27 NH Reps Were Absent More Than Half The Time

UPDATE--Since I posted this story, I have been informed by the House Clerk that there were 289 roll call votes rather than 290.  While this will not change the percentages much at all, we will discover a few more people with 100 percent.  Sorry.

There may be some adjustments to these numbers as we go along, but the House Clerk's office has released the much anticipated (at least for yours truly) attendance record for all 400 State Reps for the 2012 session.

The data is based on 290 roll call votes for the year which appears to be some type of a record.  Neither committee attendance nor votes other than roll calls in taken into account, but with so many roll calls, we can assume the percentage represents a good indication of the work put forth by each of the 400.

The average attendance was 81.9 percent.  In other words, the average Rep was present for 237 of the 290 roll call votes.

Only 14 Reps had perfect attendance, a significant decrease over prior years.  However, 32 more Reps had at least 99 percent.  In other words, 32 missed three or fewer votes.

27 Reps (not counting a couple who never showed up at all due to year-long illness) were on hand for less than 50 percednt of the votes.

I consider it vital that every voter know the attendance record of all incumbents seeking re-election.  I'm not sure if these are avaialble on line, but the Clerk's office should certainly have them for any and all media wishing to inform the electorate.

Here, I will list the 14, the 32, and the 27 alphabetically.

Present for all 290 votes were:  David Bates (not running again); John Burt; Labor Committee Chair Gary Daniels; Mary Griffin; Edith Hogan; Lawrence Kappler; Neal Kurk; Thomas Laware; Jeanine Notter; Joe Osgood (running for State Senate); Laurie Pettengill; William Remick; Chares Townsend; and Stella Tremblay.

Those present for 99 percent of the votes were:  Mary Allen; Susan Almy; David Babson (not running for Rep again); Anne Cartwright; Sam Cataldo (running for State Senate); Jennifer Daler; Susan DeLemus; Joe Duarte; Philip Ginsburg; Harry Hardwick; Tim Horrigan; Laura Jones; Joseph Krasucki; Donald LeBrun; Jonathan Maltz; Sean McGuinness; Carol McGuire (Dan had 98.6 percent); Robert Moore; Robbie Parsons; Laurence Rappaport; David Russell; Stephen Shurtleff; Steven Smith; Franklin Tilton; Jordan Ulery; Steve Vaillancourt (any guess why I missed the 100 percent mark for the first time in years???); Moe Villeneuve  (another who usually is at 100 percent); Carol Vita; Lucien Vita; David Watters (running for the Senate); David Welch; and Finance Chair Kenneth Weyler.

Worst attendance for a Chair of Vice Chair was Manchester's Will Infantine (Labor Vice Chair).  He was present for only 181 of 290 votes, 62.4 percent (yet he's running again--against Ben Baroody with an 85 percent attendance and Larry Gagne with 87 percent!).

I've saved the worst for last.  Here are the 27 Reps who missed for than 50 percent of the roll call votes (and their percentage scores.  There may have been good reasons--such as prolonger illness, but my guess is that most of the 27 do not have good reasons.  7 of the 27 were from Manchester, meaning that a city which has 8.75 percent of the Reps had 26 percent of the worst no-shows.  That's more than a statistical glitch!

Tom Beattie, Manchester West Side,  14; Norma Champage, Manchester Ward 5, 26; Baldwin Domingo 19; Stephnie Eaton 15; Susan Emerson 36; Larry Emerton 19; Pat Garrity, Manchester Ward 7, 31; Tim Hogan 24; Dorothea Hooper 44 (she was furious last time I named her, but I'm only the messenger here); Karen Hutchinson 6 (although I do recall her getting out of a sick bed to vote against gay marriage repeal); Jean Jeudy, Manchester Ward 3, 23; Tom Katsiantonis, Manchester Ward 8, 24 (he and his no show brother George from Ward 10 are both running this year; Fred Leonard 47; David Lundgren 49; Bruce McMahon 37; Bruce Marcus 41; Jeff Oligny 23; William Panek 6; Michele Peckham 46; Leo Pepino (since deceased), Manchester Ward 4, 49.7;  Peter Ramsey, Manchester Ward 1, 46; Jon Richardson 45; Marie Sapienza 15; Dino Scala 33; Kevin Sullivan 49.7; James Summers 49.7; Dan Tamburello (part of the O'Brien re-election team) 44; and Michael Weeden 46.



Comments

[Rep. Steven Smith]

I don't see my name listed, yet I have never missed a vote. - Rep. Steven Smith

[Representative Jenna Roberts]

Steve, Can you make the entire list available? It is strange that this is not easily accessible on the House webpage. I just called to request the list for 2011 and 2012 and cannot get the report run until August 13th dur to vacations. This seems like a huge waste of time to run in one by one. Thanks!
Rep Jenna Roberts

[Borat]

I would be more concerned with attendance records during the entire 2 year term than with over the last 12 months. There might be good reasons someone couldn't be there this past year (illness, job change/issue, etc.), but did well their first year when things were copacetic. A bad record for 2 years is more telling than just one, if you are trying to make an issue about who voters should question sendingto Concord again.

Plus, how many of those with poor attendance decided NOT to run again? I know Karen Hutchinson, who seems to have had the worst attendance, is running for re-election, for example. Sapienza is running again in a contested primary, as well. I think Will Panek is not.

[Rep Steve Vaillancourt]

I've asked the House Clerk, and apparently it's not available electronically. One would think we have such technology these days. I reported on the 2011 figures last year. Indeed, the composite is important, but 2012 is half the total, so it is certainly valid.
I'll be posting some composite scores of HRA, Liberty, and attendance. I ran them for all Manchester Reps, for use on my TV show, and some selected House "leaders". As y'all know, I don't have computer at home, so it's tough getting time to post things these days. I made a big issue on my show of reps witch poor attendance from Manchester running again, but fortunately most of the worst are in fact not running. The poorest attendance from Manchester who are running again are Infantine at 62, Katsiantonis at 24!, and Jean Jeudy at 23, but Jeudy was ill. And oh yes, Pat Garrity at 31 percent. Sorry, but I can't cover the entire House. Maybe if enough people asked the speaker, he'd get it out electronically so all can see it. It should be doable.
Mea culpa to Rep. Steve Smith; House records show he was there for all but one vote; I assume that's an error and he should in fact be listed as perfect. Sorry.