King “Taxpayer Hero” in 81st Legislative Session

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In the now-concluded 81st Session of the Legislature, State Representative Phil King stood out as a “hero” for the state’s taxpayers. According to the biennial ranking of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, King received a very strong pro-taxpayer rating of 90.91%.

“Representative Phil King was one of the good guys this legislative session,” said Michael Quinn Sullivan, President of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility. “King worked diligently this session on behalf of Texas’ taxpayers and sound fiscal policy. We need more champions like him.”

Not every Texan is fortunate enough to be represented by such a lawmaker, Sullivan noted. The 181 members of the House and Senate averaged only a 52.09% rating. The House average was a 56.49% and the Senate a 47.69%. On a party basis, House Republicans averaged an 81.72%, while House Democrats had a 30.92%. In the Senate, Republicans averaged a 59.09% and Democrats a 29.65%.

Only 4 members of the 31-member Senate and 49 members of the 150-member House scored a “B” (80%) or better on the Fiscal Responsibility Index rating.

“There is no doubt this would have been a better Session if more legislators voted like Phil King,” Sullivan stated.

Sullivan said King deserves credit for consistently standing up for taxpayers despite pressure from outside influences, and other lawmakers, to do otherwise.

“Unfortunately this was a Session about missed opportunities,” said Sullivan. “Not only did the Legislature fail to provide much-needed additional property tax relief, they didn’t provide substantial reforms to the property tax appraisal system and failed to permanently address the shortcomings of the business tax. This highlights the need to get more individuals like Phil King elected to the Texas Legislature.”

The Fiscal Responsibility Index considers votes cast during the Session, with additional weighting provided for those sponsoring targeted legislation. The ratings of all members, the methodology and votes used can be found online at www.EmpowerTexans.com/index.