The most effective state lawmaker in Colorado

State of play: Bird landed at the top of the rankings, released last week, with an effectiveness score nearly three times better than any other lawmaker's.

• The score is based on how far the bills she sponsored advanced through the legislative process and the significance of the proposals, a matrix developed by the center, which is a joint partnership between Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia.

What she's saying: "In Congress, I will continue to fight for Colorado values and actually deliver results — just as I've always done," Bird told Axios Denver in a statement.

The intrigue: Her 8th District primary rival, state Rep. Manny Rutinel, ranked 45th out of 50 House Democrats and 87th overall, meaning some Republican lawmakers in the minority were more effective than him.

Caveat: In the 2023-24 term, Bird served on the powerful Joint Budget Committee, which introduces multiple bills as part of the annual budget.

• The study looked at 103 substantive bills from Bird, compared with four for Rutinel.

• Rutinel was appointed to his position in late 2023 and served one legislative session covered by the analysis.

The other side: Rutinel's campaign disputes the study's numbers, pointing to 18 bills he sponsored in 2024, 13 of which were signed by the governor.

The big picture: Despite large Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, the minority party remains active in the lawmaking, the report found.

• "Put another way, almost all members of the Colorado General Assembly were successful lawmakers, advancing at least one of their proposals through to law," the report said, adding that "such patterns offer evidence of a well-functioning legislature."