This month, Gov. Rick Perry signed SB 1, which is the General Appropriations Act for the upcoming biennium beginning September 1, 2013. SB 1 includes a special provision that will increase judicial compensation by 12 percent for all state district and appellate judges. Texas will now join 47 other states that have increased compensation to state judges in the past eight years.
This particular appropriation to state judges will require counties to review compensation for all district and statutory county court judges prior to September 1, even though many counties may have already prepared their budgets through September 1.
The Office of Court Administration has prepared a frequently asked questions document, which may help address various concerns relating to the judicial compenation increase. For more information, please contact Paul Emerson, TAC state financial analyst, at (800) 456-5974.