Chapter 3/Topic 4: Texas Legislative

Texas legislature is:

Bicameral

• Meaning there are two houses the Senate and House of Representatives.

The Texas Legislature meets in regular session for how many days?

140 days every two years.

• In odd-numbered years.

Texas has a small senate, compared with the house is considered more what?

Genteel(refined, polite) and free of individual domination.

• Senate is more close and democratic to the people.

Can the size of the senate have a negative and positive effect?

Larger bodies could be better at representing local concerns and diverse interests.

• Inefficient at decision making

Sine die:

The legislature must adjorn at the end of regular sessions and, unlike a majority of state legislature, cannot call an extraordinary session or otherwise extend a session.

Has Texas resisted the trend of moving away from biennial sessions towards annual ones

Yes, this is mostly due to the traditionalistic/individualistic political culture of the state.

Extraoridnary session:

Specially called meeting of the legislature, outside the regular session, to discuss specific matters.

• Strengthens the government’s veto power.

Texas governor may call special sessions of no more than 30 days each. True or false?

True

Special Sessions:

Sessions called by the governor to consider legislation proposed by the governor only.

• Governor determines the subject matter and a bargaining chip to persuade the legislature to do what the governor wants.

Biennial sessions help the legislature avoid what?

Reaacting rashly to particular situations.

• May help politicians from being pressured to chase yesterday’s economic news.

What percentage of the House of Representatives is elected during a presidential election year?

100%

What percentage of the Texas Senate is elected during a presidential election year?

50% due to staggered four-year terms.

Who makes up most of the Texas legislature?

Lawyers; 1/3rd

• Often have other significant sources of income which helps keep the traditionalistic political culture alive.

What gender, age, and education level makes up most of the legislature?

Older, male, well-educated, and professional.

• Other informal qualifications are: knowledge of state politics and current events, communication skills, and ability to raise money

Candidates for office:

Must be “qualified voters”—they cannot have been convicted of a felony.

• Unless they’ve been pardoned or had their rights restored by the governor, which is rare.

For the Texas House, a U.S. citizen must be:

• at least 21, and

• resident of the state for 2 years

• and the district for 12 months

For the Texas Senate, a U.S. citizen must be:

• at least 26 before the general election, and

• resident of the state for 5 years

• and the district for 12 months

What does The Texas Constitution requires what of the legislature?

To repportion the legislative.

Reapportionment:

The process of allocating representatives to districts.

• Required by Congress.

• Followed by each federal census.

Redistricting:

The drawing of district boundary lines to ensure equal population representation.

Each interest group tries to do what when legislative has to redistrict?

Gain as much as possible existing powers try to protect their advantages, and incumbent legislators try to ensure reelection.

What are the primary issues raised by redistricting?

individual differences, representation of racial and ethnic minorities, and gerrymandering.

Gerrymandering used to disadvantage what group violates what act?

racial groups and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Gerrymandering:

Drawing districts that favor candidates of the party in control of the process.

• If it’s political is for the advantage of one political party over another.

Were most urban counties in Texas in the 1948 underrepresented?

Yes, which led to the Legislative Redistricting Board(LRB) charging them with the authority to redistrict seats if the legislature failed to do so.

• Representation shifted somewhat, but disparities continued.

What two cases forced all states to redistrict based on population?

Baker v. Carr, Reynolds v. Sims and established the principle of one person, one vote

Baker v. Carr:

Stated that these inequalities in the apportionment denied voters “equal protection of the law” and each man’s vote should be equal to anothers.

Reynolds v. Sims:

Ruled that both houses of state legislatures had to be apportioned based on population.

In 2019, Supreme Court ruled what on partisan gerrymandering?

Beyond the reach of the federal judiciary, essentially allowing it to continue at the state level