AUSTIN – Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick issued this statement today following the bipartisan passage of Senate Bill 293, Judicial Reform and Pay Omnibus, by Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston:

“Texans strongly believe in the rule of law and expect their judges and district attorneys to do the same. SB 293 will strengthen judicial accountability, transparency, and adherence to the law.

“SB 293 also increases the base pay for a district judge from $140,000 to $161,000, a 15% salary increase. Our judges work hard for Texans, and their salaries should better reflect their important work. I commend Sen. Huffman for her work to improve Texas’ judiciary.”

Senate Bill 293, by Sen. Joan Huffman, aims to improve Texas’ judiciary by expanding the definition of judicial misconduct and enhancing the complaint process against judges. SB 293 will require quarterly reporting of district judges’ duties to ensure greater public knowledge of judicial workloads. The bill also increases base pay for district judges by $21,000 dollars.