Legislative Blog
J.B. Williams, J.D.
Appropriations Bill Part 4
A Blog about 89th Legislative Session
A Bit of Background
The following backgrounds help summarize the author's views on both the general topic: Texas and more specifically 89th Legislative Session as it relates to that topic.
Brief Summary of Texas
Texas is truly a Republic. There are a multitude of items that to modify the state constitution must be modified. So there are times when Constitutional amendments are on the voting ballots. While I sometimes abhor the wording, the concept that all of those legally able to vote in Texas must vote on the change is a good one. And bills in Texas are generally short, making it easier for everyone to understand.
Summary of 89th Legislative Session
This subtopic contains a list of some of the "new" laws reviews. Total laws signed/voted into effect = 1,192. This will begin with an appropriations bill, and then go through a few that went into effect immediately. The following dates were when different laws took, or will take, effect: 7/1/25; 9/1/25; 9/5/25; 9/17/25; 10/1/25; 12/5/25; 1/1/26; 6/1/26; 8/1/26; 9/1/26; 1/1/27; 4/1/27; 9/1/27; 1/1/28
Blog Summary
SB 1 - The Judiciary - Article IV
Appropriations Bill Part 4
Published: 2026-08-29
SB 1 - 1055 pages in total
I'll list items I think of as of interest to breakdown some of the overall appropriations. I will try to include wages/salaries and employee benefits for each category where it exists. I think every company should provide to each employee at the end of the year the total amount of 'compensation' the company incurred for them. This would include their pay, health insurance, 401k/pension, social security, etc. For each one the first number will be for August 31, 2026 and the second number will be for August 31, 2027.
Supreme Court of Texas
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue, including federal funds | $58,992,198 | $47,518,700 |
| Chief Justice salary | $170,500 | $170,050 |
| Justice salary (there are 8 of these) | $168,000 | $168,000 |
| Appellate Court, including justice salaries | $8,420,210 | $8,420,212 |
| Court programs, including children's commission and judicial commission on mental health | $50,571,988 | $39,098,488 |
| Salaries and Wages | $9,814,093 | $9,814,093 |
| Employee benefits | $2,249,080 | $2,281,325 |
Court of Criminal Appeals
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $23,021,012 | $23,012,013 |
| Presiding judge salary | $170,500 | $170,050 |
| Justice salary (there are 8 of these) | $168,000 | $168,000 |
| Judicial Education | $13,733,500 | $13,733,500 |
| Salaries and Wages | $8,912,436 | $8,912,436 |
| Employee benefits | $1,979,504 | $2,009,539 |
First Court of Appeals District, Houston
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $6,130,593 | $6,130,593 |
| Chief Justice salary | $156,500 | $156,500 |
| Justice salary (there are 8 of these) | $154,000 | $154,000 |
| Salaries and Wages | $5,399,613 | $5,399,613 |
| Employee benefits | $1,197,341 | $1,216,914 |
Second Court of Appeals District, Fort Worth
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $4,955,326 | $4,955,326 |
| Chief Justice salary | $156,500 | $156,500 |
| Justice salary (there are 6 of these) | $154,000 | $154,000 |
| Salaries and Wages | $4,568,875 | $4,568,875 |
| Employee benefits | $1,052,499 | $1,069,077 |
Third Court of Appeals District, Austin
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $4,239,870 | $4,239,870 |
| Chief Justice salary | $156,500 | $156,500 |
| Justice salary (there are 5 of these) | $154,000 | $154,000 |
| Salaries and Wages | $4,108,661 | $4,108,661 |
| Employee benefits | $1,006,693 | $1,024,638 |
Fourth Court of Appeals District, San Antonio
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $5,265,483 | $5,236,309 |
| Chief Justice salary | $156,500 | $156,500 |
| Justice salary (there are 6 of these) | $154,000 | $154,000 |
| Salaries and Wages | $4,714,120 | $4,714,120 |
| Employee benefits | $1,104,487 | $1,593,372 |
Fifth Court of Appeals District, Dallas
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $8,600,648 | $8,827,601 |
| Chief Justice salary | $156,500 | $156,500 |
| Justice salary (there are 12 of these) | $154,000 | $154,000 |
| Salaries and Wages | $7,835,642 | $8,062,596 |
| Employee benefits | $1,844,710 | $1,876,910 |
Sixth Court of Appeals District, Texarkana
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $2,121,863 | $2,166,939 |
| Chief Justice salary | $156,500 | $156,500 |
| Justice salary (there are 2 of these) | $154,000 | $154,000 |
| Salaries and Wages | $1,929,546 | $1,974,176 |
| Employee benefits | $483,134 | $491,688 |
Seventh Court of Appeals District, Amarillo
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $2,780,687 | $2,780,688 |
| Chief Justice salary | $156,500 | $156,500 |
| Justice salary (there are 3 of these) | $154,000 | $154,000 |
| Salaries and Wages | $2,490,959 | $2,490,959 |
| Employee benefits | $580,797 | $591,304 |
Eighth Court of Appeals District, El Paso
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $2,256,897 | $2,256,896 |
| Chief Justice salary | $156,500 | $156,500 |
| Justice salary (there are 2 of these) | $154,000 | $154,000 |
| Salaries and Wages | $2,066,307 | $2,066,307 |
| Employee benefits | $548,942 | $1,108,006 |
Ninth Court of Appeals District, Beaumont
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $2,905,191 | $2,905,191 |
| Chief Justice salary | $156,500 | $156,500 |
| Justice salary (there are 3 of these) | $154,000 | $154,000 |
| Salaries and Wages | $2,558,050 | $2,556,456 |
| Employee benefits | $585,592 | $595,545 |
Tenth Court of Appeals District, Waco
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $2,214,139 | $2,214,141 |
| Chief Justice salary | $156,500 | $156,500 |
| Justice salary (there are 2 of these) | $154,000 | $154,000 |
| Salaries and Wages | $1,906,495 | $1,906,497 |
| Employee benefits | $425,706 | $434,032 |
Eleventh Court of Appeals District, Eastland
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $2,186,856 | $2,186,856 |
| Chief Justice salary | $156,500 | $156,500 |
| Justice salary (there are 2 of these) | $154,000 | $154,000 |
| Salaries and Wages | $1,955,507 | $1,955,507 |
| Employee benefits | $536,064 | $547,293 |
Twelfth Court of Appeals District, Tyler
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $2,207,996 | $2,207,996 |
| Chief Justice salary | $156,500 | $156,500 |
| Justice salary (there are 2 of these) | $154,000 | $154,000 |
| Salaries and Wages | $2,109,675 | $2,109,675 |
| Employee benefits | $457,950 | $465,502 |
Thirteenth Court of Appeals District, Corpus Christi-Edinburg
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $4,249,601 | $4,249,600 |
| Chief Justice salary | $156,500 | $156,500 |
| Justice salary (there are 5 of these) | $154,000 | $154,000 |
| Salaries and Wages | $3,875,354 | $3,875,353 |
| Employee benefits | $905,904 | $921,831 |
Fourteenth Court of Appeals District, Houston
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $6,371,487 | $6,393,508 |
| Chief Justice salary | $156,500 | $156,500 |
| Justice salary (there are 8 of these) | $154,000 | $154,000 |
| Salaries and Wages | $5,783,004 | $5,805,025 |
| Employee benefits | $1,288,054 | $1,307,771 |
Fifteenth Court of Appeals District, Austin
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $3,800,321 | $2,771,877 |
| Chief Justice salary | $156,500 | $156,500 |
| Justice salary (there are 3 of these) | $154,000 | $154,000 |
| Salaries and Wages | $2,207,197 | $2,207,197 |
| Employee benefits | $575,592 | $575,592 |
Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $205,382,337 | $166,884,930 |
| Administrative Director, Group 7 | $240,062 | $240,602 |
| Associate Judge salary (there are 73 of these) | $126,000 | $126,000 |
| Processes and Information, including information technology | $81,930,947 | $72,726,039 |
| Children's Court Programs | $18,407,725 | $18,206,831 |
| Indigent Defense | $97,506,435 | $67,733,979 |
| Salaries and Wages | $36,900,070 | $36,455,343 |
| Employee benefits | $8,424,017 | $8,864,379 |
Office of Capital and Forensic Writs
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $4,374,154 | $4,339,955 |
| Executive Director, Group 5 | $185,000 | $185,000 |
| Post Conviction Representation | $4,374,154 | $4,339,955 |
| Salaries and Wages | $3,781,243 | $3,781,243 |
| Employee benefits | $589,963 | $596,674 |
Office of the State Prosecuting Attorney
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $695,704 | $692,585 |
| State prosecutor salary | $173,220 | $173,400 |
| Salaries and Wages | $632,579 | $632,579 |
| Employee benefits | $139,225 | $141,597 |
State Law Library
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $1,595,087 | $1,545,088 |
| Director, Group 2 salary | $121,360 | $121,360 |
| Salaries and Wages | $67,771 | $68,401 |
| Employee benefits | $247,689 | $252,220 |
State Commission on Judicial Conduct
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $2,359,492 | $2,331,212 |
| Executive Director, Group 5 salary | $173,535 | $173,535 |
| Salaries and Wages | $1,950,525 | $1,950,526 |
| Employee benefits | $393,867 | $400,428 |
Judiciary Section, Comptroller's Department
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $204,495,475 | $204,656,374 |
| District Judges and Criminal District Judges (491) | $140,000 | $140,000 |
| District Attorneys, Criminal District Attorneys, County Attorneys (8) | $112,000 | $112,000 |
| District Attorneys, Criminal District Attorneys, County Attorneys (156) | $140,000 | $140,000 |
| Business Court Judges (10) | $140,000 | $140,000 |
| District and Business Court Judges (cost in total) | $84,844,749 | $84,844,750 |
| Visiting Judges (cost in total> | $13,455,506 | $13,455,506 |
| Visiting Judges - Appellate (cost in total) | $343,370 | $343,370 |
| District Judge travel | $322,325 | $322,325 |
| District attorneys salaries (cost in total) | $869,331 | $869,331 |
| Constitutional County Judge supplement (cost in total> | $6,641,397 | $6,641,397 |
| Statutory County Judge supplemental (cost in total) | $23,535,311 | $23,535,311 |
| Statutory Probate Judge supplemental (cost in total) | $2,581,786 | $2,581,786 |
| Special programs, including witness expenses, death penalty representation, juror pay, indigent inmate defense | $40,983,124 | $40,944,023 |
| Salaries and Wages | $132,015,765 | $131,978,977 |
| Employee benefits | $21,822,499 | $22,254,197 |
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