here is Perplexity...

Being a legislator in Texas is officially considered a part-time job. Legislators are paid $7,200 per year, plus a daily per diem of $221 when the legislature is in session. Regular legislative sessions occur for five months every two years, and many members maintain other full-time careers outside their legislative duties.[1][2]

Texas legislators receive generous pension benefits that are based on the salary of state district judges—not on their own legislative pay. Lawmakers become vested in the pension system after eight years of service (collectable at age 60), or after 12 years (collectable at age 50). The base used for pension calculations increased in 2025 from $140,000 to $175,000 with a judicial pay raise, significantly boosting potential retirement payouts for long-serving legislators.[3][4][7][1]

Because of the low salary and biennial sessions, serving in the Texas Legislature is structured as a citizen legislature, intended to be compatible with other forms of employment.[2][4][1]

[1] https://www.texastribune.org/2023/02/20/texas-legislature-pension-salary/ [2] https://ballotpedia.org/Comparison_of_state_legislative_salaries [3] https://www.texastribune.org/2012/04/13/lousy-pay-great-benefits/ [4] https://www.texaspolicyresearch.com/texas-legislature-approves-judicial-pay-raise-and-lawmaker-pension-boost-in-final-hours/ [5] https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1304983/Legislative-Retirement-Details.pdf [6] https://ers.texas.gov/PDFs/Retirement/group4-eso-legislator-handout-2022 [7] https://www.nasra.org/Files/Papers/NASRALegislatorBenefits.pdf [8] https://www.ncsl.org/about-state-legislatures/2024-legislator-compensation

Texas Democrats leaving the state—a tactic aimed at blocking controversial legislation—has sparked criticism regarding their absence during a time when severe flooding has impacted many communities. However, most flood relief efforts are being coordinated and delivered by federal agencies (such as FEMA and the USDA), the Texas governor’s office, and local authorities, not by the state legislature itself. Federal support has been expedited to provide food, emergency shelter, and disaster relief for affected Texans, with organizations like the USDA, FEMA, and the Small Business Administration (SBA) actively assisting residents.[1][5][8]

It’s accurate that legislative leaders play a political and symbolic role during disasters, and their absence could be perceived as neglect by some constituents. Still, the practical, operational provision of flood aid relies on executive and administrative agencies, not on immediate legislative presence or action. Recent coverage also notes some interruptions in aid distribution due to funding lapses at FEMA’s national call centers, but this was a federal administrative issue, not related to any state legislative standoff.[4]

In summary, while critics could argue the Democrats’ absence is poorly timed given the ongoing disaster, state legislative attendance is not directly required for the delivery of flood aid and relief, most of which is managed at the federal and executive levels.[2][8][1]

[1] https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/07/10/secretary-rollins-continues-expedite-federal-disaster-assistance-central-texas-flood-victims [2] https://teamrubiconusa.org/news-and-stories/how-to-help-texas-flood-victims-and-survivors/ [3] https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-announces-tax-relief-for-taxpayers-impacted-by-severe-storms-straight-line-winds-and-flooding-in-texas-various-deadlines-postponed-to-feb-2-2026 [4] https://www.npr.org/2025/08/07/nx-s1-5489682/fema-call-center-dhs-funding-texas-floods [5] https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4879 [6] https://www.morningstar.com/news/globe-newswire/9509057/sba-disburses-over-15-million-to-texas-flood-victims [7] https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-gives-strait-to-the-heart-funds-to-hill-country-flood-victims [8] https://www.sba.gov/article/2025/08/08/sba-disburses-over-15-million-texas-flood-victims

Texas Democrats can likely only delay a vote on redistricting until the end of the current special legislative session, scheduled to conclude on August 19, 2025, but the governor can call unlimited additional special sessions, forcing them to either return or continue an unsustainable absence. The tactic, known as "breaking quorum," is mainly a stalling and messaging strategy; historically, such walkouts have failed to alter the final legislative outcome and tend to lose public sympathy and credibility the longer they continue, especially as legal, political, and personal pressures mount.[2][5][6]

Governor Abbott and GOP leaders have vowed to escalate consequences—including seeking removal from office, arrests, and increasing legal and financial penalties—if Democrats do not return soon. House rules now allow a $500-per-day fine for absent lawmakers, and campaign funds cannot be used to pay these penalties.[1][3][5][7]

Experts note that while Democrats can postpone Republican action for as long as they remain away, the optics become increasingly unfavorable over time, especially if key state business—like disaster relief—remains unaddressed and the outcome is widely seen as "inevitable". Continued absence is likely to be framed by opponents as "dereliction of duty," and past walkouts have damaged the minority party's public standing once the initial protest impact fades.[6][7][9][2]

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/08/us/politics/texas-redistricting-democrats.html [2] https://www.npr.org/2025/08/04/nx-s1-5492114/quorum-break-texas-democrats-walkout [3] https://apnews.com/article/texas-redistricting-holdout-donald-trump-f308f15f972952d84194f12edea1b3ba [4] https://www.tpr.org/news/2025-08-03/house-democrats-break-quorum-bolt-state-after-republican-congressional-redistricting-map-passes-committee [5] https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/texas-democrats-face-republican-deadline-stop-standoff-face/story?id=124480936 [6] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/08/09/texas-democrats-trump-redistricting-gerrymandering-exodus/85524601007/ [7] https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/03/texas-democrats-quorum-break-redistricting-map/ [8] https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/10/politics/texas-democrats-walkout [9] https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/08/texas-democrats-legislature-redistricting-congressional-maps/

Yes, as much as I like Perplexity, it has laughable MSM takes on every remotely political subject.