Freedom Index

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

Texas Legislative Scorecard  »  Freedom Index  »  TX Scorecard 2023

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

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.

This is our third 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. Firearm Merchant Codes

Good Vote: Yes

HB2837 Firearm Merchant Codes (Passed 89 to 56 on 5/3/2023). Prohibits a person or entity from surveilling, reporting, or tracking the purchase of firearms, ammunition, and accessories through the use of certain credit card merchant category codes.

2. DEI Ban

Good Vote: Yes

DEI Ban (Passed 83 to 60 on 5/19/2023). Bans diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at colleges and public institutions of higher education.

3. ERIC Withdrawal

Good Vote: Yes

SB1070 ERIC Withdrawal (Passed 85 to 61 on 5/23/2023). Withdraws Texas from Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC).

4. Eminent Domain

Good Vote: No

HB4217 Eminent Domain (Passed 125 to 11 on 5/11/2023).  Allows public utility agencies in some counties, through condemnation, to acquire land, easements, and property within its service area for the agency's use and benefit.

5. Subsidized Housing

Good Vote: No

HB1058 Subsidized Housing (Passed 122 to 15 on 5/25/2023). Enacts an insurance premium tax credit for certain housing developments.

6. Future Texas Teacher Scholarship

Good Vote: No

HB4363 Future Texas Teacher Scholarship (Passed 119 to 19 on 5/25/2023). Establishes the Future Texas Teachers Scholarship Program for certain students at public institutions of higher education.

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 50% +++---
Rafael Anchia D HD-103 0% ----..
Charles "Doc" Anderson R HD-056 40% .++---
Trent Ashby R HD-057 67% ++++--
Ernest Bailes R HD-018 50% +++---
Keith Bell R HD-004 50% +++---
Cecil Bell R HD-003 50% +++---
Diego M. Bernal D HD-123 0% ---...
Salman Bhojani D HD-092 0% .--.--
Greg Bonnen R HD-024 75% +++..-
Rhetta Bowers D HD-113 0% ------
John Bryant D HD-114 0% ------
Brad Buckley R HD-054 50% +++---
John III Bucy D HD-136 0% ------
Ben Bumgarner R HD-063 50% +++---
Dewayne Burns R HD-058 50% +++---
Dustin Burrows R HD-083 50% +++---
Angie Chen Button R HD-112 50% +++---
Briscoe Cain R HD-128 100% ++++++
Elizabeth "Liz" Campos D HD-119 0% ------
Terry Canales D HD-040 33% +--+--
Giovanni Capriglione R HD-098 50% +++---
Travis Clardy R HD-011 67% +++-+-
Sheryl Cole D HD-046 0% ------
Nicole Collier D HD-095 0% ------
David Cook R HD-096 50% +++---
Philip Cortez D HD-117 0% ------
Tom Craddick R HD-082 50% +++---
Charles Cunningham R HD-127 50% +++---
Drew Darby R HD-072 50% +++---
Yvonne Davis D HD-111 0% ----.-
Jay Dean R HD-007 50% +++---
Mano DeAyala R HD-133 50% +++---
Mark Dorazio R HD-122 50% +++---
Harold V. Dutton Jr. D HD-142 20% +--.--
Maria Flores D HD-051 0% ------
James Frank R HD-069 50% +++---
Frederick Frazier R HD-061 50% +++---
Erin Gamez D HD-038 0% ------
Josey Garcia D HD-124 0% ------
Gary Gates R HD-028 50% +++---
Stan Gerdes R HD-017 50% +++---
Charlie Geren R HD-099 75% +++.-.
Barbara Gervin-Hawkins D HD-120 0% ------
Craig Goldman R HD-097 50% +++---
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 50% +++---
Sam Harless R HD-126 50% +++---
Cody Harris R HD-008 50% +++---
Caroline Harris R HD-052 67% +++--+
Brian Harrison R HD-010 80% +++.+-
Richard Hayes R HD-057 50% +++---
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 60% +++-.-
Donna Howard D HD-048 0% ------
Lacey Hull R HD-138 80% +++.-+
Todd Hunter R HD-032 50% +++---
Carrie Isaac R HD-073 83% +++-++
Jacey Jetton R HD-026 50% +++---
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 50% +++---
Tracy O. King D HD-080 17% --+---
Ken King R HD-088 50% +++---
Stan Kitzman R HD-085 50% +++---
Stephanie Klick R HD-091 50% +++---
John Kuempel R HD-044 50% +++---
Suleman Lalani D HD-076 0% ------
Stan Lambert R HD-071 50% +++---
Brooks Landgraf R HD-081 50% +++---
Jeff Leach R HD-067 50% +++---
Terri Leo-Wilson R HD-023 100% +++.++
Oscar Longoria D HD-035 20% +----.
Ray Lopez D HD-125 17% +-----
Janie Lopez R HD-037 60% +++--.
J. M. Lozano R HD-043 50% +++---
John Lujan R HD-118 50% +++---
Armando "Mando" Martinez D HD-039 0% ------
Trey Martinez Fischer D HD-116 0% ------
Will Metcalf R HD-016 50% +++---
Morgan Meyer R HD-108 50% +++---
Thresa "Terry" Meza D HD-105 0% ------
Joe Moody D HD-078 0% ------
Eddie Morales D HD-074 0% ------
Christina Morales D HD-145 0% ------
Penny Morales Shaw D HD-148 0% ------
Geanie W. Morrison R HD-030 50% +++---
Sergio Muñoz Jr. D HD-036 0% ------
Andrew Murr R HD-053 60% +++-.-
Victoria Neave D HD-107 0% ------
Candy Noble R HD-089 67% ++++--
Tom Oliverson R HD-130 50% +++---
Claudia Ordaz Perez D HD-076 0% ------
Angelia Orr R HD-013 50% +++---
Evelina "Lina" Ortega D HD-077 0% ------
Jared Patterson R HD-106 80% +++-.+
Dennis Paul R HD-129 50% +++---
Mary Ann Perez D HD-144 0% ------
Dade Phelan R HD-021 NA .....-
Mihaela Plesa D HD-070 17% ---+--
Four Price R HD-087 50% +++---
Ana-Maria Ramos D HD-102 20% ---+-.
John Raney R HD-014 50% +++---
Richard Peña Raymond D HD-042 0% .-----
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 80% +++-.+
Mike Schofield R HD-132 83% +++-++
Matt Shaheen R HD-066 83% +++-++
Carl Sr. Sherman D HD-109 0% ---.-.
Hugh Shine R HD-055 50% +++---
Bryan Slaton R HD-002 33% +...--
Shelby Slawson R HD-059 100% +++.++
Reggie Smith R HD-062 67% +++--+
John T. Smithee R HD-086 50% +++---
David Spiller R HD-068 80% +++-+.
Lynn Stucky R HD-064 67% +++--+
Valoree Swanson R HD-150 100% ++++++
James Talarico D HD-052 0% ------
Carl Tepper R HD-084 67% +++--+
Shawn Thierry D HD-146 0% -.---.
Kronda Thimesch R HD-065 50% +++---
Ed Thompson R HD-029 40% .++---
Senfronia Thompson D HD-141 0% ----.-
Tony Tinderholt R HD-094 100% +.++++
Steve Toth R HD-015 100% ++++++
Ellen Troxclair R HD-019 50% +++---
Chris Turner D HD-101 0% ------
Gary Vandeaver R HD-001 50% +++---
Cody Vasut R HD-025 83% +++-++
Hubert Vo D HD-149 20% +--.--
Armando Walle D HD-140 0% ------
Terry Wilson R HD-020 67% +++-+-
Gene Wu D HD-137 0% -.----
Erin Zwiener D HD-045 0% ------

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party Score
Democrat 3.6%
Republican 60%