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SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Judicial salaries in Texas are consistently lower |
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than those of other states with similar populations, and the state |
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judiciary has received only two pay raises since 2000; and |
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WHEREAS, The Judicial Compensation Commission was created in |
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2007 to recommend appropriate salaries for judges of the Texas |
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Supreme Court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the courts of |
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appeals, and the district courts; since its inception, the JCC has |
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issued a report during each state legislative session; the only |
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upgrade in compensation came after the commission's 2012 |
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endorsement of a 21.5 percent raise in judicial salaries; the |
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legislature voted to increase wages by 12 percent; and |
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WHEREAS, The Texas judiciary plays a fundamental role in |
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upholding the rule of law and safeguarding the rights and |
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protections guaranteed to citizens by the state and federal |
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constitutions, and competitive wages help to attract and retain the |
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most qualified and capable judges for courts across the Lone Star |
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State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby request the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house |
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of representatives to create a joint interim committee to study |
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state judicial salaries; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the study include the creation of a formula to |
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calculate state judicial salaries, examining the salaries of the |
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highest appellate courts of the nine most populous states other |
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than Texas, the salaries of judges on the United States Courts of |
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Appeals, and the average starting base salaries of first-year |
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associate attorneys at the five largest law firms in Texas; and, be |
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it further |
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RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be |
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governed by such general rules and policies for joint interim |
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committees as the 85th Legislature may adopt. |