Davis has served on multiple committees and is a former chairman of the House Ethics Committee. In her fourth-term election 2016, Davis polled 48,192 votes (53.6 percent) to defeat Democrat Ben Rose, who drew 38,958 (43.3 percent).
Libertarian Gilberto "Gil" Velasquez Jr. received the remaining 2,831 votes (3.2 percent).
LGBT policy Equality Texas gave Davis an "A+" on her scorecard for the 86th session, stating that she "was the only Republican in the legislature to co-author pro-equality bills — five in all. She also stood in solidarity with the House LGBTQ Caucus on the House floor and at public events." In the 2018 election cycle, the
Human Rights Campaign endorsed her. She was the only Republican to receive their endorsement. In the
82nd legislature, Davis received an "F" from
Equality Texas for supporting Republican
Wayne Christian's attempts to end LGBT resource centers on college campuses during a legislative session marked by major reductions in funding across the board due to the depressed state economy. In the
83rd legislature, Davis received a "C" from Equality Texas. In 2014, Equality Texas endorsed Davis while Davis was being challenged by another Republican, Bonnie Parker. This law also allowed guns to be brought into the buildings and dorms of universities in Texas. In 2013, Davis voted in favor of HB1076, prohibiting the enforcement of federal firearm regulations concerning firearm capacity, registration, or
background checks. The bill did not become law. She received an "A" grade and endorsement from the NRA-PVF in 2014, but this fell to a "C" grade in 2020. Davis voted in favor of reducing the penalty for carrying a gun in a prohibited location, including a
high school, college sporting event, a
church, or a hospital. The penalty was reduced from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class C misdemeanor.
Education The 2011 state budget, voted for by Davis, cut $5.4 billion from
public schools. The budget resulted in the elimination of 10,000 teaching positions and widespread cuts to pre-kindergarten programs. In 2012, Davis claimed her vote on the budget did not reduce funding for public education.
PolitiFact rated Davis' claim "Pants on Fire." In 2015, Davis opposed limiting pre-kindergarten class sizes to 18 and opposed ensuring that teachers met certain qualifications. In that same session, Davis voted to table Amendment 4 on HB1 - meaning that the public education budget would be cut by $800,000,000.
Crime Davis authored and passed a bill which strengthened the ability of prosecutors to pursue child pornography cases.
Health care Davis is the only pro-choice Republican in the Texas legislature and has earned the endorsement of Planned Parenthood in previous races. In 2011, Davis voted against a bill to require physicians to conduct intra-vaginal sonograms, prior to even pharmaceutically induced abortions, citing her opposition to legislative interference in the doctor-patient relationship. Davis likened this legislation to the government takeover of the doctor-patient relationship by
ObamaCare, and as a Republican who believes in limited government, personal freedom and individual responsibility, Davis said the government should not practice medicine. Davis voted for a bill that prohibits the state from funding facilities that perform abortions. In 2013, she voted against a bill that increases abortion facility requirements, regulates the administration of abortion inducing drugs, and prohibits abortions after 20 weeks of gestation. Davis stated at the time that the bill constituted a
de facto ban on abortions and would not withstand constitutional scrutiny. During the 2013 debate on the abortion restriction bill, Davis offered an amendment to the abortion bill which retained the 20-week ban, but which deleted the unconstitutional facility restrictions, and instead incorporated exceptions for cases of rape, incest, danger to the mother's life and severe fetal abnormalities. The facility restrictions in the bill were found to be unconstitutional by the
Supreme Court in ''
Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt''.
Other Davis has been named a "Fighter for Free Enterprise" by the Texas Association of Business. She voted to permanently exempt small businesses from paying the state margins tax. Davis voted to require drug screening of those seeking unemployment benefits. She voted to require photo identification to vote, voted to end sanctuary cities and she voted to fund increased border security.
Gubernatorial dispute After Davis clashed with Governor
Greg Abbott in the 2017 summer special session, Governor
Abbott gave his first endorsement of the 2018 election cycle to her primary opponent Susanna Dokupil. Abbott has been an active and vocal opponent of Davis' campaign, even saying that Davis "completely disregards her very own constituents and puts her own personal, petty politics ahead of the greater good for the people of the state of Texas." ==Committee assignments==