How do you judge an effective state lawmaker?

Since 2017, The Center for Effective Lawmaking has been trying to gauge the effectiveness of state and federal legislators. And they recently turned their analytical skills to the New York state lawmakers from the 2023 and 2024 legislative sessions.

We broke down their report with the help of Craig Volden, the organization's co-director and a professor with Frank Batten School of Leadership & Public Policy at the University of Virginia. He explained how they calculate their scores, addresses the challenges of quantifying effectiveness, and considers how the analysis could be improved in the future.

And don't forget to assemble your state lawmakers for the 2026 Planet Albany Fantasy Lawmaker League. Make your selections by 5 pm on Jan. 16 and follow along to see who is the all-knowing expert on the legislative process.