Freedom Index

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

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 2023-2

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 2023 and ranks state representatives and senators based on their fidelity to (U.S.) constitutional and limited-government principles.

House of Representatives

1. Illegal Voting Penalty

Good Vote: Yes

HB1243 Illegal Voting Penalty (Passed 86 to 56 on 5/28/2023). Would increase the criminal penalty for illegal voting from a Class A misdemeanor to either a state jail felony for attempted illegal voting or second-degree felony for illegal voting.

2. Illegal Immigration

Good Vote: Yes

SB4 Illegal Immigration (Passed 83 to 61 on 11/14/2023). Establishes penalties for unauthorized entry or reentry into the state by individuals classified as "aliens" under federal law.

3. Taxpayer-funded Events

Good Vote: No

SB1158 Taxpayer-funded Events (Passed 96 to 41 on 5/6/2023). Expands eligibility for funding under the Major Events Reimbursement Program by amending the Government Code to classify each series of World Cup games in a designated market area as separate, single events.

4. Border Security

Good Vote: Yes

SB3 Border Security (Passed 84 to 59 on 11/14/2024). Allocates $1.54 billion for border security over two years, funding law enforcement and border barriers.

5. Criminal Penalties for Smuggling

Good Vote: Yes

HB2 Criminal Penalties for Smuggling (Passed 90 to 53 on 5/30/2023). Strengthens penalties for smuggling, stash houses, and evading arrest, imposing mandatory minimums of 10 years and allowing consecutive sentences for related crimes.

6. Government Nursing Scholarship

Good Vote: No

SB25 Government Nursing Scholarship (Passed 146 to 1 on 5/23/2024). Enacts government support for nursing-related postsecondary education, including scholarships to nursing students, loan repayment assistance to nurses and nursing faculty, and grants to nursing education programs.

Legislator Scores
[ + ] Pro-liberty Vote[ - ] Anti-liberty Vote[ . ] Did not Vote
Name Party District Score 123456
Alma A. Allen D HD-131 0% ------
Steve Allison R HD-121 67% ++-++-
Rafael Anchia D HD-103 0% -.-..-
Charles "Doc" Anderson R HD-056 67% ++-++-
Trent Ashby R HD-057 83% +++++-
Ernest Bailes R HD-018 67% ++-++-
Keith Bell R HD-004 83% +++++-
Cecil Bell R HD-003 67% ++-++-
Diego M. Bernal D HD-123 0% --.---
Salman Bhojani D HD-092 0% ------
Greg Bonnen R HD-024 67% ++-++-
Rhetta Bowers D HD-113 0% ------
John Bryant D HD-114 0% ------
Brad Buckley R HD-054 83% +++++-
John III Bucy D HD-136 0% ------
Ben Bumgarner R HD-063 67% ++-++-
Dewayne Burns R HD-058 67% ++-++-
Dustin Burrows R HD-083 67% ++-++-
Angie Chen Button R HD-112 67% ++-++-
Briscoe Cain R HD-128 100% ++++++
Elizabeth "Liz" Campos D HD-119 0% ------
Terry Canales D HD-040 17% +-----
Giovanni Capriglione R HD-098 67% ++-++-
Travis Clardy R HD-011 83% +++++-
Sheryl Cole D HD-046 0% ------
Nicole Collier D HD-095 0% ------
David Cook R HD-096 67% ++-++-
Philip Cortez D HD-117 17% ----+-
Tom Craddick R HD-082 67% ++-++-
Charles Cunningham R HD-127 67% ++-++-
Drew Darby R HD-072 83% +++++-
Yvonne Davis D HD-111 0% ------
Jay Dean R HD-007 83% +++++-
Mano DeAyala R HD-133 83% +++++-
Mark Dorazio R HD-122 83% +++++-
Harold V. Dutton Jr. D HD-142 0% ------
Maria Flores D HD-051 0% ------
James Frank R HD-069 67% ++-++-
Frederick Frazier R HD-061 75% .+.++-
Erin Gamez D HD-038 0% ------
Josey Garcia D HD-124 0% .-----
Gary Gates R HD-028 83% +++++-
Stan Gerdes R HD-017 83% +++++-
Charlie Geren R HD-099 80% ++.++-
Barbara Gervin-Hawkins D HD-120 0% ------
Craig Goldman R HD-097 80% .++++-
Mary Gonzalez D HD-075 0% ------
Jessica Gonzalez D HD-104 0% ------
Vikki Goodwin D HD-047 0% ------
Bobby Guerra D HD-041 17% +-----
Ryan Guillen D HD-031 67% ++-++-
Sam Harless R HD-126 50% +.-.+-
Cody Harris R HD-008 83% +++++-
Caroline Harris R HD-052 83% +++++-
Brian Harrison R HD-010 83% +++++-
Richard Hayes R HD-057 83% +++++-
Christian Manuel D HD-022 0% ------
Cole Hefner R HD-005 83% +++++-
Ana Hernandez D HD-143 0% --.---
Abel Herrero D HD-034 NA .-.-..
Gina Hinojosa D HD-049 0% ------
Justin Holland R HD-033 83% +++++-
Donna Howard D HD-048 0% ------
Lacey Hull R HD-138 83% +++++-
Todd Hunter R HD-032 50% -+-++-
Carrie Isaac R HD-073 67% ++-++-
Jacey Jetton R HD-026 67% ++-++-
Julie Johnson D HD-115 0% ------
Ann Johnson D HD-134 0% ------
Jarvis Johnson D HD-139 0% ------
Jolanda Jones D HD-147 0% ------
Venton Jones D HD-100 0% -.-.--
Kyle Kacal R HD-012 67% ++-++-
Tracy O. King D HD-080 25% .--.+-
Ken King R HD-088 67% ++-++-
Stan Kitzman R HD-085 67% ++-++-
Stephanie Klick R HD-091 67% ++-++-
John Kuempel R HD-044 83% +++++-
Suleman Lalani D HD-076 0% -.-.--
Stan Lambert R HD-071 67% ++-++-
Brooks Landgraf R HD-081 67% ++-++-
Jeff Leach R HD-067 83% +++++-
Terri Leo-Wilson R HD-023 83% +++++-
Oscar Longoria D HD-035 17% ---+--
Ray Lopez D HD-125 0% ----.-
Janie Lopez R HD-037 67% ++-++-
J. M. Lozano R HD-043 67% ++-++-
John Lujan R HD-118 67% ++-++-
Armando "Mando" Martinez D HD-039 17% ----+-
Trey Martinez Fischer D HD-116 0% --.---
Will Metcalf R HD-016 83% +++++-
Morgan Meyer R HD-108 67% ++-++-
Thresa "Terry" Meza D HD-105 0% ------
Joe Moody D HD-078 0% ------
Eddie Morales D HD-074 33% +---+-
Christina Morales D HD-145 0% ------
Penny Morales Shaw D HD-148 0% ------
Geanie W. Morrison R HD-030 67% ++-++-
Sergio Muñoz Jr. D HD-036 33% +---+-
Andrew Murr R HD-053 67% ++-++-
Victoria Neave D HD-107 0% ------
Candy Noble R HD-089 67% ++-++-
Tom Oliverson R HD-130 83% +++++-
Claudia Ordaz Perez D HD-076 17% +-----
Angelia Orr R HD-013 67% ++-++-
Evelina "Lina" Ortega D HD-077 0% ------
Jared Patterson R HD-106 83% +++++-
Dennis Paul R HD-129 67% ++-++-
Mary Ann Perez D HD-144 0% ------
Dade Phelan R HD-021 NA ..-...
Mihaela Plesa D HD-070 0% ------
Four Price R HD-087 67% ++-++-
Ana-Maria Ramos D HD-102 0% ------
John Raney R HD-014 67% ++-++-
Richard Peña Raymond D HD-042 33% +---+-
Ron Reynolds D HD-027 0% ------
Glenn Rogers R HD-060 67% ++-++-
Ramon Romero Jr. D HD-090 0% ------
Toni Rose D HD-110 0% ------
Jon Rosenthal D HD-135 0% ------
Matt Schaefer R HD-006 83% +++++-
Nate Schatzline R HD-093 83% +++++-
Mike Schofield R HD-132 67% ++-++-
Matt Shaheen R HD-066 80% .++++-
Carl Sr. Sherman D HD-109 0% --.---
Hugh Shine R HD-055 83% +++++-
Shelby Slawson R HD-059 83% +++++-
Reggie Smith R HD-062 67% ++-++-
John T. Smithee R HD-086 75% ++.+.-
David Spiller R HD-068 83% +++++-
Lynn Stucky R HD-064 67% ++-++-
Valoree Swanson R HD-150 83% +++++-
James Talarico D HD-052 0% ------
Carl Tepper R HD-084 67% ++-++-
Shawn Thierry D HD-146 0% ------
Kronda Thimesch R HD-065 83% +++++-
Ed Thompson R HD-029 80% ++.++-
Senfronia Thompson D HD-141 0% ------
Tony Tinderholt R HD-094 83% +++++-
Steve Toth R HD-015 83% +++++-
Ellen Troxclair R HD-019 83% +++++-
Chris Turner D HD-101 0% ------
Gary Vandeaver R HD-001 67% ++-++-
Cody Vasut R HD-025 83% +++++-
Hubert Vo D HD-149 0% --.---
Armando Walle D HD-140 20% --.-+-
Terry Wilson R HD-020 83% +++++-
Gene Wu D HD-137 0% ----.-
Erin Zwiener D HD-045 0% ------

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party Score
Democrat 4.9%
Republican 74.6%