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Rep. Carl O. Sherman Sr. headshot

Carl O. Sherman Sr. Voting Record & Scorecard | Christian Employers Alliance

TX Representative

District: 109 • Democrat

2023 Alignment:

17.02%

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Rep. Carl O. Sherman Sr. (D-TX-109) earned a 17% Christian Employers Alliance score for 2023, showing minimal alignment with biblical business policy positions. Carl O. Sherman Sr. voted on 29 of the 31 key bills CEA scored in 2023. Carl O. Sherman Sr. represents the 109th District in the Texas House of Representatives. Highest category scores: Healthcare Freedom (33%), Economic Freedom (27%), and Operational Freedom (6%).

Title

Lawmaker Position

HB 1House 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.

With 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 1391House 20231x

Reducing Employment Barriers and Expanding Competition through an Alternative Licensing Pathway for Electricians.

Against CEA
This bill creates an additional alternative pathway for electricians to obtain an occupational license. Under the bill, an aspiring electrician may complete a career and technology education program as opposed to the 4,000 hours of training otherwise required. These programs can be offered by public or private schools and colleges and universities.
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 deprive workers of their rights through forced union membership, mandatory dues extraction, and laws that trap workers in systems they never chose. Workforce freedom is justice for the oppressed worker - the right to keep their full paycheck, to negotiate directly with employers, and to be free from coercive representation. Unjust labor laws that force workers to fund political causes they oppose are exactly the oppressive decrees Isaiah condemns.
HB 17House 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 1750House 20232x

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

Against 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 1859House 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 19House 20231x

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 2House 20233x

Protecting Homeowners and Businesses from Spiking Property Taxes by Limiting Annual Property Assessment Increases.

With CEA
This bill, the Property Tax Relief Act, contains a couple key provisions designed to limit increases in property taxes. Most notably, the bill lowers the appraisal cap from 10% to 5% and would expand the cap to also include business property owners, such as restaurants and apartment complexes, rather than just residential.
SUPPORT 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.
HB 2127House 20233x

Combatting Government Overreach by Prohibiting Local Governments from Imposing Additional Regulations on Certain Sectors.

Against CEA
This bill, the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act, prohibits local governments across the state from imposing additional regulations in various fields already regulated at the state level, such as agriculture, labor, and property. The bill also prohibits local governments from enacting any ordinance or rule that conflicts with state law.
SUPPORT 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.
HB 213House 20231x

Threatening Public Safety through a Mass Jailbreak for Prisoners who Committed Murder and other Violent Crimes as Juveniles.

Against CEA
This bill initiates a large release of prisoners within the state correctional system by significantly shortening the sentences of prisoners who committed violent crimes when they were under the age of 18. Under the bill, prisoners who committed first degree felonies as a juvenile must now only serve a quarter of their sentence or 15 years (whichever is shorter) and prisoners who committed capital offenses (sentenced to life in prison) must now only serve 20 years before being eligible for parole. Additionally, the bill establishes certain factors parole boards must consider that are expected to result in earlier releases such as "greater capacity of juveniles for change, as compared to that of adults".
OPPOSE 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 2239House 20231x

Strengthening Property Rights by Allowing the Removal of Ashe Juniper Trees Without Property Owners being Forced to Pay into a Tree Fund.

Against CEA
This bill prohibits localities from requiring property owners to pay a "tree mitigation fee" in order to remove an Ashe juniper tree on their property. The bill also ensures that localities can't impose any ban which prevents the removal of the tree.
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 those who issue oppressive decrees - regulations, mandates, and compliance requirements that crush businesses and deprive workers of opportunity. Operational freedom fights the bureaucratic oppression that kills small businesses, prevents entrepreneurship, and protects established interests at the expense of new entrants. When licensing laws, zoning restrictions, and regulatory burdens make it impossible for the poor to start businesses, government becomes the oppressor Isaiah condemns.
HB 2 (Motion to Table Amd. #1)House 20233x

Denying Texans Significant Property Tax Relief by Blocking a $20 Billion Tax Cut.

Against CEA
This motion tables (defeats) the Tinderholt amendment #1 to a property tax relief bill. The Tinderholt amendment would provide $20 billion in property tax relief through a reduction applied equally across all school districts.
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 3297House 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 3659House 20231x

Strengthening Property Rights and Civil Liberties through Protections Against Abuse of Asset Forfeiture.

With CEA
This bill reforms the state's asset forfeiture laws, under which the government may seize property deemed to be contraband. Under the bill, property may not be seized if it is not otherwise illegal to possess and the aggregate value is less than $2,500. Additionally, the bill increases the evidence standard the state must meet to show that property is subject to seizure from "a preponderance of the evidence" to "clear and convincing evidence."
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.
HB 4218House 20231x

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

Against 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 4811House 20232x

Expanding Government and Paving the Way for Additional Energy Efficiency Mandates through the Creation of a Texas Energy Efficiency Council.

Against CEA
This bill creates the Texas Energy Efficiency Council within the Public Utilities Commission to, among other purposes, ""provide a statewide collaborative approach to promoting energy efficiency" and "make recommendations for improving energy efficiency programs." The bill also has the potential to advance future mandates on property owners, like those passed under SB 2453 this session.
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.
HB 567House 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 916House 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.
HJR 45House 20231x

Increasing Tax Burdens on other Property Owners through a Crony Carveout Providing Physicians a Tax Exemption if they Provide Indigent Services.

With CEA
This resolution amends the state constitution to authorize counties to grant property tax exemptions to physicians who provide services to indigent patients. The tax exemption may cover up to 50% of the assessed value of a physician's homestead.
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.
SB 1017House 20232x

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

Against 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 10 (Amd. #3)House 20231x

Worsening Texas' Unfunded Pension Crisis by Providing Even Greater Unpromised Payouts to Beneficiaries.

Against CEA
The Bryant amendment #3 to a bill relating to teacher retirement benefits. This amendment increases the cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) by an additional 4%. For example, a retired teacher who would receive a 6% COLA under the bill, would now receive a 10% COLA.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Luke 22:25 – "Jesus said to them, 'The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors."
Leadership Insight
Jesus exposes how power corrupts through title and control. Kingdom leaders serve instead of dominating. True authority flows from humility, not hierarchy. Leaders who "lord over" others betray their calling - service precedes honor.
SB 17House 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 17 (Amd. #1)House 20231x

Fighting Back Against Efforts Designed to Weaken the DEI Bill by Forcing Taxpayers to Fund DEI Studies, Retaining DEI Employees, and Delaying Implementation of the Bill.

Against CEA
The Tinderholt amendment #1 to a bill prohibiting public colleges and universities from establishing a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) office. The amendment eliminates language in the bill which forces public institutions to make efforts to reassign employees whose positions will be eliminated due to the bill's prohibition on DEI offices. The amendment also eliminates the requirement that the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board conduct an annual study on the impact of the bill on students, broken down by categories such as race, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
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 2016House 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 2453House 20232x

Infringing Property Rights and Consumer Choice by Allowing State Bureaucrats to Impose Additional Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation Mandates on New Buildings.

Against CEA
This bill allows officials within the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) to impose additional energy efficiency and water conservation regulations on individuals constructing new homes or commercial buildings. Most notably, the bill would permit adoption of the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) which contains much more stringent efficiency standards, as well as even further stringent standards in the future without legislative approval.
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 3 (SS4)House 20233x

Restoring Law and Order by Earmarking $1.54 Billion in State Funds to Construct Barriers Securing the Mexico Border.

Against CEA
This bill earmarks $1.54 billion in state funds to continue construction of barriers along the Mexico border. Additionally, the bill provides $40 million for State Troopers to patrol Colony Ridge which has high levels of illegal immigrants.
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.
SB 4 (SS4)House 20232x

Restoring Law and Order by Authorizing Texas Police to Arrest Illegal Immigrants Crossing the Border from Mexico to Texas.

Against CEA
This bill makes it a state crime to cross the Texas-Mexico border between ports of entry. The bill authorizes the Texas police to arrest illegal migrants and makes the crime a Class B misdemeanor carrying a punishment of up to 6 months in jail. Repeat offenders could face a second-degree felony.
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.
SB 773House 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 812House 20231x

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

With 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 929House 20232x

Strengthening Property Rights by Protecting Businesses from Local Zoning Changes.

Against 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.
HB 287House 20231x

Growing Government Regulation of Property Insurance Through a New Mandate Requiring Payment of 80% of Replacement Value Up Front.

Neutral
This bill requires homeowner's, renter's, and condominium owner's insurance policies that include replacement cost coverage to pay 80% of the repair or replacement cost of a claim upfront, minus the deductible. Once documentation is provided showing that the repair or replacement is complete, and any deductible has been paid, the remaining balance is to be paid. While there is a role of government to protect individuals from fraudulent practices, this overreach significantly adds to the already overregulation of the insurance industry, limiting policy options and driving up costs for both businesses and consumers.
OPPOSE 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 4456House 20233x

Hiking Property Taxes by Gaming the Calculation of the "No-New Revenue" Property Tax Rate.

Neutral
This bill changes the way the "no-new-revenue tax rate" is calculated by referencing the Texas Education Code. This new calculation will result in a higher rate (ultimately higher taxes) by including other funding within the formula.
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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Rep. Carl O. Sherman Sr.'s voting record?

Rep. Carl O. Sherman Sr. (D-TX-109) earned a 17% Christian Employers Alliance score for 2023, showing minimal alignment with biblical business policy positions. Carl O. Sherman Sr. voted on 29 of the 31 key bills CEA scored in 2023. Carl O. Sherman Sr. represents the 109th District in the Texas House of Representatives. Highest category scores: Healthcare Freedom (33%), Economic Freedom (27%), and Operational Freedom (6%).

How aligned is Carl O. Sherman Sr. with biblical business policy positions?

Carl O. Sherman Sr. earned a 17% Christian Employers Alliance score in 2023, showing minimal alignment with biblical business policy positions.

What is Carl O. Sherman Sr.'s CEA score?

Carl O. Sherman Sr. has a 17% CEA score for 2023.

Where does Carl O. Sherman Sr. serve?

Rep. Carl O. Sherman Sr. (D-TX-109) represents the 109th District in the Texas House of Representatives as a Democrat.

What issue categories does Carl O. Sherman Sr. score highest on?

Carl O. Sherman Sr.'s strongest categories on the Christian Employers Alliance scorecard are: Healthcare Freedom (33%), Economic Freedom (27%), Operational Freedom (6%).

Where can I see Carl O. Sherman Sr.'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.
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