Many Texans may not know that their state has a part-time legislature. State lawmakers only gather once every two years to conduct the business of the Lone Star State. By contrast, the Legislatures of all of the other HPPR states—Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska—meet on a yearly basis.
What’s more: Legislators in Texas only earn a little over $7,000 a year.
You may be wondering, why does the second largest economy in the U.S.—and the 10th largest in the world—only require its lawmakers to meet on a biennial basis?
According to The Texas Tribune, the once-every-other-year meeting schedule was enshrined into the Texas Constitution in the 19th century. Back then, it was very difficult for lawmakers to traverse the massive state and get to the Capitol. So the Constitution made things easier on them. The result is that, when the Legislature does convene, they’re greeted by a logjam of potential bills. State leaders are often forced to call special sessions to deal with the backlog.
And regarding that low salary? The State Constitution also laid out how much lawmakers are allowed to earn, and changing that requires a Constitutional Amendment to be approved by Texas voters. And getting voters to approve a raise for lawmakers can be an uphill battle—especially in this era of historically low approval ratings.