Conservative voters are a force to be reckoned with—they demand results. Establishment Republicans tend to understand this, as they often cherry pick one bill from each major issue set that they allow to pass for use during reelection season. By passing one bill as...
Since 2007, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility (TFR) has released the Fiscal Responsibility Index following each session. Comprised of almost 100 votes in 2015, the Index provides a review of Texas lawmakers’ commitment to fiscal conservatism. The Index is useful for...
With the groundwork laid for Second Amendment issues during the 84th Texas Legislature, the stage was set for a potentially productive session for gun rights, as long as advocates were able to successfully navigate a stormy sea of process. Newly...
With the release of the 2015 Fiscal Responsibility Index the record is clear—the Texas Senate has radically improved when compared to the previous session. As this publication anticipated, much of that can be explained by the fresh leadership of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick....
When the legislative session began in early January, gun rights were expected to take center stage. “Constitutional carry,” “open carry,” “campus carry,” and other measures dominated much of the conversation and drew some of the strongest testimony in public hearings....
Moms Demand Action and other anti-gun groups said open carry and other gun rights legislation would turn Texas into the Wild Wild West – and it did, at least in the Texas Legislature. The story surrounding Second Amendment legislation and how some...
A few years ago, Texas conservatives would be hard pressed to find a more reliable ally in Austin than State Rep. Jodie Laubenberg (R-Parker). She fought for taxpayers and even supported then-State Rep. Ken Paxton (R‑Plano) in his bid for Speaker of the House against...
There are a lot of scorecards grading lawmakers on how they performed in Austin. Some of them, such as TFR’s Fiscal Responsibility Index, provide an honest look at lawmakers’ voting records. We tell the public in advance our principles and priorities and which votes...
Though much of House Speaker Joe Straus’ Texas Tribune interview this week centered on a whopper of a lie concerning the death of union dues legislation, it also featured a Jason Villalba-esque admission of guilt concerning the defeat of other bills. As previously...
In a recent interview, liberal House Speaker Joe Straus was asked to respond to allegations from many, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, that conservative bills went to House Calendars only to die without a vote. Citing the example of SB 1968 by State Sen. Joan Huffman...