Texas Legislature Infighting May Kill Pay Raise for Judges, DAs — Including in San Angelo

AUSTIN, TX — Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is blaming internal Texas House politics — specifically a powerful Dallas-area lawmaker — for stalling a long-overdue pay raise for judges and district attorneys across the state.

Senate Bill 293, which would boost the base salary for state district judges and district attorneys from $140,000 to $175,000 — the first raise in 12 years — passed the Senate months ago. But the measure has languished in the Texas House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee, chaired by Rep. Jeff Leach (R-McKinney). With the legislative session ending Monday at sine die adjournment, time is running out. If the bill doesn’t reach Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk by Monday, the raises won’t happen.

Leach added an amendment to SB 293 that would decouple state lawmakers’ retirement benefits from judicial salaries. Under current law, pensions for legislators are based on the salaries of state district judges. Patrick and Senate leaders called Leach’s amendment a “poison pill,” arguing that if lawmakers want to change their pension formula, they should do so in a separate bill in the next session.

“If Rep. Leach wanted to address pensions this session, he should have filed a separate bill or do so in the future, but he shouldn’t kill judicial pay because he failed to do that,” Patrick posted on X.

According to the Texas Tribune, the base salary for district judges has been locked at $140,000 since 2015. In San Angelo, four state district courts — 51st, 119th, 340th, and 391st — would all be affected. State district attorneys, including the elected DA serving Tom Green County, would also receive a 25 percent raise under the bill.

The salary freeze has ripple effects throughout local government. For example, Tom Green County’s first assistant district attorney can earn nearly as much as the elected DA, reducing incentive for career prosecutors to seek the top office for identical pay. County Court at Law judges, whose salaries are capped at the district judge level, also face stagnant pay, even as rank-and-file county employees have received 5 to 8 percent raises annually in recent years.

State legislators, including Sen. Charles Perry and Rep. Drew Darby — who represent the San Angelo area — earn $7,200 annually in base pay. However, after serving eight years, they are eligible for a pension tied to judicial salaries.

In Rep. Drew Darby's case, his annual pension is calculated at 2.3 percent times $140,000 (district judge salary) times the number of years he has served. Having served 18 years since 2007, Darby is eligible for an annual pension of $57,960. If the district judge salary increases, Darby's pension will increase as well. Leach aims to decouple judge salaries from lawmakers' pensions.

Leach has defended his amendment, saying he supports pay raises for judges and prosecutors but insists that lawmakers’ pensions should no longer be tied to judicial pay.

Unless Senate and House leadership acts swiftly, the bill could die before the session ends — prolonging a pay freeze that many across the legal community say is undermining recruitment and retention in critical public-sector roles. As of 6 p.m. Sunday, June 1, the House and Senate appointed a conference committee in an attempt to find a compromise.