GOV 2 CH 7 Texas Legislature

Bicameralism

can accept/reject amendments in each body, retaliation possible  

• TX house and TX Senate  

• Single-member districts  

regular session length

140 days, odd years

• standard, biennial legislative session of the Texas Legislature. It

  begins on the second Tuesday in January of odd-numbered years and lasts for 140 days. During this time, lawmakers meet to pass laws, create budgets, and handle other state business.

Biennial

2023, 2025, 2027, 2029 

• 2023 Governor vetoed 70+ bills (2^nd highest in state history) 

Special session

can be called into special session by governor  

• Last no longer than 30 days  

• No limit on number of special sessions  

• Averages one special session/ year 1876 

How much do legislature get paid  

• $7,200/year  

• $221/day when in session  

• Up to 12 days/ month per diem when out of session (16 if committee chair  

• Good pensions 

House and senate numbers TX

House TX 150

Senate TX 31

US House numbers

US House 435

US Senate numbers

100 senators

Single-member district

• each legislative district elects only one representative to the Texas House or Senate. The districts are drawn to represent a specific geographic area within the state

• Redistricting

• redrawing the boundaries of legislative districts to reflect changes in population, which are tracked by the U.S. Census every ten years

• one person, one-vote principle

• It means that legislative districts must be drawn so that each district has roughly the same population, ensuring that each person’s vote has equal weight.

Bill

proposal for new legislation or an amendment to existing laws

• local bill

• applies to a specific city, county, or other local governmental entities within Texas, rather than to the state as a whole.

• Special bill

• gives individual or corporations special exemptions from state law (rare)  

• general bill

• applies to all people / property in state  

Resolution

expressions of opinion

Concurrent resolution

must ask both houses and sign by Governor; 2021 condemn China's practice of organ harvesting of detainees in prison  

Joint resolution

must pass H and S; no signature required; amendments to TX Constitution or ratification of amendments to US Constitution  

Simple resolution

concern only one house no signature required; awards/honors 

Electoral power

counting election returns for Governor and Lieutenant Governor  

Investigative power

power to investigate state problems, simple resolution needed to create committee (House – Speaker appoints; Senate – Lt Gov) 

Directive and supervisory power

power over the executive branch; state budget  

Judicial power

power of House to impeach and senate to convict members of executive and judicial branches in TX 

Impeachment

• House (majority vote) -> charges; Senate (2/3) -> convict; not clear in TX Constitution what is impeachable  

  

Introduction

draft and file bill -> Clerk of House or Secretary of Senate -> read 3 times (number, title, caption) 

Referral to standing committee

(House -> Speaker, Senate -> Lt. Gov) 

Standing committee consideration

killed by pigeonholing, amended or head  

committee action

• - committee reviews the bill, holds hearings, and debates its

  provisions. After discussing the bill and making any necessary amendments, the

  committee votes on whether to send the bill to the full chamber.

Pigeonholing

• bill is essentially "ignored" or set aside in committee. If a bill is

  pigeonholed, it is not debated or voted on, and it dies in the committee without moving

  forward.

floor action

• After a bill passes through the committee, it is sent to the floor of the

  chamber (House or Senate) for debate by all members. The bill is read and debated by

  legislators, who can propose further amendments or changes.

Filibuster  

• tactic used in the Senate to delay or block a vote on a bill by extending debate on it.

• conference committee

• If the bill passes one chamber but has been amended in the

  other chamber, it goes to a conference committee. This is a temporary committee made up of members from both the House and Senate.

the governor-sign  

State of state message -> vision for legislature; executive budget; legislative visits (lobbying) 

• Neither sign nor veto  

• Override the governor's veto  

• Post-adjournment veto 

• Line – item veto  

 

Direct: Comptroller of Public Accounts 

• Budget officer  

• Revenue estimates -> political  

• Balanced budget required  

Media - indirect

stories -> legislative importance; image of legislature

public

can influence re-election prospects; can lobby; influenced by media and IG's

• Speaker

responsible for maintaining order during House debates, deciding which members may speak, and assigning bills to committees

• select the Speaker

• elected by a vote of the Texas House of

  Representatives at the beginning of each legislative session. While the election is technically held by all members of the House, the position is typically determined by party leadership and alignment.

• Lieutenant governor

• second-highest elected official in the state and serves as the presiding officer of the Texas Senate.

• has more influence and power in Texas due to the unique structure of the state legislature (similar to Speaker in house)

• elect the lieutenant governor

• - elected statewide by the voters of Texas, not by the Texas Senate

• elected independently of the legislative process and holds a separate mandate from the members of the Senate.

• serves a four-year term and has the power to run for re-election.

• the powers of lieutenant governor

• recognize senators who wish to speak during debates on the Senate floor, appoint members to various Senate committees, including standing committees, special committees, and conference committees

• Recognition

• power to recognize senators who wish to speak during debates on the Senate floor. This means the Lieutenant Governor controls who gets to participate in Senate discussions, allowing them to influence the legislative process by giving priority to certain senators or issues.

• appointment power

• appoint members and chairs of legislative committees within the state senate, essentially controlling which senators serve on which committees and significantly influencing the legislative agenda by doing so; this power is particularly prominent in states like Texas where the lieutenant governor holds significant sway over the senate proceedings