Among the many things West Texans are famously known for, strong conservative values rank among the top of the list. However, results from the 2019 Fiscal Responsibility Index show that lawmakers representing this vast area generally performed low—a sign that their votes in the legislature may not reflect the values of the voters they represent.
Republican lawmakers control every legislative seat from the Pecos River border of Ward County to the state line of the Texas Panhandle. Rather than presenting a block of fiscal stewards, their votes tend to lean more towards aiding in the fiscal decline of what most activists are now calling a “purple session.”
Texans for Fiscal Responsibility’s Index is a tool for taxpayers to measure legislators’ commitment to fiscal responsibility and limited government, using exemplar votes on core budget and free-enterprise issues.
This year’s Index was more exhaustive than ever, including 170 votes in the House and 149 votes in the Senate. Every issue and vote included on the Index, as well as the grading methodology, was publicly noted in advance of votes taken on the floor.
Here is how the bulk of the West Texas delegation performed:
State Rep. Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) – House District 81
2019 Rating: 68
State Rep. Tom Craddick (R-Midland) – House District 82
2019 Rating: 58
State Rep. Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) – House District 83
2019 Rating: 47
State Rep. John Frullo (R- Lubbock) – House District 84
2019 Rating: 49
State Rep. K. King (R-Canadian) – House District 88
2019 Rating: 37
State Rep. John Smithee (R- Amarillo) – House District 86
2019 Rating: 50
State Rep. Four Price (R-Amarillo) – House District 87
2019 Rating 47
State Rep. Drew Darby (R-San Angelo) – House District 72
2019 Rating: 52
State Senator Charles Perry (R- Lubbock) – Senate District 28
2019 Rating: 64
State Senator Kel Seliger (R – Amarillo) Senate District 31
2019 Rating: 54
