A free-market think tank gave ammunition to Washington-based business owners who claim the state is loosing the battle of encouraging businesses. The Washington D.C.-based research group ranked the state’s legislative delegation among the most anti-small business elected officials in the nation.

The Small Business Survival Committee’s annual scorecard rated lawmakers based on 12 key votes in the U.S. House of Representatives and 12 votes in the U.S. Senate impacting small businesses. Included in this years ratings were votes on issues such as reducing taxes and regulations death tax elimination, capital gains tax relief, expanding U.S. market overseas, reducing dependence on foreign energy, and making health care more affordable. The ranking falls largely along party lines with Republicans receiving high rating and Democrats relatively low ones.

Lawmakers who voted in favor of small businesses at least 80 percent of the time are recognized by SBSC as “Champions of Small Business.” In Washington, that included Republican Representatives Doc Hastings with a 100 percent score, George Nethercutt and Jennifer Dunn with scores of 92 percent.

Meanwhile, Democrat Sen. Patty Murray scored a 9 percent, and Democrat Sen. Maria Cantwell scored a rock-bottom zero on the SBSC’s percentage ranking.

U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee received a zero percent along with Jim McDermott, followed by Norm Dicks and Brian Baird with eight percent. Rep Adam Smith scored a 17 percent ranking and Rick Larsen received a 25 percent.

Washington’s full delegation claimed an average score of 32 percent, which tied for 41st among the 50 state congressional delegations.

“With small businesses responsible for creating 75 percent of all new jobs, the public needs to know who is standing up to small businesses and who is standing in the way,” says SBSC President Darrell McKigney.

Chambers and business groups in the Puget Sound region took the ranking as an opportunity to further their cause of small business advocacy.