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Empower Texans Fiscal Responsibility Index (2011-2015)

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Empower Texans, a Texas-based public policy organization that was active from 2006 to 2020, produced its Fiscal Responsibility Index as "a measurement of how lawmakers perform on size and role of government issues." The index used what the organization called "exemplar votes on core budget and free enterprise issues that demonstrate legislators' governing philosophy."[1] Legislators were graded along a standard grading scale of A through F.

Empower Texans said it existed "to create and sustain a system of strong fiscal stewardship within all levels of Texas government, ensuring the greatest amounts of economic and personal liberty, and promoting public policies that provide individuals with the freedom to use their strengths and talents in pursuit of greater opportunities."[2] It was affiliated with the Empower Texans PAC, which said it existed "to support conservative, reform-minded candidates for the Texas House and Senate," and the Empower Texans Foundation, which described its work as "[educating] the public about fiscal stewardship and the issues facing the Lone Star State."[3][4]

2015 report

According the 2015 report, the average rating of a legislator in the Texas Hours of Representative was 58. The average rating of the Texas State Senate was 70. The overall average was 60.[5]

2013 report

According to the 2013 report, the average rating of a legislator in the Texas House of Representatives was 46.92. For House Democrats, the average rating was 18.69, while House Republicans averaged 63.08.[6] The average rating of the Texas State Senate was 58.03. The Senate Democrats averaged a score of 40.83, while the Senate Republicans averaged a score of 68.90.[6]

For the state legislature as a whole, the average rating was 48.82. The average rating for Democrats in the legislature was 22.66 while Republicans in the legislature averaged 64.05.[6]

The five highest-scoring Republicans and Democrats in the state House include:

The five highest-scoring Republicans and Democrats in the state Senate include:

The five lowest-scoring Republicans and Democrats in the state House include:

The five lowest-scoring Republicans and Democrats in the state Senate include:

2011 report

Out of 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives, twenty representatives received the highest grade of A+, while fifty-two representatives received the lowest grade of F.

Out of 31 members of the Texas State Senate, three state senators received the highest grade of A+, while eighteen state senators received the lowest grade of F.

Methodology

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility (TFR), which created the Fiscal Responsibility Index, notified lawmakers and the public in advance of its stance on the issues to be rated before votes were taken on the floor of the legislature. TFR specified the relevant bill numbers and amendments so that lawmakers and citizens could track what TFR viewed as important to its score calculations.[6] These notices appeared on the TFR website during the legislative session, as well as through email and social media. The index gave a slight weight to votes on bills related to budget and tax issues. Legislators also received extra credit for sponsoring bills related to TFR's legislative priorities.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Empower Texans, "Fiscal Responsibility Index," accessed September 16, 2013
  2. ↑ Empower Texans, "About Texans for Fiscal Responsibility," accessed February 12, 2020
  3. ↑ Empower Texans, "Empower Texans PAC," February 12, 2020
  4. ↑ Empower Texans, "Donate," accessed February 12, 2020
  5. ↑ Empower Texans, "2015 Fiscal Responsibility Index," accessed June 23, 2015
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Empower Texans, "2013 Fiscal Responsibility Index," accessed September 17, 2013
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