SPRINGFIELD (October 3, 2018) – Sen. Kerry Roberts is one of only two Senators in the Tennessee legislature to receive the American Conservative Union's highest accolade for adhering to conservative principles during the 2018 legislative session. Roberts, along with Sen. Brian Kelsey, was given the ACU's Award for Conservative Excellence, which is based on an extensive review of how lawmakers voted on a variety of important legislation.
The ratings – done 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 its rating 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 Senate falling by eight percentage points (86 percent to 78 percent) and the House improving 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.
“It's an honor to be recognized by the American Conservative Union as being tied for the highest lifetime rating among current Tennessee senators. However, passing legislation is a team effort and I have to thank my colleagues for their support,” Roberts said. “By working together, we've achieved great success in Tennessee.”
The rankings for this year considered 24 separate pieces of legislation in Tennessee, including some Sen. Roberts played a key role in passing.
“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.”
State Senator Kerry Roberts and his wife of 31 years, Dianne, live in Springfield, Tennessee. Their three children have attended Krisle Elementary, Springfield Middle, Springfield High School, Harding University, and Tennessee Tech University. Kerry farms, is a small business owner, and hosts “The Kerry Roberts Show” on AM-1590 WDBL each Monday morning at 7:00 am.
As a Tennessee Senator, Kerry is known for his statesmanship and his ability to bring both sides of the aisle together to work on legislation that benefits all Tennesseans. In four short years, he has earned increasing responsibility and now serves as the Chairman of the Calendar Committee (which schedules all legislation) in addition to serving on the Commerce and Labor, Government Operations, and Judiciary committees.
Kerry is a staunch conservative, believing in limited government, personal responsibility, and individual liberty. He has consistently 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. His commitment to our constitutional rights is unwavering as is his defense of our most vulnerable citizens, including the unborn.
For more information about Kerry and his family, join Kerry on Facebook at www.facebook.com/senatorkerryroberts, Twitter at @kerryeroberts, Instagram at @kerryeroberts, www.kerryroberts.com, or [email protected].
For more information, contact Bill Hobbs at [email protected] or 615-682-2092.
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The ACUF ratings are available online at this link.
