Ken Paxton’s voting record in the Texas Legislature
Paxton served in the Texas House representing District 70 from 2003 to 2013, then one term in the Texas Senate representing District 8. Every vote below is cited to the House or Senate Journal or to reporting that documents it. He has not held federal office, so there is no congressional voting record.
Before you read this
Many Texas votes have no individual tally
In both chambers, many measures pass on a voice vote, and a member’s position is recorded only when someone requests a record vote. Where there is no documented Paxton position, this page says so rather than inferring one. Positions are not inferred from party, co-authorship or later statements.
All documented votes
| Session | Bill | Measure | Position | Outcome | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 83rd, 2nd Called (2013) | HB 2 | Voted for the 2013 law banning most abortions after 20 weeks and adding new clinic requirements HB 2: Abortion restrictions and clinic standards. Banned most abortions at 20 weeks after fertilization, required abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital, and required clinics to meet ambulatory surgical center standards. | Yea | Passed Senate 19–11; became law. | Senate Journal, 83rd Leg. 2nd C.S., July 12, 2013, p. 46 |
| 83rd (2013) | HB 950 | Voted against the Texas equal-pay bill HB 950: State equal-pay bill (filing deadline for pay-discrimination claims). A state version of the federal Lilly Ledbetter Act: each paycheck affected by a discriminatory pay decision would restart the deadline to file a complaint. | Nay | Passed Senate 16–15; vetoed by Gov. Rick Perry. | Senate Journal, 83rd Leg., May 22, 2013, p. 2882 |
| 83rd (2013) | SB 1247 | Voted against capping payday loans SB 1247: Limits on payday and auto-title loans. Would have capped payday loans at 25% or 35% of a borrower’s gross monthly income, limited refinancing and created a statewide database. | Nay | Passed Senate 24–6; died in a House committee. | Senate Journal, 83rd Leg., April 22, 2013, p. 1111 |
| 82nd, 1st Called (2011) | SB 7 | Voted to bar clinics affiliated with abortion providers from the Women’s Health Program SB 7: Health and human services omnibus, including Women’s Health Program restrictions. Omnibus Medicaid bill that barred Women’s Health Program funds from going to providers that perform or promote elective abortions or are affiliated with them. | Yea | Passed; conference report adopted 96–48. | House Journal, 82nd Leg. 1st C.S., June 27, 2011, p. 559, Record 128 |
| 82nd (2011) | HB 1 | Voted for the budget that cut state family-planning funding by $73.6 million HB 1: General Appropriations Act, 2012–13 state budget. The 2012–13 budget, which cut state family planning funding by $73.6 million, from $111.5 million to $37.9 million per biennium, according to the Texas Tribune. | Yea | Passed; conference report adopted 97–53. | House Journal, 82nd Leg., May 28, 2011, p. 6442, Record 1664 |
| 82nd (2011) | HB 2594 | Voted against licensing and regulating payday and auto-title lenders HB 2594: Licensing and regulation of payday and auto-title lenders. Required businesses that arrange payday and auto-title loans to be licensed and regulated, with administrative penalties. | Nay | Passed House 84–50; he also voted against the final version. Became law. | House Journal, 82nd Leg., May 13, 2011, p. 3870, Record 1047 |
| 82nd (2011) | HB 2592 | Voted against making payday lenders disclose their fees HB 2592: Fee disclosures for payday and auto-title lenders. Required payday and auto-title lenders to give borrowers notices and disclosures about fees and borrowing costs. | Nay | Passed House 123–23; he also voted against the final version. Became law. | House Journal, 82nd Leg., May 12, 2011, p. 3673, Record 990 |
| 82nd (2011) | HB 274 | Voted to expand rules that can make people who sue pay the other side’s legal costs HB 274: Civil lawsuit changes (“loser pays” cost shifting). Provided for early dismissal of baseless suits and expanded shifting of litigation costs after a rejected settlement offer. | Yea | Passed House 96–49; became law. | House Journal, 82nd Leg., May 9, 2011, p. 3220, Record 857 |
| 82nd (2011) | HB 1, Amendments 49 and 54 | Voted twice to move money out of family-planning services HB 1, Amendments 49 and 54: Budget amendments moving money out of family planning. Amendment 49 moved $7.2 million a year from family planning services to children’s mental health. Amendment 54, as amended, moved $10.6 million a year from family planning, mainly to Early Childhood Intervention. | Yea | Both adopted (96–6 and 104–37). | House Journal, 82nd Leg., April 1, 2011, Records 224 and 228 |
| 82nd (2011) | HB 3446 | Wrote a bill imposing surgical-center building standards on abortion clinics HB 3446: Abortion facility construction standards. Would have required abortion facilities to meet construction standards at least as strict as ambulatory surgical centers. A similar requirement was enacted in 2013. | No action after referral to committee. | Introduced text, 82(R) HB 3446 | |
| 82nd (2011) | HB 97 | Wrote a bill opposing the Affordable Care Act’s coverage requirement HB 97: “Health Freedom Act” opposing a health-insurance mandate. Would have declared that the power to require people to carry health insurance is reserved to the people and the states. | Died in committee. | Introduced text, 82(R) HB 97 | |
| 82nd (2011) | HB 15 | Voted to require a sonogram before an abortion HB 15: Sonogram required before an abortion. Required a sonogram and related disclosures at least 24 hours before an abortion, or two hours for women living 100 miles or more from a provider. | Yea | Passed House 107–42; became law. | House Journal, 82nd Leg., March 7, 2011, p. 685, Record 92 |
| 81st (2009) | HB 2962 | Voted against letting families buy CHIP coverage for their children HB 2962: CHIP eligibility changes and a CHIP “buy-in” option. Would have let families earning 300% to 400% of the federal poverty level buy CHIP coverage for their children. | Nay | Passed House 87–55; died in the Senate. | House Journal, 81st Leg., May 15, 2009, p. 3734, Record 881 |
| 80th (2007) | HB 109 | Voted against restoring 12-month CHIP health coverage for children HB 109: Restoring 12-month CHIP eligibility and outreach. Restored continuous CHIP eligibility of up to 12 months, set a minimum $10,000 asset allowance where an asset test applies, and required an outreach campaign and hotline. | Nay | Passed House 128–17; he also voted against the final version, adopted 134–14. Became law. | House Journal, 80th Leg., April 4, 2007, p. 1568, Record 299 |
| 79th (2005) | HB 2959 | Wrote a bill to make child-care quality funding optional HB 2959: Local use of federal child-care block grant funds. Would have made optional two requirements for local workforce boards: higher child-care reimbursement rates for designated quality providers, and set-asides of quality funds for infant and early-childhood care. | Did not become law. | Bill history, 79(R) HB 2959 | |
| 78th (2003) | HB 4 | Voted to cap what injured patients can recover for pain and suffering at $250,000 HB 4: Civil lawsuit overhaul, including medical-malpractice damage caps. Overhauled civil lawsuits, including class actions and venue, and capped noneconomic damages in health care liability claims at $250,000 per claimant against physicians and providers. | Yea | Passed; conference report adopted 110–34. | House Journal, 78th Leg., June 1, 2003, p. 6041, Record 935 |
| 78th (2003) | HB 2292 | Voted for the 2003 law that let the state cut children’s CHIP coverage from 12 months to 6 and add an asset test HB 2292: Reorganization of health and human services agencies, including CHIP eligibility changes. Consolidated state health and human services agencies. Allowed CHIP’s continuous-eligibility period to drop from 12 months to 6 months until Sept. 1, 2005, and allowed an asset test for families above 150% of the federal poverty level. | Yea | Passed; conference report adopted 87–58. | House Journal, 78th Leg., June 1, 2003, pp. 6514–15, Record 948 |
| 78th (2003) | HB 15 | Voted to require a 24-hour wait before an abortion HB 15: Woman’s Right to Know Act (abortion informed consent). Required certain information to be given at least 24 hours before an abortion and required abortions at 16 weeks or later to be performed in an ambulatory surgical center or hospital. | Yea | Passed to engrossment 95–41. | House Journal, 78th Leg., April 29, 2003, p. 2017, Record 385 |
No votes match these filters.
Yea Recorded in favor, with the journal page cited.Nay Recorded against, with the journal page cited.No record vote Passed on a voice vote; no individual position was recorded.Absent Recorded as absent or present and not voting. Paxton authored or sponsored the bill.