Libertas Legislator Profiles

Legislator Profile: Representative LaVar Christensen

Name: LaVar Christensen
Type: Representative
Party: Republican
No longer in office

Libertas Legislator Index Rankings

The following rating measures how consistently this legislator votes in support of individual liberty, private property, and free enterprise. To learn more, see the main index page.

20142015201620172018 Overall Rating
67%53%73%40%46% 56%

To see the specific votes used to rank this legislator, click the link in the table above for any of the yearly percentages listed.

Sponsored Ranked Bills

This legislator was the sponsor of the following bills, which were ranked by Libertas Institute in their respective year's Legislator Index.

  • HB356: Parent and Child Amendments (2015)
    This bill provided parents the explicit right to obtain a second medical opinion when the state desires to take a child into custody on grounds of medical neglect. Importantly, it also tightened up several permissive authorities granted to DCFS to take children out of their home, ensuring that parental rights are better protected.

    This bill passed the House 71-1 and passed the Senate unanimously. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
  • HB143: Prohibition on Tattooing of Minors (2015)
    This bill would have prohibited the tattooing of a child age 13 or younger, whether or not the parent consented to the tattoo. For minors age 14 or higher, they would have been able to receive one with parental consent.

    This bill is a solution in search of a problem. Further, to be consistent, the legislature would have to ban other alterations of a minor's body, including circumcision or ear piercing. These are decisions that should be left to a parent.

    This bill passed the House 50-24 but was not considered by the Senate. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
  • HB318: Rights of Parents and Children Amendments (2014)
    This bill would have allowed for jury trial as an option in cases where a parent is facing termination of their parental rights.

    Libertas Institute supported this bill. A bond between parent and child is sacred and should therefore not be violated unless absolutely necessary after following due process. Parents should have the ability to face a jury of their peers, if they so choose, rather than relying on a juvenile court judge to make the decision.

    This bill passed the House 46-27 but was not considered in the Senate. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.

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