With no sign of Texas Democrats returning soon, Gov. Greg Abbott is threatening to call a series of special legislative sessions. He says he is authorized to call these sessions every 30 days.

That raises questions about how many sessions might be called and the cost associated with each one. KPRC 2 looked into the financial impact.

Time dwindling to pass legislation during special session

Lawmakers receive a per diem of $221 a day, which adds up to more than $1 million each time a special session is called. That cost is likely to increase when factoring in other expenses such as security, staffing and electricity.

“If we’re just using that as our base, there’s at least a $1.2 million charge every time they call a special session for 30 days. And it’s probably more than that,” Mark Jon

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