The Texas legislature: how it works
What your state legislature controls covers the general powers. This page profiles Texas's legislature.
The basics
The Texas Legislature is bicameral: a 150-member House of Representatives elected to 2-year terms, and a 31-member Senate elected to 4-year staggered terms. The National Conference of State Legislatures classifies Texas as a hybrid legislature, between full-time and part-time, despite the state's large population. Members are paid a constitutionally fixed base salary of $7,200 a year plus a per diem for days in session. Texas has no regular session in even-numbered years. The regular session convenes the second Tuesday in January of odd-numbered years and runs 140 days. In 2026, any legislative business happens only through a special session, which only the Governor can call, each limited to 30 days and to the subjects named in the Governor's call.
Who controls it now
Texas has a Republican trifecta, in place continuously since the mid-1990s. Republicans hold an 88-62 majority in the House, with all 150 seats up in the November 2026 general election. The Senate has 18 Republicans, 12 Democrats, and one vacancy in a formerly Republican seat, with 16 of 31 districts on the 2026 ballot. Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, is running for a fourth term in the same election.
Where to go
- Texas Legislature Online: https://capitol.texas.gov
- Texas Legislative Reference Library, session history: https://lrl.texas.gov/sessions/sessionyears.cfm