Written for The Texas Observer legislative blog "Floor Pass."
Every ten years senators have their fate decided for them by a capsule in a white envelope with the odd or even number inside. It’s almost like the short story by Shirley Jackson, with a decorative glass bowl instead of a black box to pull from. The Texas Senate follows the federal government’s tradition of staggered elections, built so that in the event of some national crisis, the Senate and House would have some familiar faces. Texas Senate terms normally last four years, but all were up for reelection last year because of last year’s redistricting. Read the rest.