Texas Legislature Practice Questions

all 100% correct

If the chair of a committee in the Texas Senate is accused of pigeonholing another senator’s bill, what has happened?

• The bill was assigned to the chair's standing committee, but the chair killed the bill by setting it aside and not bringing it before the committee for discussion

• The chair set very restrictive rules for debate that did not allow for any amendments or extended discussion on a bill.

• The chair did not think that the bill was a "good fit" for their committee and sent it to another committee. It ended up at the bottom of the referral list and, due to the compressed nature of the legislative timeline, most likely will not get a hearing by that committee.

• The chair only introduced the bill two times rather than the required three times.

The bill was assigned to the chair's standing committee, but the chair killed the bill by setting it aside and not bringing it before the committee for discussion

While bills must be introduced by a member of the Texas legislature, ______________ can write a bill.

• anyone

• any elected government official

• only specially designated "authors" within each chamber

• only a member of the chamber where it is being introduced

anyone

Why does the Texas legislature use resolutions?

• Resolutions are used by the legislature to provide special exemptions from particular state laws to individuals or corporations.

• Resolutions are an expression of an opinion on an issue that is of interest to the legislature.

• Resolutions are used by the legislature to address problems specific to one or two legislative districts.

• Resolutions are used by the legislature to provide a solution to an issue that only impacts local government.

Resolutions are an expression of an opinion on an issue that is of interest to the legislature.

If the Texas legislature grants a particular corporation an exemption from a state law, it is called

• logrolling

• a special bill

• a filibuster

• a private resolution

a special bill

The first four steps in the process for a bill to become a law in the Texas legislature are:

• introduction, referral, consideration by standing committee, and floor action.

• introduction, recitation on the floor, designation to specified committee, and initial vote.

• introduction, pigeonholing, conferencing, and voting.

• introduction, public hearing, referral to assigned committee, and mandatory conferencing.

introduction, referral, consideration by standing committee, and floor action.

Which of the following statements about simple resolutions of the Texas legislature is correct?

• They are limited to matters of concern for no more than two House districts.

• They can only be initiated by the governor.

• They do not require the signature of the governor.

• They can only concern the internal rules of the Texas legislature.

They do not require the signature of the governor.

The Texas legislature can use which three types of resolutions?

• concurrent, joint, and simple

• general, regular, and simple

• general, local and special

• concurrent, mandated, and special

concurrent, joint, and simple

In a representative democracy, such as the one established by the Texas Constitution, members of the legislature are elected to represent

• the interests of their constituents.

• their own best interests, since they are elected officials.

• the interests of their supporters alone.

• the interests of the whole state.

the interests of their constituents.

Who has responsibility for redistricting the legislative districts in Texas?

• The U.S. Congress takes care of redistricting within each state.

• The governor has sole responsibility for redistricting in Texas.

• The governor works with members of the Texas Senate to complete the redistricting process.

• The Texas legislature tries first, but if it is unable to do so at the first regular session after the census, the job goes to the Legislative Redistricting Board.

The Texas legislature tries first, but if it is unable to do so at the first regular session after the census, the job goes to the Legislative Redistricting Board.

Texas senators serve ________-year terms and House members serve ________-year terms.

• four; two

• four; six

• six; four

• two; four 

four; two

The Texas Speaker of the House and the lieutenant governor are often seen as holding some of the most powerful positions in Texas’s state government. Why is that so?

• They are among the few officials elected in statewide elections.

• They determine the initial budget, which serves as a de facto agenda for early legislative meetings.

• They frequently go on to be elected to positions of greater authority in the state or federal government.

• They can exert significant influence over which legislation is passed by the legislature.

They can exert significant influence over which legislation is passed by the legislature.

Which type of districts are used in the Texas House and Senate?

• multiple-member districts

• districts that must be redistricted every four years

• districts based on proportional representation.

• Single member districts

Single member districts

Which type of legislation is often seen as the most important type because it applies to all people and property throughout Texas?

• general bill

• special bill

• simple resolution

• local bill

general bill

What is the purpose of a conference committee in the Texas legislature?

• It is a committee in which members of both houses meet informally with the governor's representatives to set the agenda for an upcoming session.

• It is the committee that establishes the rules for floor debate in the House.

• It is a committee designed to make differing House and Senate versions of the same bill identical.

• It is another name for a standing committee.

It is a committee designed to make differing House and Senate versions of the same bill identical.

One of the powers of both the Speaker of the House and the lieutenant governor is the appointment power. Who can they appoint?

• They can appoint officials from the state attorney general's office to review legislation before it is submitted to a committee to ensure that it does not violate the Texas Constitution.

• They can assign members to standing committees and appoint the chairs to those committees.

• They can appoint individuals to fill vacancies in their respective chambers for the remainder of the term.

• They can appoint experienced staff to the offices of newer elected legislators so that they can have an effective office in Austin.

They can assign members to standing committees and appoint the chairs to those committees

How does the media play a role in the legislative process?

• Stories and issues that are covered in the media more will tend to move higher in the legislative agenda.

• The media must give equal time to all political content, so they must give airtime to legislative debates.

• Issues that do not have the backing or support of the media cannot get passed by the legislature.

• Reporters are an important source of information for legislators when they are writing legislation.

Stories and issues that are covered in the media more will tend to move higher in the legislative agenda.

According to the Texas Constitution, regular sessions of the Texas Legislature are held

• throughout each year, with breaks for holidays and campaigning.

• for nine months every year.

• or nine months biennially, occurring in even-numbered years.

• for 140 days biennially, occurring in odd-numbered years.

for 140 days biennially, occurring in odd-numbered years.

The Texas legislature is responsible for formally counting the returns for the election of governor and lieutenant governor. This is an example of which one of the legislature’s powers?

• oversight power

• auditing power

• electoral power

• comptrolling power

electoral power

__________ bills must be first introduced in the Texas House of Representatives.

• All

• Transportation

• Revenue

• School Finance 

Revenue 

Constituent services have the most to do with which of the following?

• a legislator trying to build a base of support with other legislators in order to filibuster a bill

• a legislator trying to influence the lieutenant governor in order to be placed on committees that match the legislator's skills and interests

• a legislator working with interest groups to craft legislation and carry it through the legislative process

• a legislator working to create personal relationships with constituents

a legislator working to create personal relationships with constituents

The power of recognition allows the Texas Speaker of the House to

• determine who will get to speak and how long a legislative debate will last.

• appoint people to serve on committees in return for loyalty to the Speaker.

• honor Texans who have served their state and country with valor.

• set the legislative agenda, signaling which pieces of legislation he or she prefers and supports.

determine who will get to speak and how long a legislative debate will last.

Regular legislative sessions for the Texas state legislature occur in odd-numbered years and begin

• In November

• In January

• In April

• 120 days after the general election

In January

In the Texas Senate, a __________ committee is focused on a major policy area of an enduring or permanent concern to the state, such as “Education” or “Health and Human Services.”

• select

• interim

• standing

• procedural

standing

In the Texas legislature, the House has ________ members and the Senate has ________ members.

• 31; 150

• 435; 100

• 150; 31

• 11; 25

150; 31

Suppose there is a bill introduced in the Texas legislature that would allow a county to establish a new community college. What type of bill would this be?

• concurrent resolution

• general bill

• special bill

• local bill 

local bill