2019 TX Legislative Scorecard
The following scorecard lists several key votes in the Texas Legislature in 2019 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.
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SB17 ensures that employers cannot discriminate based on religious beliefs. This bill would also ensure employees cannot be fired for statements they make about their own beliefs.
The Texas State Senate passed SB17 on April 3, 2019 by a vote of 19 to 12 We have assigned pluses to the ayes because religious discrimination against Christians is increasing, and this bill will help prevent that. U.S. President John Adams wrote, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People," and attacks on Christianity and discrimination based on religious beliefs are not proper.
SB462 would ensure that language in ballot propositions that would raise taxes are clear about the cost increases that residents would have brought upon them.
The Texas State Senate passed SB462 on April 16, 2019 by a vote of 19 to 12. We have assigned pluses to the ayes because this bill will help ensure people know what they are voting for. Too often, we see resolutions confusingly written that will increase taxes and have other deleterious effects. SB462 would ensure taxpayers know what they are signing up for when voting on resolutions.
HB1631 would prohibit photographic traffic signal enforcement systems from operating or being used by law enforcement.
The Texas State Senate passed HB1631 on May 17, 2019 by a vote of 26 to 5. We have assigned pluses to the ayes because this bill would protect the privacy rights of Texas citizens and rein in governmental surveillance. Increasingly, privacy is being stripped away from citizens in the name of safety, but this is not what the Founders wanted for our nation.
SB535 would allow churchgoers and attendees to carry rifles into churches, for protection in case of attacks or other dire situations.
The Texas State Senate passed SB535 on May 1, 2019 by a vote of 25 to 6. We have assigned pluses to the ayes because this bill would bring us closer to compliance with the U.S. Constitution. The Second Amendment states that "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." This principle holds true in places of worship as well.
SB1834 would create an incentive encouraging people on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to purchase fruits and vegetables grown in the state of Texas.
The Texas State Senate passed SB1834 by a vote of 26 to 4 on April 25, 2019. We have assigned pluses to the nays as this bill increases government interference in the economy, resulting in SNAP participants purchasing fruits and vegetables that could be found cheaper elsewhere. We believe that this bill also violates the free market principles that helped our nation grow, and gives an unfair leg up to Texas producers. Finally, the SNAP program is itself an unconstitutional expansion of the federal government's scope.
HB170 would add more healthcare coverage and costs to the average person by adding coverage for mammography.
The Texas State Senate passed HB170 on May 22, 2019 by a vote of 26 to 5. We have assigned pluses to the nays as this is an overreach by the government. Government should not interfere in healthcare or the free market. The Declaration of Independence states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." Government interference is in direct conflict with that belief.
