Members of the American Conservative Union have awarded State Sen. Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield) with that organization’s highest accolade for adhering to conservative principles during this year’s legislative session, according to a press release on Roberts’ website.
ACU members recognized Roberts with their Award for Conservative Excellence, based on their extensive review of how lawmakers voted on important legislation, according to the website.
Roberts is one of only two state senators in the Tennessee legislature to receive the award. The other is State Sen. Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown).
Roberts did not immediately return The Tennessee Star’s request for comment Thursday, and neither did anyone from the ACU.
The ratings, at both the federal and state levels, are an initiative of the American Conservative Union Foundation’s Center for Legislative Accountability.
“These ratings are designed to reflect how elected officials view the role of government,” the ACU said in a press release announcing ratings for Tennessee lawmakers in 2018.
The overall 2018 score for the Tennessee General Assembly fell by one-half percentage point compared to the 2017 session, with the Tennessee Senate falling by eight percentage points — 86 percent to 78 percent.
The Tennessee House, meanwhile, improved by seven percentage points — 70 percent to 77 percent.
“By comparison, Sen. Roberts scored a 91 percent rating and has a lifetime rating of 93 percent from the ACUF, tied for first place among all current members of the state Senate with Sen. John Stevens,” according to the press release.
The rankings for this year considered 24 separate pieces of legislation in Tennessee, including some Sen. Roberts played a key role in passing, the press release said.
“It is especially gratifying to have two of the bills that I sponsored be listed among the ones recognized by the ACU,” Roberts said.
“In particular, I am extremely proud of the Fresh Start Act, which passed unanimously in the Senate. The bill helps reduce barriers for those who have served their time and are looking for new employment opportunities in their lives.”
Roberts currently serves as Chairman of the Calendar Committee, which schedules all legislation, in addition to serving on the Commerce and Labor, Government Operations, and Judiciary committees.
According to the press release, Roberts has earned high ratings and endorsements from organizations such as Right to Life, National Federation of Independent Business, the American Conservative Union, The Foundation for Government Accountability, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Americans for Prosperity, the Tennessee Firearms Association, and the NRA.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
