Who is Georgia’s most successful lawmaker?

Legislative success can be measured in many ways.

But if the bar rests solely on the percentage of bills that pass with a state legislator’s name at the top, then highest honors go to Republican Jimmy Pruett of Eastman.

Representative Pruett has the highest average among the 77 sitting legislators who submitted at least 30 bills between 2001—the first year for which the General Assembly publishes data electronically—and the end of the 2011-2012 session.

Pruett managed to get 71 percent of the bills he sponsored to clear the Georgia legislature since he joined the House in 2007. He spent his second two year term as a floor leader for Governor Sonny Perdue, which may have given his bills during those years a boost.

Minority Whip Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta) is at the bottom of the list. Only one of the 69 bills he sponsored in those years cleared both chambers.

Of course, among Democrats—who’ve been in the minority in both chambers since 2005—Fort is not alone.

Democrats got only 21 percent of their bills through the legislature since 2001. Republicans managed to get over 42 percent of their bills through the legislature during that time.

Check out your legislators' overall career batting average by visiting the AJC's Legislative Navigator at http://legislativenavigator.myajc.com/#members