Chuck Smith, executive director of Equality Texas
Equality Texas issued its legislative scorecard. The analysis is based on votes taken on the floor of each chamber and how each member cast their vote for each piece of legislation. Extra credit was given for the following:
+10 for primary authorship of supported legislation
-10 for primary authorship of opposed legislation
+10 for advancing EQTX agenda
-10 for advancing against EQTX agenda
+5 for co-authoring supported legislation
-5 for co-authoring opposed legislation
The area’s high scorers were Rep. Rafael Anchia, with 125 percent for the 2017 session on Equality Texas’ legislative scorecard, and Rep. Eric Johnson with 120 percent. Why the difference between the two? Anchia wrote one and co-authored one. Johnson wrote more than one, but wasn’t a co-sponsor of others. These guys share an office suite in the capitol. So that’s 245 points from one little office.
Rep. Roberto Alonzo received 110 percent. Victoria Neave, Toni Rose and Helen Giddings received 100 percent. Yvonne Davis who represents Oak Cliff and Cedar Hill received an 80 percent.
Both lesbians who serve in the House — Celia Israel and Mary Gonzalez — received 125 percent.
Rep. Linda Koop, who voted with the LGBT community when she served on the Dallas City Council, scored 0 percent as a state representative. Koop represents North Dallas and her zero was the third highest score for a Republican.
Rep. Jason Villabla, who represents parts of East Dallas, received the second highest score of any Republican in the legislature — 50 percent. Sarah Davis, a Republican who represents the Montrose area in Houston received an 85 percent. And Morgan Meyer, who represents Highland Park, and Garland’s Angie Chen Button each received minus-5 percent.
