Army veteran Denise Gordon questioned whether it makes any sense for lawmakers from the second-largest state in the country and one of the largest economies in the world to meet so infrequently.
But why hasn’t it changed in the decades since? Baker Jones said the state’s post-Civil War mood against big government hasn’t really changed.
That anti-government feeling led to one really big part of the legislative structure: part-time lawmakers. State lawmakers currently get about $600 a month, and that limits who can even try to hold office. Being able to serve for 140 days straight means having a nice, stable, flexible, well-paying job back home.
“Because they still tend to earn less money than men do,” she said, “and because they still tend to have the primary responsibilities in the home.”To recap: The Legislature started by meeting every two years. The state’s giant size and lack of today’s modern speedy transportation made it difficult to make the trip to Austin. The state pays lawmakers only $600 a month.Well, not nobody. Almost every legislative session someone will grumble about the 140-days-every-two-years schedule.
Actually, no. In fact, when KUT reached out to his office to ask for an interview, or if staff could just tell us if he still thinks state lawmakers need more time on the job, we didn’t get a response.
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