Freedom Index

A Legislative Scorecard Based on the Principles of the U.S. Constitution

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Legislative Scorecard Based on the U.S. Constitution

The Legislative Scorecard is a nationwide educational program of The John Birch Society. Its purpose is to create an informed electorate on how state legislators are voting. The Scorecard is nonpartisan; it does not promote any candidate or political party. Bills are selected for their constitutional implications and cost to the taxpayers.

Please share this Scorecard in your district to inform people about your legislator's record on key votes.
U.S. Constitution, Amendment I --- 11 C.F.R. §114(4)(c)(4) --- 616 F.2d 45 (2d Cir. 1980)

Legislative Scorecard

Based on the U.S. Constitution

TX Scorecard 2021

The Legislative Scorecard is a nationwide educational program of The John Birch Society. Its purpose is to create an informed electorate on how state legislators are voting. The Scorecard is nonpartisan; it does not promote any candidate or political party. Bills are selected for their constitutional implications and cost to the taxpayers.

Please share this Scorecard in your district to inform people about your legislator's record on key votes.
U.S. Constitution, Amendment I --- 11 C.F.R. §114(4)(c)(4) --- 616 F.2d 45 (2d Cir. 1980)

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the Texas Legislature in 2021 and ranks state representatives and senators based on their fidelity to (U.S.) constitutional and limited-government principles.

This is our first state-level Scorecard; the selected votes may not be reflective of legislators’ overall records. Their cumulative scores will change as we add more votes. Please check regularly for updates.

Senate
House of Representatives

House of Representatives

1. Border Security Funds

Good Vote: Yes

HB9 Border Security Funds (passed 85 to 36 on 8/30/2021). Appropriates approximately $1.8 billion for border security efforts.

2. Budget

Good Vote: No

SB1 Budget (passed 142 to 6 on 5/27/2021). Appropriates approximately $248.6 billion for the FY 2022-23, of which roughly $248.1 billion became law.

3. Texas Pandemic Response Act

Good Vote: No

HB3 Texas Pandemic Response Act (passed 104 to 39 on 5/11/2021). Allows the governor to issue “pandemic disaster” declarations and establishes the 10-member Pandemic Disaster Legislative Oversight Committee to oversee them when the legislature is not convened.

4. No-Knock Warrant Limits

Good Vote: Yes

HB492 No-Knock Warrant Limits (passed 143 to 1 on 5/6/2021). Limits the issuance of ‘no-knock’ arrest and search warrants to only situations in which it is “necessary to avoid the risk of death or serious bodily injury to peace officers and others.”

5. Abortion Restrictions

Good Vote: Yes

SB8 Abortion Restrictions (passed 83 to 64 on 5/6/2021). Prohibits an abortion after a fetal heartbeat has been detected, except for when a woman has a “medical emergency,” which places the woman in danger of death or a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function.

6. Permitless Firearm Carry

Good Vote: Yes

HB1927 Permitless Firearm Carry (passed 87 to 58 on 4/16/2021). Allows permitless carry of a handgun for persons 21 years of age or older.

Legislator Scores
[ + ] Pro-liberty Vote[ - ] Anti-liberty Vote[ . ] Did not Vote
Name Party District Score 123456
Alma A. Allen D HD-131 50% -+++--
Steve Allison R HD-121 67% +--+++
Rafael Anchia D HD-103 33% --++--
Charles "Doc" Anderson R HD-056 67% +--+++
Trent Ashby R HD-057 67% +--+++
Ernest Bailes R HD-018 67% +--+++
Michelle Beckley D HD-065 60% .+++--
Keith Bell R HD-004 83% +-++++
Cecil Bell R HD-003 67% +--+++
Diego M. Bernal D HD-123 33% --++--
Kyle Biedermann R HD-073 67% +--+++
Greg Bonnen R HD-024 67% +--+++
Rhetta Bowers D HD-113 33% --++--
Brad Buckley R HD-054 67% +--+++
John III Bucy D HD-136 33% --++--
Dewayne Burns R HD-058 67% +--+++
Dustin Burrows R HD-083 67% +--+++
Angie Chen Button R HD-112 60% +--++.
Briscoe Cain R HD-128 67% +--+++
Elizabeth "Liz" Campos D HD-119 40% .-++--
Terry Canales D HD-040 40% .--+-+
Giovanni Capriglione R HD-098 60% +--.++
Jeff Cason R HD-092 83% ++-+++
Travis Clardy R HD-011 67% +--+++
Sheryl Cole D HD-046 17% ---+--
Garnet Coleman D HD-147 NA -....-
Nicole Collier D HD-095 33% +--+--
David Cook R HD-096 67% +--+++
Philip Cortez D HD-117 17% ---+--
Tom Craddick R HD-082 67% +--+++
Jasmine Crockett D HD-100 60% .+++--
John P. Cyrier R HD-017 67% +--+++
Drew Darby R HD-072 67% +--+++
Yvonne Davis D HD-111 40% .-++--
Jay Dean R HD-007 67% +--+++
Joe Deshotel D HD-022 20% .--+--
Alex Dominguez D HD-037 17% ---+--
Harold V. Dutton Jr. D HD-142 50% +--+-+
Jake Ellzey R HD-010 40% .---++
Art Fierro D HD-079 33% --++--
James Frank R HD-069 67% +--+++
John Frullo R HD-084 67% +--+++
Gary Gates R HD-028 67% +--+++
Charlie Geren R HD-099 67% +--+++
Barbara Gervin-Hawkins D HD-120 33% .-.+-.
Craig Goldman R HD-097 60% +--.++
Mary Gonzalez D HD-075 33% --++--
Jessica Gonzalez D HD-104 17% ---+--
Vikki Goodwin D HD-047 33% --++--
Bobby Guerra D HD-041 20% ---+-.
Ryan Guillen D HD-031 60% .--+++
Sam Harless R HD-126 67% +--+++
Cody Harris R HD-008 67% +--+++
Cole Hefner R HD-005 67% +--+++
Ana Hernandez D HD-143 17% ---+--
Abel Herrero D HD-034 50% --++..
Gina Hinojosa D HD-049 33% --++--
Justin Holland R HD-033 67% +--+++
Donna Howard D HD-048 17% ---+--
Dan Huberty R HD-127 67% +--+++
Lacey Hull R HD-138 67% +--+++
Todd Hunter R HD-032 67% +--+++
Celia Israel D HD-050 33% --++--
Jacey Jetton R HD-026 67% +--+++
Julie Johnson D HD-115 17% ---+--
Ann Johnson D HD-134 33% --++--
Jarvis Johnson D HD-139 25% .-.+--
Kyle Kacal R HD-012 67% +--+++
Tracy O. King D HD-080 40% .--+-+
Ken King R HD-088 67% +--+++
Stephanie Klick R HD-091 67% +--+++
Matt Krause R HD-093 67% +--+++
John Kuempel R HD-044 67% +--+++
Stan Lambert R HD-071 67% +--+++
Brooks Landgraf R HD-081 67% +--+++
Lyle Larson R HD-122 67% +--+++
Jeff Leach R HD-067 67% +--+++
Ben Leman R HD-013 67% +--+++
Oscar Longoria D HD-035 33% +--+--
Ray Lopez D HD-125 40% .-++--
J. M. Lozano R HD-043 67% +--+++
Eddie Lucio, Jr. D HD-038 40% +.-+--
Armando "Mando" Martinez D HD-039 40% .-++--
Trey Martinez Fischer D HD-116 40% .-++--
Will Metcalf R HD-016 67% +--+++
Morgan Meyer R HD-108 50% +--++-
Thresa "Terry" Meza D HD-105 25% .-.+--
Ina Minjarez D HD-124 33% --++--
Joe Moody D HD-078 17% ---+--
Eddie Morales D HD-074 50% +--+-+
Christina Morales D HD-145 20% .--+--
Penny Morales Shaw D HD-148 40% .-++--
Geanie W. Morrison R HD-030 67% +--+++
Sergio Muñoz Jr. D HD-036 17% ---+--
Jim Murphy R HD-133 67% +--+++
Andrew Murr R HD-053 67% +--+++
Victoria Neave D HD-107 17% ---+--
Candy Noble R HD-089 67% +--+++
Tom Oliverson R HD-130 67% +--+++
Claudia Ordaz Perez D HD-076 40% .-++--
Evelina "Lina" Ortega D HD-077 33% --++--
Leo Pacheco D HD-118 40% .--+-+
Chris Paddie R HD-009 67% +--+++
Jared Patterson R HD-106 67% +--+++
Dennis Paul R HD-129 67% +--+++
Mary Ann Perez D HD-144 33% --++--
Dade Phelan R HD-021 NA .-....
Four Price R HD-087 67% +--+++
Ana-Maria Ramos D HD-102 40% .-++--
John Raney R HD-014 75% +-..++
Richard Peña Raymond D HD-042 40% .--+-+
Ron Reynolds D HD-027 60% .+++--
Eddie Rodriguez D HD-051 40% .-++--
Glenn Rogers R HD-060 67% +--+++
Ramon Romero Jr. D HD-090 20% .--+--
Toni Rose D HD-110 33% --++--
Jon Rosenthal D HD-135 33% --++--
Scott Sanford R HD-070 67% +--+++
Matt Schaefer R HD-006 83% +-++++
Mike Schofield R HD-132 67% +--+++
Matt Shaheen R HD-066 67% +--+++
Carl Sr. Sherman D HD-109 40% .-++--
Hugh Shine R HD-055 67% +--+++
Bryan Slaton R HD-002 100% ++++++
Shelby Slawson R HD-059 67% +--+++
Reggie Smith R HD-062 67% +--+++
John T. Smithee R HD-086 67% +--+++
David Spiller R HD-068 67% +--+++
Phil Stephenson R HD-085 67% +--+++
Lynn Stucky R HD-064 67% +--+++
Valoree Swanson R HD-150 67% +--+++
James Talarico D HD-052 17% ---+--
Shawn Thierry D HD-146 20% .--+--
Ed Thompson R HD-029 67% +--+++
Senfronia Thompson D HD-141 20% --+.--
Tony Tinderholt R HD-094 67% +--+++
Steve Toth R HD-015 83% +-++++
Chris Turner D HD-101 33% --++--
John Turner D HD-114 33% --++--
Gary Vandeaver R HD-001 67% +--+++
Cody Vasut R HD-025 67% +--+++
Hubert Vo D HD-149 17% ---+--
Armando Walle D HD-140 25% .-.+--
James White R HD-019 67% +--+++
Terry Wilson R HD-020 67% +--+++
Gene Wu D HD-137 33% --++--
Erin Zwiener D HD-045 33% --++--

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party Score
Democrat 32.8%
Republican 67.5%