Article IV: The Judiciary
As the graph above illustrates, most funding for the state’s judicial system comes from state general revenue and includes almost no federal funding. A judicial pay raise was passed in 2005 in special sessions called by the Governor, and in 2007 the Legislature passed legislation establishing longevity pay for state judges and justices of slightly less than $4,000 annually for eligible judges upon reaching 16 years of service.
A complete listing of all agencies funded in Article IV is available by downloading the state budget or the Legislative Budget Board’s Fiscal Size-Up.
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Agencies under Article VIII regulate and supervise the activities of such industries as insurance, banking, and utilities. As the graph demonstrates, funding for these agencies comes almost totally from the general revenue. By legislative requirement these agencies are required to fund their own cost through the fees paid to them by the regulated industries.
A complete list of regulatory agencies can be found in the Legislative Budget Board’s Fiscal Size-Up.
The 2008-09 budget includes $326 million for the legislative branch of state government and its supporting agencies. As the graph above illustrates, funding for this item is supported almost entirely from state general revenue sources, with a slight decrease (roughly 3%) from the previous biennium.
The Texas Legislature is a part-time legislature, meeting in regular session for 140 days every odd-numbered year as provided in the Texas Constitution. Texas legislators are paid $600/month for their service to the state, and are eligible for per diem when traveling on state business, as well as state employee health and retirement benefits.
This article of the budget also provides an appropriation for the Legislative Budget Board, the Texas Legislative Council, and the Sunset Commission. The Legislative Budget Board makes budget and policy recommendations on appropriations issues to the legislature, and also provides fiscal analyses on legislation proposed by lawmakers. The Texas Legislative Council is primarily responsible for bill drafting, publishing and distribution. The Sunset Commission reviews state agencies on a periodic basis with the intention of identifying duplication, waste, and inefficiency within state government, and making recommendations for legislative changes to address these issues.
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