Following the recent, and very intense legislation over the newly approved abortion bill, Texans are starting to pay more attention to their state government. Some even realized that the legislation only meets every two years. I find this interesting that a state the size of Texas only meets every other year. The only other states with a government that meets every two years are Nevada, Montana, and North Dakota. These three states don't nearly have the population that Texas does. It's my personal opinion that the Texas legislature needs to meet annually. Meeting annually can allow the government to budget more effectively and efficiently (since the budget is massive), reduce the number of special sessions each year, and also to work on complex problems. I understand that the Texas Constitution only calls for legislation once every two years, but that constitution was written in 1876. However, Texas lawmakers have voted against the legislature meeting annually the past five times the issue has arisen. Lawmakers claim that meeting annually could be "too expensive". However, it's important that complex problems are taken care of when they first develop. With a legislative body only meeting once every two year though, it's hard to immediately attack hot issues in the state. Because of the frequency of these complex issues arising in the state, it's demanding more special sessions in order to provide the legislature more time to decide on certain issues. With the recent abortion bill, Texas lawmakers met for two special sessions, and Governor Perry said he won't hesitate to call for more. If Texas lawmakers are already meeting on a consistent basis, why not just amend the constitution and have the legislature meet annually? For those who are it's too expensive, I would reply that meeting annually would produce a more efficient Texas budget. Any left over money from the budget can go back towards legislation meetings that occur annually. In addition, there's a large amount of money being spent on special sessions anyway, so why not eliminate the special sessions and meet more often on a more consistent schedule? It will provide the lawmakers a more consistent schedule that they can use to help plan their lives when dealing with their additional jobs and their families. Meeting regularly, when scheduled, will also keep the legislation fresh, reducing the stress and fatigue that plagued the previous two special sessions. Additionally, it will force our Texas government to stay updated on current issues, not allowing for extreme amounts of down-time and for important issues to just "blow over". Our government impacts our daily lives. If the legislation is only meeting every two years however, it's difficult for our government to serve its people to the best of its abilities. I understand that Texas has the idea that "less government is more", but I truly think it's time our Texas legislature get with the times (the other 46 states) and amend the Texas Constitution of 1876, allowing them to meet annually.

For more on the issue, feel free to check out this video:

WFFA.com (ABC Channel 8 Dallas News)
Author of video: David Schechter
Video posted: July 18th, 2013
Link: http://www.wfaa.com/news/politics/bVIDEOb-Why-does-the-Texas-legislature-only-meet-every-two-years-216106921.html