New Legislative Effectiveness Index Reveals the Lawmakers Shaping Texas During the 89th Legislature
AUSTIN, Texas — The lawmakers who exerted the greatest influence on Texas public policy during the 89th Legislature came from districts that span nearly every corner of the state, from the rapidly growing suburbs of North Texas to the border communities of South Texas, demonstrating that legislative effectiveness is not confined to a single region, ideology, or demographic profile.
A new analysis by the Texas Capital Report examined 8,716 House and Senate bills, more than 133,000 legislative actions, and 2,359 enacted laws to determine which legislators most successfully transformed legislative proposals into Texas law. The project resulted in the creation of the Texas Legislative Effectiveness Index (TLEI), a data-driven framework designed to evaluate legislative outcomes rather than legislative activity alone.
The findings reveal a Legislature where a relatively small group of lawmakers generated a disproportionate share of enacted legislation. At the top of the statewide rankings was Senator Judith Zaffirini of Senate District 21, whose district encompasses portions of South Texas and includes communities stretching across a vast geographic region. Zaffirini finished as the highest-ranked legislator in Texas after producing 64 enacted laws during the session. She was followed by Senator Bryan Hughes of Senate District 1 in East Texas, Senator Tan Parker of Senate District 12 in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, and Senator Charles Perry of Senate District 28 in West Texas. Together, these lawmakers represent dramatically different constituencies, economies, and geographic realities, yet each demonstrated an exceptional ability to move legislation through the process and secure enactment.
Among House members, Representative Giovanni Capriglione of House District 98 emerged as the highest-ranked member of the Texas House. District 98 serves a portion of the Fort Worth metropolitan area, one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States. Capriglione produced 49 enacted laws during the session and earned a perfect TLEI score. Other top-ranked House members included Representative Terri Leo Wilson of House District 23 on the Gulf Coast, Representative Will Metcalf of House District 16 in Montgomery County, Representative Ryan Guillen of House District 31 in South Texas, Representative David Cook of House District 96 in North Texas, Representative Lacey Hull of House District 138 in the Houston area, and Representative Greg Bonnen of House District 24 along the Gulf Coast.
What makes the findings particularly noteworthy is the diversity of the districts represented by the state's highest-performing lawmakers. The top-ranked legislators collectively represent major urban centers, suburban growth corridors, rural communities, energy-producing regions, agricultural areas, coastal communities, and border populations. The results suggest that legislative effectiveness is not solely a function of geography or population size, but rather a combination of institutional influence, coalition building, policy expertise, and the ability to guide legislation through a complex legislative process.
The analysis also revealed a significant gap between legislative activity and legislative accomplishment. Thousands of bills were filed during the 89th Legislature, but only a fraction ultimately became law. The average legislator was associated with approximately 13 enacted laws, while the median legislator produced 10 enacted laws. By comparison, only ten lawmakers exceeded 40 enacted laws during the session, placing them in a category of legislative influence far above the legislative norm.
To address this reality, the Texas Capital Report developed the TLEI around a simple principle: Do not confuse activity with impact. The index rewards measurable outcomes rather than filing volume, evaluating legislators on legislative movement, law conversion, statewide legislative share, and legislative efficiency. The methodology also recognizes lawmakers who successfully enact legislation that directly changes Texas law through a State Impact classification system.
The findings underscore the fact that legislative power in Texas is not distributed evenly. Some lawmakers consistently advanced legislation through committees, secured support in both chambers, and obtained the Governor's signature. Others filed significant numbers of bills but achieved far fewer enacted outcomes. Under the TLEI framework, 23 legislators earned Platinum Legislative Performer recognition, while 93 legislators fell below the recognition threshold and were classified as Legislatively Vulnerable.
Beyond identifying the state's most effective lawmakers, the project offers Texans a new way to evaluate representation. Rather than focusing on headlines, campaign messaging, or bill filing counts, the index measures legislative outcomes and provides citizens with a clearer understanding of who is successfully shaping public policy in Austin.
The Texas Capital Report will release additional analyses in the coming weeks, including rankings of the Top 25 House Members, Top 10 Senators, district-level legislative performance profiles, legislative impact leaders, and regional comparisons examining how different parts of Texas performed during the 89th Legislature.
For the first time, Texans can compare legislative performance not only by lawmaker, but also by geography, district characteristics, and legislative impact—providing a new level of transparency into how public policy is made and who is ultimately responsible for shaping the future of the State of Texas.
