At Texas Policy Research, we are committed to equipping lawmakers with thoughtful vote recommendations grounded in a principled analysis of legislation. Each recommendation is evaluated through the lens of our five core Liberty Principles: Individual Liberty, Personal Responsibility, Free Enterprise, Private Property Rights, and Limited Government.
While these principles do not exhaustively define liberty, they reflect its foundational elements and guide our legislative assessments. Based on their alignment with these principles, we issue the following types of vote recommendations:
Vote YES
We recommend a “Yes” vote on legislation that clearly advances one or more of our Liberty Principles.
Vote YES; Amend
We recommend a “Yes; Amend” vote when legislation substantially supports our Liberty Principles but could be improved through a strengthening or clarifying amendment. Our support is not contingent on the adoption of the suggested amendment(s), but we believe it would enhance the bill’s alignment with liberty.
NEUTRAL
A “Neutral” recommendation is reserved for rare instances where a bill does not clearly align or conflict with any of our Liberty Principles, or where it upholds some principles while undermining others. Because neutrality offers limited guidance, we use it sparingly and only after careful consideration.
Vote NO
We recommend a “No” vote on legislation that significantly violates one or more of our Liberty Principles.
Vote NO; Amend
We recommend a “No; Amend” vote when legislation, as written, substantially conflicts with our Liberty Principles, but could be made acceptable with specific, meaningful amendments. If such changes are adopted, we may reconsider our recommendation and support the final version of the bill.
