Ch 8. Gov Study Guide

What does the term bicameral mean

-bicameral means consisting of two legislative chambers or separate houses

-house: 150 members, two year terms

-senate: 31 members, four year terms

-begin january in odd numbered years

-only nebraska has a unicameral legislature with 49 senators

What is the function of the Texas legislature

-making laws

-budget approval

-constitutional admendments

-impeachment

What Article in the Texas Constitution discusses the legislative branch

Article 3

What qualifications are required for being a House of Representatives and Senate
member

-house: must be at least 21 years old, must be a us citizen for 7 years, qualified texas voters, one year preceding elections for residence in district, two years preceding elections for texas residence

-senate: must be 26 years, must be a us citizen for 9 years, qualified texas voter, one year preceding elections for residence in district, five years preceding elections for texas residence

How many Texas House of Representatives and Senate Districts are there

-150 house of representatives

-31 senators

Who is responsible for filling a vacancy in the House or Senate

-state governors and voters are responsible for filling vacancies

-house: filled by special elections, the governor must write an order, governors are not allowed to appoint a temporary replacement

-senate: under the 17th admendment, most state legislators give the governor power to make a temporary appointment to fill a Senate vacancy until a regular or special election is held, few states do not allow temporary appointments and require a special election only to fill a Senate vacancy

Why are Texas legislators referred to as part-time legislators

they meet in regular session for only 140 days on the second tuesday in january on odd numbered years, earn a low constitutional salary, and must maintain outside careers, governor can call extra sessions that last up to 30 days

When does the Texas legislature meet, and for how long

every odd numbered year during the second tuesday in january for up to 140 days

When are special legislative sessions, how long do they last, and who calls them

special legislative sessions are called whenever needed outside of regular sessions, last a maximum of 30 days, and are called only by the governor

What is the difference between gerrymandering and redistricting

-redistricting is the lawful, mandated process of redrawing electoral boundaries based on new census data

- gerrymandering is the manipulative abuse of that process to give one political party or group an unfair advantage

Why do Federal and Texas laws require states to redistrict after the U.S. Census

Federal and Texas laws require states to redistrict after the U.S. Census to equalize population sizes, protect voting rights, and follow constitutional rules

When exactly does the Texas legislature redistrict

during the first regular legislative session held after the release of the U.S. Census data, which occurs once every ten years

What election districts must the Texas Legislative branch redraw after the census

the Texas Legislature must redraw boundaries for Texas House of Representatives districts, Texas State Senate districts, and the State Board of Education (SBOE) districts, alongside the state's U.S. Congressional seats

What is the Legislative Redistricting Board (LRB)

-a state backup agency in texas that draws new boundaries for the house and senate only if the senate legislature fails to do so

-the Texas Legislature must redraw boundaries for Texas House of Representatives districts, Texas State Senate districts, and the State Board of Education (SBOE) districts, alongside the state's U.S. Congressional seats

What are the characteristics of Texas's Legislators

-dominated by white males, but improving

-republican majority

-mostly college educated, mainly attorneys or business people

-catholic majority

-turnover higher after redistricting

-usually more effective with experience

-no term limits

What is Texas Legislators' Compensation

-base salary of $600 per month, ($72,000 annually)

-$221 per diem

-official travel with texas, postage, office operations and staff

-house members: $20,000 monthly

-senate members: $43,000 monthly

-retirement pension

The legislatures have a high incumbency rate; when does this branch experience a lower
incumbency rate

during anti-establishment wave elections, post-census redistricting years, and cycles with major political scandals

Who are the Presiding Officers

-lieutenant governor: elected for four year term by voters, plays a role in legislative matters, most powerful elected official, votes only to break a tie

-speaker of the house: elected by members to two year terms, serves as representative, controls house proceedings, creates and abolishes committees, rarely votes

What are the different House and Senate Committees

-the Texas Legislature uses standing(permanent), interim(temporary), and conference(temporary) committees to process laws

-Texas House: The Speaker of the House appoints committee members and chairs, governed in part by chamber seniority rules.

-Texas Senate: The Lieutenant Governor (as President of the Senate) has total authority to select all committee members, vice chairs, and chairs

-Introduction: When a bill is first introduced and read into the record, the presiding officer (the Speaker in the House and the Lieutenant Governor in the Senate) assigns and refers the bill to the specific standing committee that has jurisdiction over that bill's subject matter

What are Conference committees in Texas

-conference committees in Texas are temporary, joint panels of the legislature used to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of a bill

-the Speaker of the House picks five House members, and the Lieutenant Governor picks five Senators

What are simple resolutions, concurrent resolutions, and joint resolutions

-simple resolutions: a resolution that requires action by one legislative chamber only and is not
acted on by governor (mascot)

-concurrent resolution: are solution adopted by House and Senate majorities and then approved by the governor

-joint resolutions: used ratify an amendment to the U.S. & Texas Constitution

What is a bill? What are the different types of bills in Texas

-a bill is a proposed law introduced by a lawmaker to create, change, or delete a state statute

-the primary types of bills in Texas are general bills, local bills, and special bills

What is a companion bill

an identical or very similar piece of legislation filed simultaneously in both the House and the Senate

What is Oversight

the review, monitoring, and supervision of government agencies, programs, and public policies by the legislative branch

What is senatorial courtesy

an unwritten political custom where U.S. senators vote against a presidential nominee if the home-state senators of that nominee oppose them, consultation expectations, and application limits. It is an informal tradition rather than a formal written rule

What are the two steps to impeaching members of the executive and judicial branches

-two steps of impeachment are House investigation and vote, followed by a Senate trial and conviction

-in Texas, a two-thirds vote of the Senators present is required to remove an impeached official

How does a bill become a law in Texas

1.Introduction in the House
2. First Reading (House) and Referral to Committee
3. House Committee Consideration and Report
4. Second Reading, Debate, and Vote (House)
5. Third Reading and Final Passage (House)
6. First Reading and Referral to Committee (Senate)
7. Senate Committee Consideration and Report
8. Second Reading, Debate, and Vote (Senate)

9. Third Reading and Final Passage (Senate)
10. Return to the House
11. Conference Committee
12. Conference Committee Report
13. Enrollment
14. Signatures of the Chief Clerk and Speaker
15. Signatures of Secretary of Senate and
Lieutenant Governor
16. Action by the Governo

The Texas Constitution requires regular legislature sessions divided into three periods;
what are these three periods

-First thirty days: Reserved for introducing bills and resolutions, acting on emergency appropriations, confirming recess appointees, and addressing emergency matters submitted by the governor

-Succeeding thirty days: Designated for legislative committees in each house to hold public hearings and consider pending bills, resolutions, and emergency items

-Remainder of the session: The final period (the remaining roughly 80 days) where both chambers act upon pending bills, resolutions, and any additional emergency messages from the governor

Why are bills read three times

to provide distinct stages for introduction, amendment, and final passage

What is the only bill the Texas Constitution requires the legislators to pass every
legislative session

the state budget bill (the biennial appropriations bill) is the only piece of legislation that the Texas Legislature is constitutionally required to pass during its regular session

What is ghost voting

he parliamentary practice where a lawmaker casts a vote on an electronic voting machine or ballot for a colleague who is absent from the chamber

What is the difference between filibustering and chubbing in Texas

-filibustering and chubbing are both legislative delay tactics used in Texas, but a filibuster is an individual, continuous speech used exclusively in the Senate, whereas chubbing involves extended debate and questioning on early bills by House members to run out the clock

-by wasting hours on early or minor bills, members ensure that subsequent, controversial, or high-priority legislation further down the calendar runs out of time before mandatory session adjournment or midnight deadlines

-house member would chub to kill unfavored bills for to force a compromise

What factors influence legislators' voting behavior

primarily influenced by political party loyalty, constituent preferences, and personal ideology