New legislation has been filed in the Texas State House of Representatives that seeks to prevent state and local employees from being paid more than the governor.
State Rep. Brian Harrison (R–Waxahachie) filed House Bill 1476, explaining that “taxpayer-funded salaries are out of control.” His measure would ensure that no taxpayer-funded bureaucrats will make more than the Texas governor, whose current salary is $153,750.
“State and local taxpayer-funded salaries have skyrocketed out of control. No bureaucrat in Texas has more authority, staff, budget responsibility, or constituents than the Governor of Texas,” said Harrison. “Bureaucrats should not get rich off the backs of hard-working Texans, and I’m proud to file a bill to ensure no taxpayer-funded bureaucrat is paid a higher salary than the Governor.”
There are more than 138,000 Texas government employees. Their median salary is $50,086.
The top-earning state employee is Michelle Lebeau, the chief scientific officer of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, who makes $608,850.
The second-highest paid state employee the chief investment officer of the Teacher Retirement System, Jase Auby, with a salary of $550,000.
Surprisingly, six of the 15 highest-paid government and state employees come from the Teacher Retirement System, with salaries ranging from $380,000 to $414,999.
Texas superintendents take the next highest salaried positions. The top-earning superintendent is Cypress-Fairbanks’ John Henry, with a salary of $512,439; the tenth-highest paid superintendent makes $365,820 annually. Aside from the top 10, another 55 superintendents are salaried at least $300,000 annually.
Harrison’s bill would prevent taxpayer dollars from being used to pay state employees the large amounts they’re being paid currently.
The full press release can be read here.
Concerned citizens can use Texas Scorecard’s Elected Officials Directory to contact their elected representatives and ask how they plan to vote on such legislation.
