Representative Heflin was elected to represent the citizens of District 85. He served his first term in the 80th Regular Legislative Session of the Texas House of Representatives in 2007. He quickly became known as a bipartisan, team player and a hard worker on behalf of his constituents. Joe was named Freshman Legislator of the Year by the House Democratic Caucus, and he was recognized as the second most powerful freshman legislator by Capitol Inside, an award-winning, Austin-based web publication. The Texas Municipal League named Joe its Legislator of the Month for March.

State Representative Joe Heflin is a native West Texan, born in Morton, Cochran County, Texas. The grandson of cotton farmers and carpenters, his mother taught school. Representative Heflin credits his dad with teaching him how to work.

Representative Heflin serves on the House Committee on Agriculture & Livestock and the House Committee on County Affairs. He also serves on the Agriculture, Environment & Energy Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Joe’s work on these committees provides his District 85 constituents a unique ability to impact laws and policies involving energy, agri-business, and rural development at both the state and national levels.

In the House, Joe is an ardent supporter of public education and children’s rights. He wrote an amendment to the Texas House Budget that would protect public schools by prohibiting the use of state funds for private school voucher programs, voted for salary and annuity increases for current and retired public school teachers, and co-sponsored legislation to restore health insurance to some 127,000 uninsured Texas children.
 
Before his election to the State House, Joe was County Judge of Crosby County for five years. He also was elected to two terms as a Crosbyton City Alderman.

Joe and his wife, Linda, have lived in Crosbyton over ten years. They are active members of First Baptist Church, where Joe served on the church missions committee and Linda served as a disaster relief volunteer.

In addition to his elected positions, Joe has represented the people of Crosbyton and Crosby County as: Emergency Management Coordinator; Chair-Crosby County Juvenile Board; Board Member and Executive Committee Treasurer, South Plains Association of Governments; Member - West Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association; Member - Resolution Drafting Committee, County Judges and Commissioners Association; Crosby County Appraisal Review Board; and Crosby County Appraisal District Board of Directors.

Heflin is a graduate of South Plains College, Eastern New Mexico University, and Texas Tech University School of Law. In law school, he served on the editorial board of the Texas Bank Lawyer and as a research assistant for the Farm, Ranch, and Agri-Business Bankruptcy Institute.

Representative Heflin has served as Master of Ceremonies for The Cowboy Gathering in Crosbyton since its inception. He frequently volunteers his talent as an auctioneer to assist high school bands and other groups with fundraisers. He is concerned about the interests of our senior citizens and has helped them by carrying their petitions to Austin and by speaking to them about scams targeting the elderly.