Christian Employers Alliance
Congressional and State Rankings
CongressStatesionicons-v5-aLegislationionicons-v5-aMethod
Sen. John Whitmire headshot

John Whitmire Voting Record & Scorecard | Christian Employers Alliance

TX Senator

District: 15 • Democrat

2023 Alignment:

35.00%

View Member History

Lifetime Ratings by Policy Category

Click Icon to Filter Table

Sen. John Whitmire (D-TX-15) earned a 35% Christian Employers Alliance score for 2023, showing limited alignment with biblical business policy positions. John Whitmire voted on 38 of the 38 key bills CEA scored in 2023. John Whitmire represents the 15th District in the Texas State Senate. Highest category scores: Operational Freedom (45%), Economic Freedom (37%), and Healthcare Freedom (25%).

Title

Lawmaker Position

HB 1Senate 20231x

Fueling Out-of-Control Spending Through a $321.3 Billion Budget (21.3% Increase) with Countless Provisions that Further Grow the Size and Scope of Government.

Against CEA
This bill, the Fiscal Years 2024-2025 Operating Budget, represents a 21.3% increase over the prior budget, and the largest in state history. Some of the major new and increased spending initiatives within the bill include $1 billion for land acquisition for parks (3603.7% increase over the $27 million appropriated in the previous budget), an additional $100 million for the Texas Water Development Board Economically Distressed Areas Program, and $45.9 billion for business and economic development (25.8% increase).
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
HB 1696Senate 20231x

Expanding Government Power to Shutdown Competition within the Optometry Industry.

Against CEA
This bill primarily targets a business model within the optometry industry which has been deployed by Visionworks of America, which is owned by an insurance company called Vision Services Plan (VSP) Insurance Co. The bill prevents VSP from incentivizing its enrollees to utilize the optometry company it owns (Visionworks) through the offering of discounts or other value-added benefits. Other optometry companies have alleged that since VSP owns its own optometry company and can "steer patients" it is provided an unfair competitive advantage in the industry.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Isaiah 10:1-2 – "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless."
Leadership Insight
God pronounces woe on lawmakers who craft economic policies that oppress the poor through excessive taxation, regulatory barriers to entry, and cronyism that favors the connected over the capable. Economic freedom is justice for the poor - when the working class keeps more of their earnings, when small businesses can compete without crushing compliance costs, and when families can build wealth without government extraction. Unjust economic laws always hit the poor hardest.
HB 17Senate 20232x

Strengthening Public Safety by Allowing Courts to Remove Rogue DAs which Refuse to Prosecute Crime.

Against CEA
This bill allows courts to remove district attorneys for misconduct if they refuse to prosecute certain types of crime. The bill is largely in response to cases of "reform-minded" prosecutors that have refused to prosecute crime or uphold the state's abortion laws.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Deuteronomy 16:18-20 – "Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly. Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent. Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you."
Leadership Insight
Moses commands impartial justice - judges who follow "justice alone" without showing partiality. First Freedom depends on courts that protect religious liberty impartially, without favoring secular ideology over sincere faith. When judges show partiality against religious conviction, accepting the cultural bribes of elite approval, they pervert the justice God demands. First Freedom requires judges who fear God more than cultural pressure.
HB 1750Senate 20232x

Protecting Farmers from Government Overreach by Preventing Local Governments from Imposing Additional Regulations on the Agricultural Industry.

With CEA
The bill prevents localities from imposing additional regulations on farmers and ranchers engaging in agricultural operations. Under the bill, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is directed to develop a list of "generally accepted agricultural practices" that do not pose a threat to public health, which cities also may not prohibit or restrict.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Leviticus 25:10 – "Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan."
Leadership Insight
The Year of Jubilee proclaimed economic liberty - restoration of property, cancellation of debts, and freedom from bondage. Economic freedom follows this biblical pattern: protecting property rights, enabling debt relief through bankruptcy rather than permanent servitude, and ensuring families can rebuild wealth across generations. Government policies that permanently trap families in poverty, extract generational wealth through death taxes, or prevent property ownership contradict Jubilee's vision of economic restoration.
HB 1859Senate 20231x

Reducing Employment Barriers and Expanding Competition Through an Alternative Licensing Pathway for HVAC Technicians.

Against CEA
This bill amends the licensing requirements for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) technicians by establishing an alternative pathway to become licensed. The bill recognizes completion of a career and technology education program at a public school or institution of higher education as satisfying the certification training program requirements for licensure. The bill also provides for a waiver of any renewal fee and reduction in the number of required continuing education hours for technicians who provide instruction in a career and technology education program. Ultimately, the private sector, via certifications, rating systems, and the free market, is much better equipped to provide consumer protection while also ensuring competition and low consumer costs. Most government licensing entities are overly restrictive and are largely advocated by special interests seeking to restrict competition in the marketplace.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Proverbs 14:23 – "All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty."
Leadership Insight
God blesses action more than intention. Productivity is not greed - it’s stewardship. Words build ideas; work builds Kingdom impact.
HB 19Senate 20232x

Improving the State's Business Climate by Creating a Specialized Business Court to Hear Cases and Expedite Legal Proceedings.

Against CEA
This bill establishes a specialized "Business Court" to hear cases involving certain business transaction and governance matters, with the judges appointed by the Governor. Judges are required to have at least 10 years of experience practicing complex civil business litigation or business transaction law, or as a judge of a court with civil jurisdiction.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Proverbs 25:8 – "Do not bring hastily to court, for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you to shame?"
Leadership Insight
Wisdom delays litigation in favor of reconciliation. Rushing to court escalates conflict and erodes relationships. Leaders promote resolution over retaliation, understanding that legal victories can produce relational losses. Grace must guide justice.
HB 2263Senate 20231x

Hiking Natural Gas Utility Costs for Texans to Enrich Utility Companies and Create New Energy Conservation Programs.

Against CEA
This bill creates a statewide framework for natural gas utility companies to offer energy conservation programs. These programs typically involve subsidies for purchasing higher energy efficiency appliances or for retrofitting a home or business to increase energy efficiency. The programs are paid for by raising natural gas utility rates on all customers through "rate recovery" which also provides utility companies a larger guaranteed profit. Additionally, the bill allows utility companies (which heavily lobbied for the bill) to receive additional profit for designing, marketing, administering, and delivering an energy conservation program.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Leviticus 25:10 – "Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan."
Leadership Insight
The Year of Jubilee proclaimed economic liberty - restoration of property, cancellation of debts, and freedom from bondage. Economic freedom follows this biblical pattern: protecting property rights, enabling debt relief through bankruptcy rather than permanent servitude, and ensuring families can rebuild wealth across generations. Government policies that permanently trap families in poverty, extract generational wealth through death taxes, or prevent property ownership contradict Jubilee's vision of economic restoration.
HB 3297Senate 20232x

Providing Significant Regulatory Relief to Car Owners by Eliminating the State's Mandatory Annual Vehicle Safety Inspection.

Against CEA
This bill eliminates the state's mandatory vehicle safety inspection effective January 1, 2025. As a result, car owners will no longer be forced to annually take their vehicle in for an inspection, however a $7.50 annual fee (the current inspection fee) will still be assessed on vehicle owners. Texas was one of only 13 states which required annual vehicle inspections.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Proverbs 29:2 – "When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan."
Leadership Insight
Righteous economic leadership creates prosperity that lifts all people; wicked rulers impose taxation, regulation, and cronyism that make the people groan. Economic freedom flourishes under leaders who fear God and protect property rights. When government becomes extractive rather than protective, citizens suffer under the weight of policies designed to benefit the powerful rather than serve the productive.
HB 4218Senate 20231x

Protecting Truck Rental Companies from Frivolous Litigation for Not Retrofitting Trucks with Safety Equipment Upon their Sale.

With CEA
This bill provides that a person who sells or leases a vehicle weighing at least 6,000 lbs. is not liable for not retrofitting the vehicle with equipment, or selecting certain equipment, that was not required under federal regulations when the vehicle was manufactured or sold.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Proverbs 25:8 – "Do not bring hastily to court, for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you to shame?"
Leadership Insight
Wisdom delays litigation in favor of reconciliation. Rushing to court escalates conflict and erodes relationships. Leaders promote resolution over retaliation, understanding that legal victories can produce relational losses. Grace must guide justice.
HB 4219Senate 20232x

Expanding Borrowing and Lending Opportunities by Raising the Maximum Allowable Interest Rate on Consumer Loans by Including the Federal Funds Rate in the Calculation.

With CEA
This bill raises the maximum allowable interest rate which lenders may charge on consumer loans, by now allowing the federal funds rate to be included in the calculation. While existing law currently caps consumer loan interest rates between 18% and 30%, the addition of the federal funds rate could allow lenders to charge another 5% to 6% depending on the rate of inflation.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Matthew 20:13-15 – "But he answered one of them, 'I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'"
Leadership Insight
Jesus affirms the landowner's absolute right to manage his property without external interference. Economic freedom is rooted in the biblical principle that owners - not governments or envious neighbors - determine how resources are allocated. Leaders who defend property rights protect the foundation of free enterprise: voluntary agreements honored without coercion.
HB 4779Senate 20231x

Fueling Lawlessness and Business Closures by Making it Harder to Prosecute and Punish Cases of Organized Retail Theft.

Against CEA
This bill generally raises the bar to prosecute organized retail theft by now requiring a person to steal at least $100 of merchandise and be found to have "intent for the redistribution of that merchandise into the supply chain" to be guilty.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Psalm 82:3-4 – "Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."
Leadership Insight
God commands leaders to defend those who cannot defend themselves. Justice is not passive - it requires intervention. Leaders who ignore the vulnerable betray their calling. Advocacy for the powerless is not optional; it's obedience.
HB 567Senate 20231x

Increasing Frivolous Litigation and Legal Liabilities by Making "Hair Texture and Style" a Protected Characteristic in Employment and Housing.

Against CEA
This bill, the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act, makes a person's hair texture or hairstyle a protected characteristic if is commonly associated with a particular race. CROWN applies to public schools and institutions of higher education, employment, and housing.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Luke 12:58 – "As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison."
Leadership Insight
Jesus warns against rushing to court - wisdom that protects operational freedom from predatory litigation. Businesses today face adversaries who weaponize lawsuits to extract settlements, destroy reputations, and bankrupt enterprises through legal costs alone. Operational freedom requires tort reform, loser-pays provisions, and protection from frivolous claims that use the courthouse as a tool of extortion rather than justice.
HB 7Senate 20232x

Strengthening National Security and Helping to Combat Illegal Immigration and Human Trafficking Through Additional Border Security Funding and Property Owner Compensation.

Against CEA
This bill provides $100 million in funding to establish a new state border policing unit made up of commissioned peace officers. Funding is also directed to a number of initiatives designed to boost border security such as detention facility upgrades, temporary border barriers and compensation to certain property owners impacted.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Romans 13:1-4 – "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."
Leadership Insight
Government authority is legitimate only when it reflects God's design - to punish evil and reward good. Leaders submit to righteous authority but resist tyranny. Romans 13 is not a blank check for government overreach; it's a framework for godly governance rooted in justice.
HB 916Senate 20232x

Hiking Health Insurance Premiums by Mandating Insurance Companies Cover a 12-Month Supply of Contraceptive Drugs.

Against CEA
This bill establishes a new health insurance mandate which requires most Life policies offered in the state, including Medicaid (government-provided welfare), that cover prescription contraceptive drugs to cover a 3-month initial supply and subsequent 12-month supplies of the drugs. Each and every health insurance mandate or price control on co-payments prevents an individual from selecting a plan with just basic or customized coverages to fit their specific needs. As a result, health insurers are forced to only offer costly plans loaded with coverages that most individuals do not need. This can result in lower-income or younger individuals choosing to purchase no insurance plan at all due to the high cost.2
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
2 Corinthians 9:7 – "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
Leadership Insight
Generosity must be voluntary, not coerced. God values the heart behind the gift more than the amount. Leaders who defend economic freedom protect the right to give joyfully without government compulsion. Forced redistribution replaces worship with resentment.
SB 1017Senate 20232x

Protecting Consumer Choice by Preventing Localities from Imposing any Ordinance which Restricts or Bans Gas-Powered Engines or a Source of Energy.

With CEA
This bill prohibits local governments from enacting any ordinances which bans or restricts the sale or use of an engine based on the type of fuel used. Additionally, the bill prevents localities from banning any energy source infrastructure (such as gas stations).
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Proverbs 29:2 – "When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan."
Leadership Insight
Righteous economic leadership creates prosperity that lifts all people; wicked rulers impose taxation, regulation, and cronyism that make the people groan. Economic freedom flourishes under leaders who fear God and protect property rights. When government becomes extractive rather than protective, citizens suffer under the weight of policies designed to benefit the powerful rather than serve the productive.
SB 1083Senate 20231x

Hiking Automobile Insurance Premiums by Imposing New Mandates which Require Usage of OEM Parts for Vehicle Repairs.

Against CEA
This bill imposes a series of new insurance mandates requiring automobile insurance policies offered in the state provide coverage for original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts as opposed to less costly aftermarket parts. The bill applies to all policies covering vehicles 36 months old or newer. Additionally, the bill forbids policies from restricting the repair facility or persons performing repairs.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Leviticus 25:10 – "Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan."
Leadership Insight
The Year of Jubilee proclaimed economic liberty - restoration of property, cancellation of debts, and freedom from bondage. Economic freedom follows this biblical pattern: protecting property rights, enabling debt relief through bankruptcy rather than permanent servitude, and ensuring families can rebuild wealth across generations. Government policies that permanently trap families in poverty, extract generational wealth through death taxes, or prevent property ownership contradict Jubilee's vision of economic restoration.
SB 1195Senate 20232x

Strengthening Law and Order by Permitting the State Attorney General to Prosecute Certain Crimes if Local Prosecutors Refuse.

Against CEA
This bill allows the state's attorney general to prosecute certain crimes, including election, bribery, abuse of office, human trafficking, and abortion-related offenses, if a local prosecutor refuses to prosecute the case. Under the bill, when law enforcement agencies report probable cause to a local prosecutor for these offenses, they must also provide the information to the attorney general, who may prosecute the case if the local prosecutor does not prosecute the case within six months. The bill is largely in response to localities across the nations whose prosecutors (typically receiving financial support from George Soros) refuse to enforce or prosecute certain categories of crime.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Psalm 82:3-4 – "Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."
Leadership Insight
God commands leaders to defend those who cannot defend themselves. Justice is not passive - it requires intervention. Leaders who ignore the vulnerable betray their calling. Advocacy for the powerless is not optional; it's obedience.
SB 1268Senate 20232x

Hiking Consumer Property Insurance Costs by Imposing New Protectionist Regulations on Insurance Deductibles.

Against CEA
This bill imposes a series of new regulations which are largely designed to prevent property insurance companies from steering their policy holders to select a contractor favored by the insurer to make the repairs. For example, an insurer is now no longer permitted to waive or reduce a deductible if policy holders utilize a contractor favored by the insurer.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Galatians 5:1 – "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
Leadership Insight
Freedom is not the absence of restraint; it is the presence of divine purpose. Christ purchased liberty not for comfort but for courage. A free leader under God becomes unshakable, even when culture shifts.
SB 1403Senate 20232x

Strengthening National Security by Creating an Interstate Compact for Border Security to Help Combat Illegal Immigration and Human Trafficking.

With CEA
This bill is designed to curb illegal immigration by allowing the Governor to establish an interstate compact for border security with any interested states for the purpose of sharing intelligence and resources to build a physical wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Psalm 82:3-4 – "Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."
Leadership Insight
God commands leaders to defend those who cannot defend themselves. Justice is not passive - it requires intervention. Leaders who ignore the vulnerable betray their calling. Advocacy for the powerless is not optional; it's obedience.
SB 1464Senate 20231x

Imposing Price Controls and New Government Mandates on Automobile Dealerships Pertaining to Vehicle Financing.

Against CEA
This bill imposes a series of new regulations on automobile dealerships pertaining to vehicle financing. For example, the bill imposes price controls which prevent a dealership from charging a customer a higher sales price if a buyer utilizes a third-party lender or offers cash. The bill is primarily directed at dealerships which offer discounts or condition vehicle sales on financing through preferred lenders. Texas joins only Massachusetts (arguably the most liberal legislature in the nation) in introducing these new government mandates.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Leviticus 25:10 – "Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan."
Leadership Insight
The Year of Jubilee proclaimed economic liberty - restoration of property, cancellation of debts, and freedom from bondage. Economic freedom follows this biblical pattern: protecting property rights, enabling debt relief through bankruptcy rather than permanent servitude, and ensuring families can rebuild wealth across generations. Government policies that permanently trap families in poverty, extract generational wealth through death taxes, or prevent property ownership contradict Jubilee's vision of economic restoration.
SB 17Senate 20232x

Protecting Taxpayer Funds from Being Utilized for Politicized "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" (DEI) Offices at Public College Campuses.

Against CEA
This bill prohibits public institutions of higher education (colleges and universities) from funding or operating any Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Office. Furthermore, the bill bans institutions from conducting diversity trainings or asking prospective job applicants to provide diversity statements.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Galatians 3:28 – "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
Leadership Insight
Paul declares that social distinctions - including the slave/free distinction - do not determine value in Christ. Workforce freedom applies this truth: every worker deserves the right to negotiate freely, to keep their wages, and to be free from coercive systems that treat them as collective property rather than individual image-bearers. Forced union membership contradicts this gospel vision by treating workers as categories to be controlled rather than individuals to be respected.
SB 1711Senate 20231x

Protecting Free Speech and Assembly on Public College Campuses by Ensuring Student Organizations Can Set Membership Policies Based on their Sincerely Held Beliefs.

Against CEA
This bill prevents public colleges and universities within the state from taking certain actions against student organizations due to their membership policies surrounding sincerely held beliefs.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Acts 4:19-20 – "Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to Him? As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."
Leadership Insight
When truth is silenced, darkness prevails. The apostles refused to edit their message for cultural comfort. Faithful leaders must speak what God says, even when it costs influence.
SB 1860Senate 20232x

Protecting Texans from Politicized Climate Change Agendas by Requiring Municipal Charters on Climate Change be Adopted by the Legislature.

Against CEA
This bill prohibits home-rule municipalities from submitting any climate change charter to voters for approval unless the charter has been approved by the state legislature. This includes any rule or policy statement related to climate change or environmental impact.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Exodus 1:17 – "The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live."
Leadership Insight
The Hebrew midwives ran small businesses providing essential services - and Pharaoh demanded they weaponize their commerce against the innocent. Economic freedom includes the right to refuse government mandates that violate conscience or harm others. When the state commands businesses to participate in evil, faithful entrepreneurs must resist. Economic liberty is not unlimited - it is bounded by moral duty to God, not government.
SB 2016Senate 20231x

Increasing Employment Barriers and Enriching Certain Educational Institutions by Forcing Dieticians to Obtain Masters Degrees.

Against CEA
This bill requires an aspiring dietician to now obtain a master's degree, register with a national commission, complete an internship or other accepted training program, and undergo examination to work in the profession.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Galatians 5:1 – "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
Leadership Insight
Freedom is not the absence of restraint; it is the presence of divine purpose. Christ purchased liberty not for comfort but for courage. A free leader under God becomes unshakable, even when culture shifts.
SB 21Senate 20232x

Increasing Public Safety by Providing for the Removal of "Reform-Minded" Judges Who Promote Lawlessness by Persistently Failing to Impose Bail.

With CEA
This bill provides for the suspension or removal of judges for "persistent or wilful" violations of the laws relating to setting bail. The bill is largely in response to "reform-minded" judges (typically receiving financial support from George Soros) who refuse to impose bail or set it at low levels.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Deuteronomy 16:18-20 – "Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly. Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent. Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you."
Leadership Insight
Moses commands impartial justice - judges who follow "justice alone" without showing partiality. First Freedom depends on courts that protect religious liberty impartially, without favoring secular ideology over sincere faith. When judges show partiality against religious conviction, accepting the cultural bribes of elite approval, they pervert the justice God demands. First Freedom requires judges who fear God more than cultural pressure.
SB 258Senate 20232x

Hiking Electricity Rates by Imposing a 1% Annual Energy Savings Goal by 2030 on all Utility Companies.

Against CEA
This bill directs the Public Utility Commission to provide a method to establish an "annual energy savings goal" of 1% for each electric utility by 2030. This is in addition to the existing energy efficiency goals and programs.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Galatians 5:1 – "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
Leadership Insight
Freedom is not the absence of restraint; it is the presence of divine purpose. Christ purchased liberty not for comfort but for courage. A free leader under God becomes unshakable, even when culture shifts.
SB 29Senate 20232x

Protecting Individual Liberties by Prohibiting Government-Imposed COVID-19 Vaccine or Mask Mandates.

Against CEA
This bill prohibits state and local governments from imposing COVID-19 vaccine or mask mandates or from ordering private businesses or public or private schools to close for the purpose of stopping the spread of COVID-19. The bill does contain some exceptions for jails, hospitals, and other facilities where other rules conflict.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Romans 14:3-4 – "The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall."
Leadership Insight
Paul protects liberty of conscience as a sacred right - the foundation of First Freedom. No government, employer, or cultural force has authority to judge another's servant or coerce compliance on matters of faith and conviction. First Freedom protects religious believers from contempt, discrimination, and forced participation in activities that violate their conscience. When government mandates contradict sincere religious conviction, believers must be free to follow God.
SB 384Senate 20231x

Expanding Government Power in the Orthodontics Industry to Shutdown Competition by Online Providers of "Clear Aligners" such as SmileDirectClub.

Against CEA
This bill is largely targeted towards online providers of clear orthodontic aligners such as SmileDirectClub. Under the bill, clear aligners (which are similar to braces) are now classified as a "medical device" and can't be provided to an individual unless they undergo an in-person examination by a dentist, receive dental x-rays, and are provided a prescription for their usage by a dentist. This protectionism merely enriches orthodontists and dentists and prevents the free market from expanding competition and lowering costs for consumers. Unfortunately, perhaps due to similar attacks in other states, SmileDirectClub was forced into bankruptcy and shutdown on December 21, 2023.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Isaiah 10:1-2 – "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless."
Leadership Insight
God pronounces woe on lawmakers who craft economic policies that oppress the poor through excessive taxation, regulatory barriers to entry, and cronyism that favors the connected over the capable. Economic freedom is justice for the poor - when the working class keeps more of their earnings, when small businesses can compete without crushing compliance costs, and when families can build wealth without government extraction. Unjust economic laws always hit the poor hardest.
SB 3 (SS2)Senate 20233x

Expanding Economic Growth by Increasing the Franchisee Tax Exemption from $1 Million to $2.47 Million.

With CEA
This bill provides that businesses with revenue up to $2.47 million are not required to pay any franchise tax (previously $1 million). Additionally, those businesses are no longer required to file a tax information report.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
SB 491Senate 20232x

Strengthening Property Rights by Limiting Certain Overreaching Building Height Restrictions Imposed in Densely Populated Areas.

With CEA
This bill places certain limitations on the ability of cities to limit the height of buildings. The bill applies to highly populated cities such as Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin and Forth Worth and only in cases where buildings are at least 50 feet from a lot line.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Leviticus 25:10 – "Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan."
Leadership Insight
Jubilee proclaimed liberty and restoration - principles essential to operational freedom. Businesses that have struggled under regulatory burden, economic downturn, or circumstance deserve the opportunity to rebuild, restructure, and return to productive enterprise. Operational freedom means bankruptcy laws that restore rather than permanently destroy, regulations that don't trap businesses in perpetual compliance, and policies that allow enterprises to return to their productive "property" rather than remain in bondage to past failures.
SB 561Senate 20232x

Protecting Taxpayers by Prohibiting Localities from Issuing Bonds (Debt) to Purchase Personal Property that has a Lifecycle Expected to Expire Before the Bond Matures.

Against CEA
This bill prohibits localities from issuing bonds (debt) to purchase or lease tangible personal property if the property will no longer be useful before the debt matures. According to the bill's sponsor, local debt reached $417 billion in fiscal year 2022.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Haggai 1:6 – "You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
Leadership Insight
When priorities drift from purpose, prosperity leaks away. God doesn’t bless motion - He blesses alignment. Economic freedom begins when stewardship follows divine order.
SB 612Senate 20231x

Reducing Government and Fiscal Accountability by Allowing Municipal Tax Levies to Continue for up to 10 Years (Previously 4 Years) without Voter Approval.

Against CEA
This bill allows cities which have a municipal street sales tax to call an election to authorize the tax for a period of 8 to 10 years if a majority of voters approved the tax in the last 2 elections. In most cities, the duration of the tax is limited to 4 years. Additionally, the bill expands the permitted uses of the tax to include not only maintenance and repair of streets and sidewalks, but now also water, wastewater, or stormwater systems located under a city street.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Luke 16:10-11 – "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?"
Leadership Insight
Jesus connects economic stewardship to spiritual trustworthiness. Economic freedom is built on this principle: individuals who manage small resources faithfully should be trusted with more - not have government confiscate their increase through taxation or redistribute their success. When government punishes productive stewardship through progressive taxation, it contradicts Christ's teaching that faithful management of "very little" qualifies you for "much." Economic freedom rewards faithful stewardship.
SB 773Senate 20231x

Strengthening Individual Liberties and Medical Freedom by Providing the "Right to Try" Experimental Drugs to treat Severe Chronic Diseases.

With CEA
This bill, the Medical Freedom Act, expands on the state's Right to Try Act passed in 2015, which applied to individuals with terminal illnesses. Under this bill individuals with a severe chronic disease are also given the "right to try" an investigational drug, biological product, or device that has completed phase one of a clinical trial but is not yet approved by the FDA, if certain conditions are met. The bill also provides protections for doctors and manufacturers by providing legal immunity from any harm or injury that results from using the investigational product and ensures doctors can recommend such products without facing any disciplinary actions from the state's professional licensing board.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Luke 8:43-48 – "And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped."
Leadership Insight
Faith moves when systems fail. This woman sought healing through personal action when no medical solution existed. Healthcare freedom means protecting access to faith-based healing and personal choice without government interference. Jesus honored her initiative.
SB 784Senate 20232x

Protecting Against Local Government Overreach by Ensuring Only the State Can Regulate Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

With CEA
This bill prohibits local governments across the state from imposing any ordinances which directly regulate greenhouse gas emissions, with the state given exclusive regulatory authority. As a result, the bill would preempt local regulations that restrict greenhouse gas emissions.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Isaiah 10:1-2 – "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless."
Leadership Insight
God pronounces woe on lawmakers who craft economic policies that oppress the poor through excessive taxation, regulatory barriers to entry, and cronyism that favors the connected over the capable. Economic freedom is justice for the poor - when the working class keeps more of their earnings, when small businesses can compete without crushing compliance costs, and when families can build wealth without government extraction. Unjust economic laws always hit the poor hardest.
SB 812Senate 20231x

Growing the Regulatory State through an Excessive "Food Allergen Awareness" Poster Mandate on all Restaurants and Food Establishments.

Against CEA
This bill requires all restaurants to display a "food allergen awareness" poster for employees, with the content to be determined by the Department of State Health Services. Additionally, food education and training programs are now required to include food allergy information, and a food manager certificate examination must include this information.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Leviticus 25:10 – "Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan."
Leadership Insight
The Year of Jubilee proclaimed economic liberty - restoration of property, cancellation of debts, and freedom from bondage. Economic freedom follows this biblical pattern: protecting property rights, enabling debt relief through bankruptcy rather than permanent servitude, and ensuring families can rebuild wealth across generations. Government policies that permanently trap families in poverty, extract generational wealth through death taxes, or prevent property ownership contradict Jubilee's vision of economic restoration.
SB 929Senate 20232x

Strengthening Property Rights by Protecting Businesses from Local Zoning Changes.

With CEA
This bill requires cities to provide written notification of any proposed zoning change which could cause a non-conforming use for a property owner or business. If the owner is required to close or cease operations, they would be entitled to compensation, such as the loss in market value of the property. The bill is, in part, in response to a case where a shingle factory operating for 80 years was forced to shut down without any compensation.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Proverbs 29:2 – "When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan."
Leadership Insight
Righteous governance creates environments where businesses operate freely and fairly; wicked rulers weaponize regulation, licensing, and bureaucracy to control enterprises. Operational freedom thrives when leaders protect businesses from government overreach and predatory litigation. When the wicked rule, businesses groan under arbitrary enforcement, selective prosecution, and rules designed to punish rather than protect.
SB 986Senate 20231x

Strengthening Property Rights by Prohibiting Local Governments from Imposing Additional Regulations which Restrict Eviction Proceedings.

Against CEA
This bill prohibits local governments from imposing any additional regulations which restrict or delay eviction proceedings.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Leviticus 25:10 – "Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan."
Leadership Insight
Jubilee proclaimed liberty and restoration - principles essential to operational freedom. Businesses that have struggled under regulatory burden, economic downturn, or circumstance deserve the opportunity to rebuild, restructure, and return to productive enterprise. Operational freedom means bankruptcy laws that restore rather than permanently destroy, regulations that don't trap businesses in perpetual compliance, and policies that allow enterprises to return to their productive "property" rather than remain in bondage to past failures.
SB 989Senate 20231x

Increasing Health Insurance Premiums by Mandating All Policies Provide Coverage for Biomarker Testing.

Against CEA
This bill establishes a new health insurance mandate relating to "biomarker testing" which is applicable to all private policies offered in the state and Medicaid. Specifically, the bill requires all policies to cover biomarker testing to diagnose, treat, manage, or monitor a person's disease or condition if the test is supported by "medical and scientific evidence."2
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
2 Corinthians 9:7 – "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
Leadership Insight
Generosity must be voluntary, not coerced. God values the heart behind the gift more than the amount. Leaders who defend economic freedom protect the right to give joyfully without government compulsion. Forced redistribution replaces worship with resentment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sen. John Whitmire's voting record?

Sen. John Whitmire (D-TX-15) earned a 35% Christian Employers Alliance score for 2023, showing limited alignment with biblical business policy positions. John Whitmire voted on 38 of the 38 key bills CEA scored in 2023. John Whitmire represents the 15th District in the Texas State Senate. Highest category scores: Operational Freedom (45%), Economic Freedom (37%), and Healthcare Freedom (25%).

How aligned is John Whitmire with biblical business policy positions?

John Whitmire earned a 35% Christian Employers Alliance score in 2023, showing limited alignment with biblical business policy positions.

What is John Whitmire's CEA score?

John Whitmire has a 35% CEA score for 2023.

Where does John Whitmire serve?

Sen. John Whitmire (D-TX-15) represents the 15th District in the Texas State Senate as a Democrat.

What issue categories does John Whitmire score highest on?

John Whitmire's strongest categories on the Christian Employers Alliance scorecard are: Operational Freedom (45%), Economic Freedom (37%), Healthcare Freedom (25%).

Where can I see John Whitmire's full voting record?

View the full list of scored bills, category breakdown, and year-over-year voting record above. Christian Employers Alliance updates this scorecard as new key votes are scored.

Christian Employers Alliance — Faith. Family. Freedom.
Open Options