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A JOINT RESOLUTION
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proposing a constitutional amendment to set the salaries of members |
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of the legislature and the lieutenant governor based on the average |
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public school teacher salary in this state. |
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 24(a) and (c), Article III, Texas |
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Constitution, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) Members of the Legislature shall receive from the Public |
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Treasury a salary in an amount determined [of Six Hundred Dollars |
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($600) per month, unless a greater amount is recommended] by the |
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Texas Ethics Commission under Section 24a(g) of this article [and |
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approved by the voters of this State in which case the salary is |
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that amount. Each member shall also receive a per diem set by the |
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Texas Ethics Commission for each day during each Regular and |
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Special Session of the Legislature]. |
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(c) In addition to a salary [the per diem] the Members of |
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each House shall be entitled to mileage at the same rate as |
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prescribed by law for employees of the State of Texas. |
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SECTION 2. Section 24a, Article III, Texas Constitution, is |
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amended by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows: |
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(g) The commission shall set the annual salary of the |
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members of the legislature, including the speaker of the house of |
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representatives, in an amount equal to the average salary paid to a |
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full-time certified classroom teacher in the public free schools of |
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this state for the preceding school year as determined by the |
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commission from available information and shall establish the date |
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on which the annual change in salary takes effect each year. |
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SECTION 3. Section 28, Article III, Texas Constitution, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 28. The Legislature shall, at its first regular |
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session after the publication of each United States decennial |
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census, apportion the state into senatorial and representative |
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districts, agreeable to the provisions of Sections 25 and 26 of this |
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Article. In the event the Legislature shall at any such first |
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regular session following the publication of a United States |
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decennial census, fail to make such apportionment, same shall be |
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done by the Legislative Redistricting Board of Texas, which is |
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hereby created, and shall be composed of five (5) members, as |
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follows: The Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of |
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Representatives, the Attorney General, the Comptroller of Public |
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Accounts and the Commissioner of the General Land Office, a |
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majority of whom shall constitute a quorum. Said Board shall |
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assemble in the City of Austin within ninety (90) days after the |
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final adjournment of such regular session. The Board shall, within |
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sixty (60) days after assembling, apportion the state into |
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senatorial and representative districts, or into senatorial or |
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representative districts, as the failure of action of such |
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Legislature may make necessary. Such apportionment shall be in |
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writing and signed by three (3) or more of the members of the Board |
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duly acknowledged as the act and deed of such Board, and, when so |
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executed and filed with the Secretary of State, shall have force and |
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effect of law. Such apportionment shall become effective at the |
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next succeeding statewide general election. The Supreme Court of |
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Texas shall have jurisdiction to compel such Board to perform its |
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duties in accordance with the provisions of this section by writ of |
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mandamus or other extraordinary writs conformable to the usages of |
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law. The Legislature shall provide necessary funds for clerical |
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and technical aid and for other expenses incidental to the work of |
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the Board, and the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House |
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of Representatives shall be entitled to receive [per diem and] |
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travel expense during the Board's session in the same manner and |
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amount as they would receive while attending a special session of |
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the Legislature. |
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SECTION 4. Section 17(b), Article IV, Texas Constitution, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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(b) The Lieutenant Governor shall, while acting as |
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President of the Senate, receive for his or her services the same |
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compensation and mileage which shall be allowed to the members of |
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the Senate[, and no more unless the Texas Ethics Commission |
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recommends and the voters approve a higher salary, in which case the |
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salary is that amount]; and during the time the Lieutenant Governor |
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exercises the powers and authority appertaining to the office of |
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Governor, the Lieutenant Governor shall receive in like manner the |
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same compensation which the Governor would have received had the |
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Governor been employed in the duties of that office, and no more. |
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An increase in the emoluments of the office of Lieutenant Governor |
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does not make a member of the Legislature ineligible to serve in the |
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office of Lieutenant Governor. |
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SECTION 5. Sections 24a(e) and (f), Article III, Texas |
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Constitution, are repealed. |
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SECTION 6. The following temporary provision is added to |
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the Texas Constitution: |
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TEMPORARY PROVISION. (a) This temporary provision applies to |
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the constitutional amendment proposed by the 88th Legislature, |
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Regular Session, 2023, setting the salaries of members of the |
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legislature and the lieutenant governor based on the average public |
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school teacher salary in this state. |
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(b) Except as otherwise provided by Subsections (c) and (d) |
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of this temporary provision, the amendments to Sections 24, 24a, |
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and 28, Article III, and Section 17, Article IV, of this |
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constitution take effect September 1, 2024, and apply to salaries |
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on and after that date. |
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(c) Except as otherwise provided by Subsection (d) of this |
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temporary provision, Section 24a(g), Article III, of this |
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constitution takes effect January 1, 2024, and applies to salaries |
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on and after September 1, 2024. |
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(d) The constitutional amendment described by Subsection |
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(a) of this temporary provision does not apply to an individual who |
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was a member of the legislature, including the speaker of the house |
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of representatives, or the lieutenant governor during all or part |
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of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023. The salary and per |
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diem for any future service as a member of the legislature, as the |
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speaker of the house of representatives, or as the lieutenant |
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governor, including service on the Legislative Redistricting Board |
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of Texas, by an individual to whom this subsection applies shall be |
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determined in accordance with Sections 24, 24a, and 28, Article |
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III, and Section 17, Article IV, of this constitution, as those |
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provisions existed on November 6, 2023. |
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SECTION 7. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
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submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 7, 2023. |
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The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the |
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proposition: "The constitutional amendment setting the salaries of |
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members of the legislature and the lieutenant governor based on the |
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average public school teacher salary in this state." |