A newly released index reveals the voting performance of state lawmakers on legislation with fiscal implications.
Texans for Fiscal Responsibility published its index rating the performance of lawmakers from the 89th Legislature on issues of the size and role of government on Thursday.
“The Fiscal Responsibility Index scores Senators and Representatives based on their voting record, on key bills and amendments important to taxpayers and families,” TFR President Andrew McVeigh told Texas Scorecard.
“From the budget to taxpayer-funded lobbying, government regulation to protecting children, the Index highlights a Legislator’s commitment, or lack thereof, to fighting for pro-taxpayer and pro-family reforms.”
In the Texas House, 20 GOP House lawmakers received a score of 90 or above, with State Reps. Andy Hopper (Decatur) and Mike Olcott (Aledo) receiving a near-perfect score of 99.
The remaining 68 Republican lawmakers received scores between 89-55, with State Reps. Ken King (Canadian) and Stan Lambert (Abilene) tying for the lowest-scoring GOP lawmakers.
Overall, the average rating in the House was a 58.
With the majority of Republican senators receiving a rating of 70 or above, State Sens. Brandon Creighton (Conroe) and Bryan Hughes (Mineola) were the only ones who received an “A.”
All Democrat senators received ratings under 60.
TFR gave the Texas Senate an average score of 67 for their voting performance during the legislative session.
McVeigh explained that of the 23 legislators who have been designated “Taxpayer Champions,” 3 are senators and 20 are members of the House. Each earned a score of 90 or above, equivalent to an “A.”
“These champions demonstrated a consistent commitment to taxpayers on a variety of spending, size and role of government, and liberty issues,” McVeigh continued. “Texans should be proud of these men and women fighting for them in Austin.”
Overall, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility gave the 89th Legislature an average rating of 59.
“The 2025 Index saw a notable increase in the average scores of both chambers compared to recent sessions, driven in part by a conservative, pro-taxpayer freshman class,” said McVeigh.
