Keeping Score on DC Legislative Positions, Starting with the Contrib Bill
As many of you know, WABA is working hard to change the contributory negligence doctrine in DC. We have been publicly pushing for this change for years because of the negative effects the doctrine has on the District’s cyclists. Hundreds of you emailed your Councilmembers to show support for a bill that would change the doctrine to the fairer comparative negligence. However, the insurance industry and others oppose the bill, and have sent a swarm of lobbyists to work the Wilson Building and sway the votes of our elected officials.
So, it’s time to publicly hold those Councilmembers accountable for their votes and show everyone which officials use their power to support people who bike, and which officials bow to insurance industry lobbyists.
The Scoring System
We view it as our responsibility to educate our members and the public on key votes by elected officials that affect cyclists in the District.*
On key bills affecting bicyclists, we will score each legislator’s Yes/No vote on a 0-100 scale. A vote in support of the bicycling position will receive a score of 100. A vote against the interest of bicycling will receive a score of 0. Individual votes will be averaged, and the legislator assigned the appropriate letter grade based on that score, using a quintile system. (So, 0-20 is F, 21-40 is D, 41-60 is C, 61-80 is B, and 81-100 is A.)
Results of scored votes will be shared with all DC members and supporters via email once the vote is complete, and maintained on the WABA website, both on the homepage and in the “Resources” section.
Scoring Votes on B20-0884, The Bicycle and Motor Vehicle Collision Recovery Amendment Act of 2014
When over 600 DC residents email their legislators on an issue this important to crash victims and all bicyclists, we need those legislators to listen to those constituents–not to the paid lobbyists protecting their industry’s financial interests at the expense of justice.
With only a handful of legislative days left in this Council session, let’s find out who’s listening to whom and make our officials accountable for their decisions that directly affect our safety.
A vote in favor of the bill will receive a score of 100. A vote against the bill, or a procedural vote that would have the effect of delaying the bill past the present Council session (causing it to fail without voting against it) will receive a score of zero.
We will release the initial report card to members, supporters, and the public–based on votes on B20-0884–the day after a vote is taken. As the Council votes on other relevant legislation, we well include those votes on the scorecard as well.
If you haven’t yet, write your councilmembers today:
* We’re testing this advocacy tool in the District. If it proves effective, we’ll try adding our other jurisdictions.