Texas Legislature 101: Understanding the state government and how it passes laws

(Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune)

The first time Shera Eichler entered the Texas Capitol to work as a legislative aide in 2002, she was nervous. She didn’t have much experience at the Capitol, apart from a visit through a school field trip.

But she was quickly promoted about a month later to chief of staff for a Republican state representative due to a vacancy.