4 from Broward top-rated in capital

The biggest surprises in this year's rankings are the emergence of Rep. Josephus Eggelletion Jr., D-Lauderdale Lakes, into the top tier of effectiveness in the House, and the fall of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Davie, who slipped two notches after two years in the top tier.

The rankings are a consensus among eight seasoned observers -- lobbyists, public-policy experts and reporters -- on who gets things done in the state Capitol. The lobbyists who rated the Legislature this year represent cities, community colleges, environmentalists and big business.

Broward's legislative delegation is the strongest of any county because of its collective seniority, which brings clout through committees chairmanships. But the delegation is also the state's most liberal and is almost exclusively Democratic at a time when Republican influence in the Capitol is growing rapidly.

Again this year, two Broward veterans -- Republican Jim Scott and Democrat Ken Jenne -- are among the state's highest-ranked legislators. They are the leaders of their parties in the 40-member Senate and are ranked No. 2 and 4, respectively.

Scott, 54, a Fort Lauderdale lawyer, is completing a two-year term as the first president of a Republican-controlled Senate since Reconstruction. Scott emphasized public education and economic development this year. He also convinced senators to limit the free meals and drinks they accept from lobbyists. His Senate district covers Northeast Broward and eastern Boca Raton.

Jenne, 49, also a Fort Lauderdale lawyer, has been a senator since 1978, except for a two-year hiatus from 1988-90. His district cuts a jagged swath from Southeast Broward through Davie and Plantation and includes part of Palm Beach and Collier counties.

Anne Mackenzie, 46, of Fort Lauderdale, was ranked eighth in the House. She is the co-chairwoman of the House Rules Committee, which determines which bills are heard. A House member since 1982, she represents a district that includes Dania, part of Fort Lauderdale and Pembroke Pines.

Eggelletion, 47, a Dillard High civics teacher and barber, was elected to the House in the reapportionment year of 1992, when districts were redrawn to offer greater minority representation. He's the only top-rated Broward legislator who does not chair a committee. His district includes Lauderdale Lakes and parts of Lauderhill and Fort Lauderdale.