AUSTIN (KXAN) — Raises for Texas judges could be back on the agenda as state lawmakers prepare for the upcoming 89th legislative session. If legislation is filed and passed, it would be the first time in more than a decade that the judiciary’s base salary received a bump. The Texas House Judiciary Committee discussed the possibility of making raises a reality in a second and final interim hearing Wednesday morning. Led by Rep. Jeff Leach, a Plano republican, the committee heard from a member of the state’s highest court, who characterized the need for higher salaries as urgent. “It's very hard to recruit and retain new judges who are qualified when they're facing rising threats to their security,” Texas Supreme Court Justice Brett Busby said in reference to a March plot to kill a Williamson County judge. “We're having trouble getting people in competitive counties to run on both sides of the aisle for those benches. There's no elected official that has more power over your life, your liberty and your property than a judge if you appear in their court. It's vital to our system that we have qualified and impartial judges who can afford to stay and gain experience, and continue serving the people fairly for years to come.” Despite recommendations by the Judicial Compensation Commission for additional increases since the legislature approved a base pay of $140,000 in 2013, lawmakers have not taken action. Although Leach’s HB 2384 established a tiered pay structure for county supplements in 2019, there were no changes made to base salary. To keep up, Busby recommended a 30% climb to base pay, citing inflation. He also noted that other state employees received a 10% raise during the prior session. Megan LaVoie, Administrative Director for the Texas Office of Court Administration testifed that court reporters on the state's new business court will make "significantly more" than the judges. “There are many days that I sit on the bench and realize that I'm the lowest paid person in the room," Judge Susan Brown testified. Brown is the Presiding Judge for the Eleventh Administrative Judicial Region, which serves six counties in the Houston area. "Please don't take that as anything other than looking over the landscape to see that the person who's making the most important decisions is paid the least,” Brown added. “I can tell you that in many of my counties, the low base pay is deterring candidates from seeking election,” Judge Brown told lawmakers on the committee. In closing, Leach made clear this would remain a priority come January. “This has given us a good starting point to work on legislation in advance of next session,” Leach said.