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“Perhaps an interesting column would be on why the Texas legislature meets every two years. It seems that in the 19th century when it was founded it was dangerous to travel so they didn’t travel often. Traveling by horse and carrying guns for protection was dangerous in the 19th century; traveling by car and carrying guns in the 2000s seems safer. Or is it? “- John S. of Houston. That’s a great question, as every interviewee says on television these days, even though CNN’s President Trump Abby Phillip said,” That’s a stupid question. You ask a lot of stupid questions. ” Let’s find the answer to this great question.
The Texas Constitution requires the Texas legislature to meet regularly on the second Tuesday in January of every odd year. Regular meetings are limited to 140 calendar days. (Many believe that the Lege should meet for two days every 140 years.) Then there are special sessions limited to 30 days, but the legislature can only pass laws on subjects put forward by the governor. It is a bicameral body made up of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives.
Texas, Montana, Nevada, and North Dakota are the only states with biennial legislatures that all meet in odd years. Note that these are all rural, backward states. The reason why our leg only meets every two years is based on one feeling: fear. As John S. noted, when the Lege first met in 1845, travel was dangerous. There were bandits, Indians, and grumpy voters. (As an aside, during the Republic of Texas, the day French diplomats presented their credentials to the government, three hunters outside Austin were murdered and scalped by Indians. We must hope the diplomats received hardship money.) It took more than that eight days to get a stagecoach from Amarillo to Austin. So our lawmakers really didn’t travel to Austin more than necessary. In recent years there have been several attempts to have the laying hit annually. Some members like it. You could turn the legislature into a full-time job. Are you moving from Marfa or Port Arthur, buying a house on Lakeway, more cash, and good tickets to UT football games. Other members are against it. The Indians could still be out there, you know.
Now, a quick look at those we have elected to our state’s governing body. (I got this information from extensive research; others call it plagiarism.) Texas state lawmakers make $ 600 per month, or $ 7,200 per year, plus a daily allowance of $ 221 per day which the legislature meets, including any special sessions. That adds up to $ 38,140 per year for a regular session (140 days), with total compensation for a two-year tenure being $ 45,340. Legislators receive a pension after eight years of service, from the age of 60. That’s not bad for a part-time job, and remember, when some are moaning about pay, no one has held a gun to their head and asked them to run for office. In fact, many of them are lawyers and it helps their home business if they can find out they are Texan lawmakers.
Oddly enough, there are different requirements to be a Senator or MP. Senators must be at least 26 years old, reside in Texas five years prior to the election, and reside in the district for one year prior to the election to prevent carpet sagging. What I didn’t know: After the ten-year census, all Senate seats are eligible for election. That said, when the 2020 census is finally over, the entire Texas Senate will stand for election. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 census is not yet complete, so the Lege will have to meet next fall to redefine their districts. It’s like asking a defendant to choose their own jury. In the rotunda, an MP can only be 21 years old, be a Texas citizen for two years – not five – prior to the election, and be resident in their district for one year prior to the election.
The first Texas Constitution was adopted in 1827 when they were part of Mexico. The next came in 1836 for the Republic of Texas. After Texas became the 28th state in 1845, we made a new constitution, and since then we have had four new state constitutions – 1861, 1866, 1869, and 1876 – that have been amended 483 times. One amendment dealt with the powers conferred on our governor. The Texas Constitution stated: “He has the power to call on the militias to carry out the laws of the state, suppress insurrections and repel invasions.” Unfortunately, the governor had certain powers to call on troops to hunt down Mexican bandits and marauding Indians. He lost that authority in 1999. Yes, indeed, in 1999.
For several years I attended the sessions of the Lege. House Speaker Gib Lewis reached out to a group of Texans in wheelchairs who were watching from the house gallery. Lewis ended with, “Now stand up and bow.” I was in the Texas Senate when Senator Walter “Mad Dog” Mengden of Houston announced, “And that’s the problem, if there’s a problem I’m denying.” You can’t make this stuff up. A Texas legislature passed a resolution commending Albert DeSalvo for his “population control efforts”. It was only after the resolution was passed unanimously that lawmakers realized they were praising the Boston Strangler.
Other Facts About the Texas Legislature: The first legislature took place in February 1846 and lasted only 87 days. The second was in 1847 and began with a number of odd years. From 1846 to 1960 the regular sessions varied in length – the shortest was 61 days and the longest 177. The highest number of special sessions in 1989 was six. The shortest special session lasted only an hour in 1923 just for the legislature to pass a two-year budget – and watch out for the Indians.
Ashby legislates at ashby2@comcast.net
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