve only missed one vote.”
Shope also consistently recorded near-perfect attendance during his 11-year tenure, musing he “missed three or four days at most” in his career. He attributed this to his upbringing.
“Working for my parents in our grocery store [in Coolidge], there really weren’t any days off,” he said. “You go to work, and you do your job. That’s also the promise I made to the voters.”
Both Shope and Martinez said being present is key to making a difference in the communities they represent.
“I am there because you, the voters of Pinal County, elected me as their representative to go and work on your behalf,” Martinez said. “I hope it sends the message that I am serious about the work I do. That I am 100% committed to them and I’m going to show up for them.”
In Arizona, a ‘B’ average
However, attendance isn’t the be all, end all of the job.
“To be fair, the job does extend far beyond just showing up to vote on the House or Senate floor. Attendance records don’t take into account countless hours potentially spent writing and researching bills,” the Agenda noted.
On average, most senators and representatives earned a B-plus for showing up to the State Capitol for voting, committee meetings and other political happenings. State senators averaged 86% in attendance rate; representatives 88%.
Maricopa’s other representative Keith Seaman performed better than average with just four excused absences, a 92% attendance rate.
Sen. Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek) snagged the worst record with a 56% attendance rate. That means he was present 33 of 59 days the Senate was in session.
In the House, Reps. Jacqueline Parker (R-Mesa) and Alma Hernandez (D-Tucson) showed up two-thirds of the time for legislative sessions, each having 18 excused and unexcused absences.
