You say you want a resolution...

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Every legislative session, Texas lawmakers make important decisions that will likely change your life - everything from your taxes to your child's school funding. During the 2011 session, they filed around 10,000 pieces of legislation.

But most of those that pass – resolutions - will never affect you. Some people have criticized legislators, assuming they spend too much time on those seemingly frivolous measures.

Edgar and Rena Belle Luedeker disagree. A few years ago, the Waco couple hit a milestone – their 70th wedding anniversary.

"Not very many people get to live that long, much less stay married that long,” Rena said. "Heck, if it lasts two weeks, you're lucky, in some cases."

Said Edgar: "We took a liking to one another. We just stayed together."

• The resolution for the Luedekers

The Legislature recognized the couple's anniversary – May 3, 1941 – with a resolution. The Luedekers joined a long list at the State Capitol. There are resolutions for almost anything – making the honor roll, being someone important who died, saving a life.

Most lawmakers averaged around 20 resolutions last session, but one man took it to the extreme. Rep. Charles "Doc" Anderson, R-Waco, filed a whopping 312, including the one for the Luedekers.

"I think it's an important function of state government to recognize that,” Anderson said. “Those folks are the foundation of our culture. That doesn't take any time away from any other issue or other committee.”

He's right. Resolutions have their own committee and typically happen during lawmakers' downtime on the floor. But that is still time.

For instance, Rep. Donna Dukes, D-Austin, who filed eight resolutions last session, spent seven minutes on Feb. 28, 2011, recognizing Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority for its work with young women.

On April 29, Rep. Susan King, R-Abilene, who filed 16 resolutions, took nearly three-and-a-half minutes to congratulate her constituents Eddie and Joan Blackwell on their golden wedding anniversary. The couple stood up and waved from gallery.

And on May 30 – the last day of the session – the Luedeker's resolution was one of hundreds zipped through by an auctioneer-worthy House clerk in just 37 minutes. It is time some might think they spend on more important things.

"Often times, people make that misconception that, 'Why aren't you dealing with gun control? Why don't you deal with education?’” argued Anderson, who scored the most resolutions filed last session.

"If legislation doesn't pass, it's not because resolutions were on the schedule that day, it's because there were efforts to block that legislation,” said Rep. Eddie Lucio, III, D-Harlingen, who filed seven resolutions.

Last session, lawmakers filed 5,796 bills, passing just 1,327. Of the 4,080 resolutions filed, all but 85 passed.

"Sometimes they're read in full,” said Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christ, who filed 24. “Sometimes they're not read in full. I think you'll start seeing as we start going into session longer and longer that they become shorter."

Former Rep. Sherri Greenberg is the director of the Center for Politics and Governance at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. As a lawmaker, Greenberg filed 10 resolutions during her final session in 1999. She said these measures rarely get out-of-hand, but there could be restrictions.

In the last 25 years, the number of resolutions at the Capitol has more than tripled – from 1,210 in 1985 to 4,080 in the last session.

"Should there be a limit per member on the number of resolutions?” Greenberg posed. “Another would be to have a strict time limit per resolution."

Anderson said he sees merit in his amount and does not plan to slow down.

"That's fine,” he said. “We'll hope to have the same thing this session."

And that reasoning is okay with the Luedekers, knowing their vote counts and their lawmaker has not forgotten who he serves.

"They're thinking about the people that originally put them in the office,” said Edgar.

"We appreciate from the bottom of our hearts them even thinking about it,” Rena added.

So far, in the first three weeks of the current session, lawmakers have filed 147 resolutions, compared to 802 bills.