Texas Judges Get Long Awaited Raise After Lawmaker Pension Pact

Texas judges, among the lowest paid in the country, are getting their first raise in 12 years after a breakthrough deal struck by lawmakers Monday, the final day of the biennial Legislative session.

The compromise calls for a $35,000 annual raise, which also triggers higher pensions for the lawmakers that approved it. The link long has been a politically sensitive obstacle to increasing judge pay, and one that nearly killed the proposal this weekend.

The bill, HB 40, now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) desk.

The 25% raise will increase a new judges’ base salary to 175,000 from $140,000.

Late Friday, the Senate drew a line in the sand by approving the raise but insisting that lawmaker pensions increase alongside it. The version the House had approved called for pensions to continue to be linked to the present, lower salary, with leadership in the lower chamber saying they wouldn’t try to enrich themselves.

The compromise, reached through the Senate’s unanimous approval followed by a 114-26 vote in the House, grants the higher pension link but shifts future decisions on pension increases to the Texas Ethics Commission starting in 2030.

Texas lawmakers last approved a raise for judges in 2013. Since then, supporters of higher pay say years of flat salaries have resulted in unqualified candidates winning elections to become trial court judges. Experienced candidates in government or private practice aren’t willing to take pay cuts, they argue.

The issue boiled over on X, formerly Twitter, over the weekend. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), the Senate’s president, blamed the House for blocking the raise, and Rep. Jeff Leach (R), who led negotiations for the House, pointed the finger at the Senate.

Justice Brett Busby of the Texas Supreme Court urged lawmakers Saturday to get something done, noting that the state ranks 49th in judge pay.

That ranking is “embarrassing,” Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock of the Supreme Court wrote in a proposed compromise. He suggested giving judges the raise while holding off on giving the pension increase pending a decision by the next Legislature, which convenes in January 2027.

Earlier in the session, Blacklock lobbied lawmakers for a 30% bump, committing not to ask for another raise for four years if they delivered.

Measures to boost judicial pay in Texas have long faced tough odds because of the pension link. Lawmakers in campaigning for re-election every two years are wary of increasing their own benefits when awarding judges more money.

Two years ago, a proposal to raise judge pay faltered in the Senate over objections raised about the work habits of judges in Harris County, home of Houston.

To that end, judges in exchange for getting the raise must submit information on the number of hours they preside in court and the number of hours they perform out-of-court assignments, such as case-related duties, administrative tasks, and continuing education.