FRANKLIN—State lawmakers representing Western Tidewater are strongly pro-business, according to the leader of a statewide business association.

Clayton Roberts, president of the Virginia Foundation for Research and Economic Education, said Delegates Bill Barlow, D-Smithfield, and Roslyn Tyler, D-Jarratt, and Sens. Fred Quayle, R-Suffolk, and Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, have a good record of voting in the best interest of businesses.

“The region is served well by the incumbent members of the General Assembly,” he said.

Virginia FREE serves its member businesses by analyzing the voting records of legislators on a handful of bills.

Roberts called Virginia one of the most business friendly states in the country and Virginia FREE is meant to help support that.

“We are a business-friendly state, and we want to make sure we remain a business-friendly state,” Roberts said

Legislators from both the House of Delegates and the Senate were rated on a 100-point scale for stewardship, effectiveness and were given an overall business rating. The rating is the result of an annual survey of Virginia FREE member governmental affairs professionals to determine if each legislator is accomplishing his or her goals.

The stewardship rating is the result of a survey to determine the level of responsible, pro-business stewardship demonstrated by each legislator. The business rating combines General Assembly voting records with evaluations done by business lobbyists.

Barlow, who took a pro-business stance on 88 percent of votes, said the most important issue facing Virginians is job creation.

“In order to improve the job situation, you have to have a strong business climate,” Barlow said. “It’s very important at this time that we continue to have a good business climate in order to create jobs.”

Barlow had a business rating of 65, a stewardship rating of 67 and an effectiveness rating of 58.

Tyler took a pro-business stance in 69 percent of votes. She had a business rating of 62, a stewardship rating of 55 and an effectiveness rating of 50.

Quayle voted pro-business 88 percent of the time. He had a business rating of 82, a stewardship rating of 75 and an effectiveness rating of 66.

Lucas took a pro-business stance in 59 percent of the selected votes during the regular session. She has a business rating of 56, a stewardship rating of 54 and an effectiveness rating of 61.