State Representative, Texas House District 142

Harold V. Dutton Jr. is a Democrat who has represented Texas House District 142 in northeast Houston since 1985³. He is an attorney with a bachelor's degree from Texas Southern University and a law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law, and he chaired the House Public Education Committee in 2021³. The Houston Chronicle notes he wrote a 2015 law on state takeovers of school districts and has voted differently from most House Democrats on transgender care for minors and on the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton².

Where they stand 20 issues · tap any issue for the evidence

• School choiceNo, keep public money in traditional public schoolsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on SB 2 (2025), which created a state education savings account program that can pay for private school; it passed the House 86 to 61. (2025-04-17) source
  • Voted yes on the Raney amendment to HB 1 (2023 fourth special session), which removed the education savings account (voucher) program from the bill; it was adopted 84 to 63. (2023-11-17) source
• Gender care for minorsNo, ban these treatments for minorsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 14 (2023), which banned gender transition treatments such as puberty blockers and hormones for minors; it passed the House 87 to 56. (2023-05-15) source
• AI data centersWelcome them, but make them pay their full share of grid and water costsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 6 (2025), which set rules for how very large electricity users such as data centers connect to the grid and share related costs; it passed the House 103 to 25. (2025-05-27) source
• Texas power gridPay for more backup natural gas plantsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 2627 (2023), which created state loans for new or upgraded dispatchable power plants; it passed the House 118 to 23. (2023-05-23) source
• Mandatory minimumsAdd or lengthen them for serious crimes like fentanyl traffickingmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on HB 6 (2023), which allows murder charges for fentanyl poisoning deaths and increased penalties for certain drug offenses; it passed the House 124 to 21. (2023-04-28) source
• MarijuanaDecriminalize small amounts (fines, not jail)medium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on HB 441 (2021), which reduced criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana; it passed the House 88 to 40 but not the Senate. (2021-04-30) source
  • Voted yes on HB 218 (2023), which reduced criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana; it passed the House 87 to 59 but not the Senate. (2023-04-27) source
  • Voted yes on HB 46 (2025), which expanded the state's medical low-THC cannabis program; it passed the House 122 to 21. (2025-05-13) source
  • Voted no on SB 3 (2025), which would have banned most consumable hemp-derived THC products; it passed the House 87 to 54 and was later vetoed by the governor. (2025-05-22) source
• Kids onlineBan social media accounts for minorsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on the final version of HB 18 (2023), which requires digital services to verify users' ages, give parents tools and limit harmful content for minors; the House approved it 120 to 21. (2023-05-28) source
  • Voted yes on HB 186 (2025), which would have prohibited minors from using social media platforms; it passed the House 116 to 25 but did not become law. (2025-04-30) source
• Curriculum and booksState lawmakers, with clear standards schools must followmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on HB 900 (2023), which set state standards for library materials sold to or kept in public school libraries; it passed the House 95 to 52. (2023-04-20) source
  • Voted no on the final version of SB 13 (2025), which set up local school library advisory councils and gave parents more say over school library materials; the House approved it 81 to 48. (2025-05-31) source
• AbortionNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on SB 8 (2021), which banned most abortions once cardiac activity is detected and let private citizens sue people who help provide them; it passed the House 83 to 64. (2021-05-06) source
  • Voted no on HB 1280 (2021), which banned abortion, with an exception for the life or serious health risk of the mother, once Roe v. Wade was overturned; it passed the House 81 to 61. (2021-05-06) source
  • Voted no on HB 7 (2025 second special session), which restricted the making and distribution of abortion-inducing drugs; it passed the House 82 to 48. (2025-08-28) source
• GunsNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on HB 1927 (2021), which allows adults 21 and older to carry handguns without a license; it passed the House 82 to 62. (2021-05-23) source
• Election rulesNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on SB 1 (2021 second special session), the election law that added ID requirements for mail ballots, banned drive-through and 24-hour voting and expanded poll watcher access; it passed the House 80 to 41. (2021-08-31) source
• Transgender athletesNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • As chair of the House Public Education Committee in May 2021, brought back and voted to advance SB 29, which would have required K-12 athletes to compete based on biological sex, days after it had failed in his committee; he said committee Republicans told him they had the votes and that he voted for it after amendments he requested were added. (2021-05) source
  • Voted no on HB 25 (2021 third special session), which requires public school athletes to compete based on biological sex; it passed the House 76 to 54. (2021-10-14) source
  • Voted yes on SB 15 (2023), which requires college athletes at public universities to compete based on biological sex; it passed the House 95 to 50. (2023-05-18) source
• DEI programsNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on SB 17 (2023), which banned diversity, equity and inclusion offices and related practices at public colleges; it passed the House 83 to 62. (2023-05-22) source
  • Voted no on SB 12 (2025), which set parental rights rules and prohibited diversity, equity and inclusion duties in K-12 public schools; it passed the House 88 to 47. (2025-05-25) source
• Religion in schoolsNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 10 (2025), which requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms; it passed the House 82 to 46. (2025-05-25) source
  • Voted no on SB 11 (2025), which allows schools to set a period for prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious texts; it passed the House 88 to 48. (2025-05-23) source
• China policyNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on SB 17 (2025), which restricts purchases of Texas land by governments, companies and people from certain countries, including China; it passed the House 86 to 59. (2025-05-09) source
• ImmigrationNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on SB 4 (2023 fourth special session), which made illegal entry into Texas a state crime and allowed state judges to order people to leave the country; it passed the House 83 to 61. (2023-11-14) source
  • Voted no on SB 8 (2025), which requires certain sheriffs to enter agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to help enforce federal immigration law; it passed the House 86 to 47. (2025-05-25) source
• RedistrictingNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on HB 4 (2025 second special session), the mid-decade redrawing of Texas congressional districts; it passed the House 88 to 52. (2025-08-20) source
• School vaccinesNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on HB 1586 (2025), which made the school vaccine exemption affidavit form easier to obtain; it passed the House 83 to 54. (2025-05-14) source
• Policing and crimeNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on HB 1900 (2021), which penalizes large cities that cut police budgets; it passed the House 90 to 49. (2021-05-07) source
  • Voted yes on SB 9 (2025), which tightened bail procedures and regulated charitable bail organizations; it passed the House 118 to 25. (2025-05-20) source
• Housing and growthNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on the final version of SB 15 (2025), which bars certain large cities from requiring large minimum lot sizes for new homes; the House approved it 78 to 57. (2025-06-01) source

No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Energy and climate, Property taxes, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate.