When it comes to voting in favor of higher education, area legislators are at the head of the class, according to a report issued by Kansas Citizens for Higher Education, a statewide group of business leaders that advocates for an increase in higher education spending.

State Sens. Marci Francisco, D-Lawrence, Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka, and Roger Pine, R-Linwood, whose district includes Lawrence, each received an “A” from the group, which assigned a point value to more than 20 higher education bills from the last session. Each voted in favor of higher education issues 100 percent of the time.

Rep. Paul Davis, D-Lawrence, was the only local representative to earn an “A,” voting in favor of higher education bills 95 percent of the time. Reps. Barbara Ballard, D-Lawrence, Ann Mah, D-Topeka and Tom Sloan, R-Lawrence, made the group’s Honor Roll as “B” legislators, voting in favor such bills more than 80 percent of the time.

Rep. Tom Holland, D-Baldwin City, voted for higher education bills 79 percent of the time, getting a “C.” Rep. Anthony Brown, R-Eudora, was the only local legislator to get an “F,” voting for higher education bills only 16 percent of the time, the lowest percentage of any legislator in the statehouse.

The study identified 23 bills that affected higher education in the state; among them are deferred maintenance, annual budgets, funding for grants, scholarships and faculty salaries.