Heidi Pérez-Moreno
Texas Tribune
When Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed funding for Texas’ legislative branch, he said he was taking the drastic action as retribution after more than 30 Democrats walked out of the regular session, killing a GOP priority voting bill.
But the veto of the Legislature’s funding reaches far beyond the $600 monthly stipend for the more than 30 House Democrats in Abbott’s crosshairs. It goes further than the 150 members of the House and the 31 members of the Senate. In fact, their salaries are constitutionally protected.
But the veto threatens the livelihoods of 2,165 legislative staffers and individuals working at legislative agencies, with a median salary of $52,000 per year, according to data from the state comptroller.