 | 2007 Texas Conservative Report | |
Since 1985, rating Senators and Representatives serving in the Texas Legislature.
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Voting Record for Rep. Smithee, John (R-86)
Score: 79%
(0% Social)
The score is calculated based on all 69 votes in our list.
Our score also reflects an Absent or Present vote as an incorrect vote since it is our legislator's job to vote.
| RV # | Bill # | Description | Rep. Smithee's Vote | Conservative Vote |
| 1 | HR 35 | Table amendment 2 by Geren Members of the House do not cast paper ballots when taking any other action so it would be improper to use a different method for casting votes in the race for Speaker of the House. Tabled by: 80y 68n |
Y | Y 22% D right 80% R right |
| 16 | HR 2 | Adopt amendment 9 by Raymond, Branch, Hopson, & Homer This amendment requires the House to display the motto of the United States in the House chambers. Adopted by: 143Y 2N |
Y | Y 94% D right 98% R right |
| 30 | HR 3 | Table amendment 36 by Gallego This amendment increases the transparency of government by allowing the public real time access to what is being discussed in the House. Motion failed by: 43y 86n |
N | N 78% D right 35% R right |
| 56 | HB 2 | Table amendment 1 by Leibowitz This amendment would have forced the legislature to pass another bill in order to enact this bill. Amendment tabled by: 82y 60n |
Y | Y 13% D right 91% R right |
| 57 | HB 2 | Table amendment 2 by Herrero This amendment would have required the state to increase teacher salaries using money that was supposed to be spent to reduce property taxes. Tabled by: 75y 65n |
Y | Y 6% D right 88% R right |
| 58 | HB 2 | Table amendment 3 by Castro This amendment would have taken money from the property tax relief fund to pay for materials used by the Texas Education Agency. Amendment tabled by: 81y 60n |
Y | Y 13% D right 90% R right |
| 59 | HB 2 | Table amendment 4 by Coleman This amendment would have linked the property tax reductions to grants that fund Pre-K programs. Amendment tabled by: 80y 65n |
Y | Y 4% D right 95% R right |
| 60 | HB 2 | Passage to Engrossment This bill would create the mechanism for the property tax relief that was passed during the previous special session. Passed by: 138y 6n |
Y | Y 87% D right 96% R right |
| 110 | HB 1098 | Passage to engrossment This bill overturned the governor's, order requiring every girl entering the sixth grade be vaccinated against the human papilloma virus, which took the decision to have children vaccinated out of the hands of the parents. Passed by: 119y 21n |
Y | Y 59% D right 95% R right |
| 111 | HB 121 | Passage to engrossment This bill creates a mandate that schools adopt and implement a new program but does not include a mechanism for the funding of this program. This leads to an unfunded mandate being handed down to the schools. Passed by: 97y 37n |
N | N 1% D right 44% R right |
| 135 | HB 735 | Final Passage This bill eliminates a tax that is charged on phones to pay for computers in schools and libraries. Passed by: 143y 0n |
Y | Y 99% D right 93% R right |
| 136 | SB 378 | Final Passage This bill enhances the castle doctrine to include vehicles and places of business and also remove the civil liability of the person who used deadly force. Passed by: 133y 13n |
Y | Y 78% D right 98% R right |
| 224 | HB 1 | Table Amendment 20 by Naishtat This amendment would have harmed organizations that receive money from the state to provide alternatives to abortion Amendment tabled by: 89y 48n |
Y | Y 22% D right 91% R right |
| 229 | HB 1 | Table Amendment 31 by Villarreal This amendment would have harmed organizations that receive money from the state to provide alternatives to abortion Amendment tabled by: 92y 50n |
Y | Y 22% D right 95% R right |
| 235 | HB 1 | Adopt Amendment 74 by Heflin This amendment eliminates private school vouchers as an option in Texas for this session by failing to fund them. Amendment Adopted by: 129y 8n |
A | N 0% D right 10% R right |
| 267 | HB 109 | Table Amendment 4 by Coleman This amendment would have returned the more lax income verification standards used before the last legislative session. Amendment tabled by: 86y 55n |
Y | Y 16% D right 93% R right |
| 270 | HB 109 | Motion to adopt Amendment 8 by Flynn This amendment would prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining state funded healthcare for their children. Adopted by: 109y 30n |
Y | Y 46% D right 95% R right |
| 298 | SB 135 | Passage to third reading This bill would allow district employees to keep an open flow of communication with school board members. Passed by: 138y 0n |
Y | Y 94% D right 90% R right |
| 285 | HB 109 | Passage to engrossment This bill allowed more people to be eligible for coverage under the state funded CHIP program even though many of these families could afford healthcare on their own. Passed by: 126y 16n |
Y | N 0% D right 20% R right |
| 384 | HB 2685 | Passage to Engrossment This bill will strengthen marriage in Texas by encouraging couples to seek counseling before getting married. Passed by: 78y 63n |
Y | Y 13% D right 85% R right |
| 412 | SB 482 | Adopt Amendment 24 by Vo This amendment would allow people to delay mailing their electric bill until the day it is due without facing any a penalty. Adopted by: 86y 43n |
A | N 0% D right 53% R right |
| 437 | HB 2685 | Motion to table Amendment 2 by Thompson on third reading This amendment reduced the cost incentive that was placed in this bill to encourage couples to seek counseling. Motion failed by: 61y 76n |
Y | Y 3% D right 73% R right |
| 463 | HB 2683 | Final Passage This bill will use funding that the state currently receives to strengthen the family unit in low income families. Passed by: 103 y 36n |
Y | Y 42% D right 91% R right |
| 532 | HJR 19 | Final Passage This constitutional amendment will require the legislature to make more information about the votes that they cast available to the public Passed by: 142y 0n |
Y | Y 94% D right 95% R right |
| 589 | HB 2136 | Motion to Reconsider the previous vote on passage to engrossment The motion to reconsider allowed the members of the House to vote on the passage to engrossment a second time after the passage to engrossment failed the first time. Motion prevailed by: 73y 53n |
A | Y 6% D right 85% R right |
| 592 | HB 2136 | Passage to engrossment This bill will make public school referrals more transparent allowing parents to know what services the counselors at their children's schools are referring students for and where the referrals are to. Passed by: 74y 69n |
Y | Y 3% D right 89% R right |
| 598 | HB 1022 | Final Passage This bill will exempt those who are required to use their vehicle for work purposes, such as courier services, that also use the vehicle for personal from some taxes. This will benefit many small business owners that are forced to use the vehicle for work and personal purposes by reducing their tax burden. Passed by: 142y 0n |
Y | Y 91% D right 98% R right |
| 607 | HB 218 | Table amendment 7 by Turner This amendment would have stripped the bill of much of the power to require photo identification. Tabled by: 75y 68n |
Y | Y 1% D right 91% R right |
| 609 | HB 218 | Table Amendment 11 This amendment would have stripped this bill of the power to ensure that only those legally registered to vote are voting. Tabled by: 77y 68n |
Y | Y 0% D right 95% R right |
| 610 | HB 218 | Table Amendment 13 This amendment would require that if someone requested an identification card only for the purposes of voting the county clerk would have to make it available even though photo identification cards are already available from the state. Tabled by: 73y 69n |
Y | Y 0% D right 90% R right |
| 611 | HB 218 | Table Amendment 15 This amendment would have created a loophole to allow people to get around the photo id requirement to vote. Tabled by: 75y 69n |
Y | Y 0% D right 93% R right |
| 618 | HB 218 | Passage to Engrossment This bill protects the integrity of elections by requiring that voters prove that they are who they say they are before casting a vote. Passed by: 76y 68n |
Y | Y 0% D right 94% R right |
| 625 | HB 2814 | Passage to Engrossment This bill would place students in classrooms where they would be taught in two languages rather than in English Passed by: 125y 15n |
Y | N 0% D right 19% R right |
| 634 | HB 461 | Passage to engrossment This bill prevents the state from requiring farmers and ranchers to tag their animals but does not prevent farmers who wish to tag their animals from tagging them. Passed by: 88y 51n |
N | Y 54% D right 63% R right |
| 653 | HB 1196 | Final Passage This bill would prevent the state from subsidizing illegal aliens by subsidizing organizations that employ them. Passed by: 135y 4n |
Y | Y 84% D right 95% R right |
| 710 | HB 3678 | Motion to table Amendment 2 This amendment would prevent students from speaking against homosexuality and other religions Motion failed by: 63y 70n |
Y | Y 3% D right 75% R right |
| 711 | HB 3678 | Motion to adopt Amendment 2 This amendment would prevent students from speaking against homosexuality and other religions Adopted by: 86y 48n |
N | N 1% D right 58% R right |
| 749 | HB 2265 | Final Passage This bill would allow jackpots that would become larger each time a game was played and the jackpot was not won in an attempt to generate more players. Passed by: 105y 31n |
Y | N 1% D right 37% R right |
| 763 | HB 3496 | Passage to Engrossment This bill would allow a land owner to reacquire their property without incurring any additional cost. Passed by: 133y 0n |
Y | Y 87% D right 90% R right |
| 803 | HB 323 | Passage to Engrossment This bill requires school districts to use school buses with three point seat belts which will be paid for by the legislature but it will reduce the number of students that can ride on a bus which will require the districts to pay for additional busses. Passed by: 130y 6n |
Y | N 0% D right 7% R right |
| 806 | HB 3326 | Suspend posting rules Without suspending the posting rules the bill could not be discussed further. Motion failed by: 73y 51n |
N | N 4% D right 59% R right |
| 813 | HB 3678 | Final Passage This bill is adopted from the U.S. Department of Education's prayer guidance which clarifies the provisions of the equal Federal Equal Access Act. This will clarify that schools know there rights and responsibilities when dealing with religious speech and organizations in Texas public schools. Passed by: 121y 10n |
Y | Y 70% D right 90% R right |
| 858 | HB 626 | Table Amendment 6 by Villarreal This amendment would have created a loophole that would allow some counties to avoid requiring photo ID in order for a person to register to vote. Tabled by: 78y 62n |
A | Y 4% D right 93% R right |
| 862 | HB 626 | Passage to Engrossment This bill would protect the integrity of elections by ensuring that only legal US residents are eligible to vote. Passed by: 87y 59n |
Y | Y 14% D right 95% R right |
| 899 | HB 3057 | Final Passage This bill would make it more difficult for governmental agencies to take property through eminent domain by declaring it a blighted area. Passed by: 137y 1n |
A | Y 94% D right 89% R right |
| 900 | HB 1495 | House Final Passage This bill will better inform property owners and help them to protect their property from being taken under eminent domain. Passed by: 139y 0n |
A | Y 93% D right 93% R right |
| 926 | HB 2786 | Table Amendment 1 by Gallego This amendment would require the Legislative Budget Board to take into account any effects that a tax cut would have on public services such as Health and Human Services and education when issuing a report. Tabled by: 73y 63n |
Y | Y 1% D right 89% R right |
| 939 | HB 10 | Passage to Engrossment This bill would have expanded casino gambling in Texas. Passage failed by: 66y 66n |
N | N 4% D right 78% R right |
| 941 | HB 1034 | Table Amendment 1 by Burnam This amendment would ensure that students knew of their right to not say the pledge but could lead to a lack of respect for others while the pledge is being recited. Motion failed by: 90y 42n |
Y | Y 29% D right 86% R right |
| 942 | HB 1034 | Passage to Engrossment This bill would change the pledge of allegiance to the state flag in order to recognize our heritage as a state that is under God. Passed by: 124y 5n |
Y | Y 78% D right 86% R right |
| 991 | HJR 44 | Passage to engrossment This bill would have made it more difficult for the legislature to raise the franchise tax. Passed by: 98y 34n |
Y | Y 35% D right 91% R right |
| 1006 | HJR 44 | Final passage This bill would have made it more difficult for the legislature to raise the franchise tax. Passage failed to receive 2/3 needed by: 93y 49n |
Y | Y 22% D right 96% R right |
| 1037 | HB 2006 | Table amendment 3 by Rodriguez This amendment would have limited the options available to the Texas Department of Transportation for the building of roads. Amendment tabled by: 89y 40n |
A | Y 33% D right 81% R right |
| 1057 | HB 2006 | Final Passage This bill makes it more difficult for a governmental subdivision to use eminent domain to take property from a landowner. This would also prevent a government from taking a piece of property to turn it over to a private organization or company for private use. Passed by: 143y 0n |
Y | Y 97% D right 94% R right |
| 1070 | HB 1287 | Table amendment 1 by Chisum This amendment would have returned the local control elements of the bill that were removed from the committee substitute. Amendment tabled by: 79y 59n |
N | N 7% D right 67% R right |
| 1093 | HJR 90 | Passage to Engrossment This bill creates a new government agency and dedicate funds for research however, it is rarely the proper role of government to fund research through dedicating funds to a new program that will increase the size of government. Passed by: 109y 26n |
Y | N 1% D right 31% R right |
| 1102 | HB 438 | Final Passage This bill would prevent the appraised rate from rising more than 10% even if the last appraisal was more than one year previous. Passed by: 143y 0n |
Y | Y 99% D right 93% R right |
| 1155 | HB 2785 | Table Amendment 2 by Coleman This amendment would make it more difficult to provide for the promised property tax reductions. Tabled by: 83y 53n |
Y | Y 13% D right 91% R right |
| 1157 | HB 2785 | Table Amendment 3 by Dunnam This bill was introduced to reduce property taxes for Texans but by linking the tax reductions to pay raises this amendment increased state spending. Motion failed by: 62y 81n |
Y | Y 0% D right 77% R right |
| 1320 | HB 2564 | Final Passage This allows the government to increase the fee if an open records request is going to take a large amount of time. Passed by: 119y 16n |
A | Y 72% D right 85% R right |
| 1401 | SB 12 | Table amendment 2 by Naishtat This amendment would create a task force to study global warming which is an environmental phenomenon. Tabled by: 88y 52n |
Y | Y 20% D right 91% R right |
| 1405 | HB 2683 | Motion to concur in the Senate's amendments The Senate's amendments strengthened the bill to more closely reflect the bill originally introduced in the House. Passed by: 130y 11n |
Y | Y 78% D right 94% R right |
| 1407 | HB 2685 | Motion to concur in the Senate's amendments The Senate amendments strengthened the incentives for couples to seek premarital counseling. Motion Passed by: 84y 56n |
Y | Y 14% D right 91% R right |
| 1578 | SB 23 | Table amendment 15 by Burnam This amendment could be the first step to creating universal healthcare in Texas. Tabled by: 89y 51n |
Y | Y 20% D right 93% R right |
| 1879 | HB 3678 | Suspend the rules Without the motion to suspend the rules the House would not have been able to vote on the adoption of the conference committee report and the bill would have died. This motion failed because it did not meet the required 2/3 majority vote. Motion failed by: 93y 50n |
Y | Y 23% D right 95% R right |
| 1914 | HB 3678 | Motion to reconsider vote to suspend all necessary rules The suspension of the rules was necessary in order for the vote to concur in the senate amendments after the normal time period had expired. Motion passed by: 94y 44n |
Y | Y 30% D right 90% R right |
| 1915 | HB 3678 | Concur in the Senate's amendments By concurring with the Senate's amendments there was not a need for further discussion and the bill could be sent to the governor. Concurred by: 107y 28n |
Y | Y 49% D right 90% R right |
| 1 | HR 35 | HR 35 motion to table the amendment to amendment 1 This amendment would have kept the votes of each member secret until the Speaker had made committee appointments. Tabled by: 82y 68n |
Y 0% D right 90% R right |
|
| 110 | HB 1098 | Parental Rights and Responsibilities Category (Social) Passage to engrossment This bill would overturn the governor's executive order requiring every girl entering the sixth grade be vaccinated against the human papilloma virus which took the decision out of the hands of the parents Passed by: 119y 21n |
Y 0% D right 90% R right |
Category Scores:
: 78% (53 right of 68 votes)
Parental Rights and Responsibilities: 0% (0 right of 1 votes)
* Heritage Alliance does not penalize for not voting in cases of the speaker (who customarily does not vote except in ties), being ineligible to vote, or for someone who is voting in the other chamber. In rare cases, exceptions are made for extended excused absences. However, in these cases, Heritage Alliance usually does not have enough votes to be able to accurately assess their voting record.
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