The Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter’s 2025 Texas Legislative Scorecard shines a light on how your state legislators performed on key environmental issues during the 89th Legislative Session. It tracks votes on bills that impact clean air, safe water, renewable energy, and climate resilience - giving Texans a clear view of who is showing up for people over polluters, and who is siding with corporate interests.
At its core, the scorecard is a tool for transparency and accountability. By making legislators’ records visible and breaking them down in a reader-friendly way, it empowers Texans to hold elected officials accountable for their actions.
How the Scorecard Works
We start with a list of floor votes that reflect (as much as possible) the consequential moments of key Sierra Club priorities. That includes bills we fought for and against, in addition to amendments to bills both good and bad. Most of the time, the votes were on third (and final) reading. Though some can be on adoption of an amendment.
Then, we assign weights to each vote based on two fundamental questions:
- How high were the stakes on this vote? How consequential would this bill be to the lives of Texans?
- How difficult was it to persuade legislators to vote the right way?
Based on estimates provided by our lobby team, a unique weight is given to each vote.
What differentiates our scorecard from many others is that we keep receipts beyond floor votes. So much of the work that goes into fighting for or against legislation happens before a bill gets to the floor. Committee chairs hold disproportionate power to advance or stop legislation that simply analyzing their floor votes does not give constituents a clear picture of their values. So we do our best to record actions beyond the House and Senate floor and incorporate them into legislators’ total score. Sometimes this adds points to their total score, sometimes it removes them, depending on the circumstances.
Generally, if a legislator was recorded “Absent - Excused” in the journal, that vote was taken out of the weighted calculation. If a legislator was marked “Absent” then that counted as a vote against the Sierra Club position. However, we reached out to each legislator before publication, to seek clarity on each unexcused absence. If they indicated how they would have voted, we updated our table accordingly in most cases.
By clearly documenting the process and methodology, the scorecard ensures transparency, helping Texans connect policy decisions to real-world impacts. Knowledge is power, and accountability starts by knowing the score.
Highlights from the 2025 Legislative Session
Key wins for Texas communities
- Advocates, organizers, and allied legislators successfully defended renewable energy and prevented further attacks on solar and wind in Texas.
- Water infrastructure bills, addressing critical community needs, were passed and approved by voters via constitutional amendment, Proposition 4, in November 2025.
- HB 5323 passed and was signed into law to ensure that the various state agencies that have regulatory or financial programs that help reduce energy waste can collaborate and work with other stakeholders to expand access and use of energy waste reduction programs.
- A bill was passed and signed into law to ensure that the State Energy Conservation Office can still update the statewide building energy codes, enabling new construction to use energy more efficiently and reduce reliance on polluting power plants.
Missed opportunities and challenges
- Bills addressing plastic pollution, salinity standards, and other environmental protections stalled - often never even hitting the floor in either chamber.
- Corporate influence and lobbyists still sway votes, underscoring the importance of continued vigilance leading into the 2027 session.
- Electric utilities fought - and won - to keep the status quo of high electric bills and energy waste, using their influence with Republicans and Democrats to quash major energy efficiency legislation.
With only five State Reps and one State Senator earning perfect scores, the Texas Legislature is in desperate need of more leaders willing to spend political capital on pro-environment, pro-people bills.
Why the Scorecard Matters Beyond the Legislative Session
The period between legislative sessions, known as the interim, is one of the most important times to engage with legislators. Committees study issues, prepare recommendations, and listen to input - making it the perfect opportunity for Texans to shape policy proposals before the next session.
The Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter typically delivers an interim letter, a policy roadmap highlighting priority issues and recommendations for legislators. By using the scorecard as a guide, Texans can meet with representatives, attend community forums, and ensure their voices are heard over corporate lobbyists.
The Texas Legislative Scorecard and our interim letter are tools Texans can use to advocate for environmental protections and community resilience ahead of the 2027 session.
How to use the scorecard to make your voice heard
- Share the scorecard on social media and tag your legislators. If they voted against the Sierra Club position, ask them why. If they voted with the Sierra Club position, thank them!
- Discuss it with friends, family, and neighbors to build awareness.
- Contact your legislators during the interim - we can help you schedule meetings, prepare talking points, send messages, make calls, and more.
Join our Legislative Action Team to receive updates, organize, and take collective action.
Get Involved: Turning Accountability into Action
We can turn accountability into action - because when Texans make their voices heard, we shift the balance of power away from polluters and toward a brighter future for all.
- Join local advocacy efforts: Connect with Sierra Club groups, attend virtual meetings, and other grassroots organizations and community events in your area.
- Stay informed and connected: Sign up for email updates or join the Legislative Action Team.
- Share the 2025 Texas Legislative Scorecard: Post on social media, tag your legislators, and spark discussions in your community.
- Read other scorecards! Our scorecard is only a snapshot of each legislator’s values as they relate to the energy, water, and the environment.
The Path Ahead for a Future Texas Deserves
Our work doesn’t end when the gavel falls. It begins with holding leaders accountable and demanding a Texas that works for everyone. By tracking votes, engaging during the interim, and building momentum for the 2027 Legislative Session, the Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter will continue serving as a resource hub, collaborator, and advocate for policy that protects communities and our environment. And we want you to join us.
Together, Texans can ensure that the next session is defined not by corporate influence, but by the needs of our communities and leadership that puts people and the planet first.