Legislators earn failing marks in 38 Studios study

Malik, Felag among 81 legislators statewide to earn "F" in recent study

By Ted Hayes
Posted 8/19/16

Two Warren legislators have been given an “F” rating for their voting records in bills pertaining to 38 Studios, the failed video game company started by former Boston Red Sox pitcher …

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Legislators earn failing marks in 38 Studios study

Malik, Felag among 81 legislators statewide to earn "F" in recent study

Posted

Two Warren legislators have been given an “F” rating for their voting records in bills pertaining to 38 Studios, the failed video game company started by former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling with $75 million in taxpayer funds.
Both Rep. Jan Malik and Sen. Walter Felag earned “failing” marks in the “38 Studios Legislator Scorecard,” released Friday by the Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity. They were among 81 legislators to get a failing grade out of 113 statewide; based on his score, Rep. Malik was named one of the “19 worst” voters.
The scorecard comes two weeks after Rep. Malik issued a press released calling “to end the secrecy” surrounding the 38 Studios criminal investigation. In it, he called for Attorney General Peter Kilmartin to release evidence presented before a recent grand jury.
“If the evidence did not warrant criminal charges in this terrible deal then the Rhode Island taxpayers deserve to know why no one is being held criminally responsible for the 38 Studios debacle. Too many insiders have taken too much taxpayer cash in this deal for the public to be kept in the dark,” he said in the statement.
Mike Stenhouse, CEO of the watchdog group, wrote in the report that recent “johnny-come-lately calls” by legislators to release documents might be seen as hypocritical, especially when they come from representatives and senators that have a poor 38 Studios voting record.
“Many people might consider it extremely hypocritical for any lawmaker who rated an F or D … to now jump on the band-wagon by calling for the Attorney General or Governor to release the documents,” he wrote.
In the study, the center analyzed legislators’ votes on 15 pieces of legislation that had a direct bearing on 38 Studios’ loan. Each vote was weighted on whether it restricted or impeded the 38 Studios deal; legislators were given a -1 for a nay vote and a +1 for a yea. Scores were totaled and divided into the total number of points the legislator could have received.
The votes examined run the gamut from overall budget votes to amendments that would have had other bearings on the 38 Studios loan, or called for 38 Studios funds to be re-allocated.
For example, in 2013, House members voted on Bill H5217, which approved the 2014 fiscal year budget and 38 Studios payments. Another vote was to an amendment to that bill, which would have removed funding allocated for 38 Studios and transferred it to programs for the disabled.
To read the tot

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