Texas Government

Chapters 8, 12, 13, & 15

What is per capita spending on education in Texas?

$13,680 per K–12 student; Texas ranks 33rd in per-student spending.

What is the Gilmer-Aiken law?

(1949): more state aid, higher teacher pay, a 175-day year, district consolidation, and stronger state oversight.

What was the outcome of Brown v. Board of Education?

(1954) ruled state-imposed school segregation violated the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.

What is the equal protection clause in the Fourteenth Amendment?

It requires states to provide equal protection of the laws and not deny people equal legal treatment.

What is the “Robin Hood Plan”?

The school-finance plan transfers funds from property-wealthy districts to poorer districts.

Reasons someone would agree with vouchers.

Supporters say vouchers increase parent/student choice and competition by letting education money follow the student.

What are the new benchmarks by the Texas Legislature that ensures public school effectiveness?

Texas evaluates schools on three main areas: student achievement, student progress, and 'closing the gaps.'

Eligibility for reduced or free lunch is based on……………………..?

Household/family income, usually measured against federal poverty guidelines.

What are the requirements for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program benefits?

temporary aid for needy families with children, tied to work/education/job-training and self-sufficiency; federal aid has a 5-year lifetime limit.

In the 1980’s, what were the arguments against people receiving welfare benefits?

Critics argued welfare created dependency and discouraged people from becoming independent and working.

What is Medicaid?

A joint state-federal health program for people in poverty, especially children.

What is one goal of the Affordable Care Act?

To expand health-insurance coverage; it also expanded protections for preexisting conditions and Medicaid.

How has Governor Greg Abbott reacted to the Affordable Care Act?

opposed ACA Medicaid expansion and refused the available expansion funding.

What two sources primarily fund public schools?

State funding and local property-tax revenue.

What are the responsibilities of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHS)?

administers Medicaid and major public-assistance/welfare programs such as SNAP and TANF.

What was the outcome of the San Antonio v. Rodriguez case?

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the lower court and held equal protection did not require equalized school funding.

What are the responsibilities of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality?

TCEQ safeguards Texas air, water, and waste-management quality and enforces environmental rules.

Why is access to high-speed broadband internet now considered to be a critical part of the Texas infrastructure?

Internet became essential for school, work, business, and services; the pandemic exposed the cost of lacking broadband.

What are the reasons why there are delays regarding the construction of the Houston to Dallas bullet train?

Landowner opposition/eminent-domain disputes, financing and profitability concerns, and possible taxpayer risk have delayed it.

What was the reason the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against the new district maps passed by the Texas Legislature in 2021.

The DOJ said the maps ignored Latino population growth and discriminated against Black voters under the Voting Rights Act.

Describe the Dream Act.

The Texas Dream Act lets qualifying undocumented Texas residents pay in-state tuition at public colleges/universities.

What is a sanctuary city?

A city/locality whose law enforcement limits cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

What group of people are known as “dreamers”?

Undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, especially people eligible for/protected by DACA.

What is the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board?

The state regulatory/coordinating body that oversees Texas public postsecondary education.

How are community colleges funded?

Community colleges use state appropriations, local property taxes, and tuition/fees; newer state funding is increasingly outcomes-based.

What is the 60X30 TX Plan and what are its challenges?

60x30TX is THECB’s 2015–2030 higher-ed plan; funding and statewide coordination make its goals difficult to reach.

What are the goals of the 60X30 TX plan?

By 2030: 60% of ages 25–34 credentialed; 550,000 completions; marketable skills; student debt ≤60% of first-year wages.

What agency coordinates academic goals and programs across state public universities and community colleges?

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).

What is eminent domain?

Government power to take private property for public use with just compensation.

How does Texas rank in terms of air and water quality?

Texas ranks 40th in overall air/water quality and 43rd in pollution by toxic chemicals.

How much renewable energy did Texans consume in 2020?

Nearly 25% of Texas energy consumption in 2020 came from wind and solar.

What was the outcome of the 2021 Senate Bill 1?

SB 1 tightened voting rules: restricted polling hours, banned drive-through voting, and added mail/assistance requirements.

What must Texas do in order to receive funds from the federal government for education and health and human services?

Texas must meet federal program requirements ('strings attached'); matching programs can also require state spending.

Why must Texas maintain a balanced budget?

Because the Texas Constitution requires a balanced budget under the pay-as-you-go limit.

In the Texas budget, general fund-dedicated monies are used for what purposes?

They are revenues legally dedicated to specific purposes rather than general spending.

In the Texas budget, what monies go in the federal funds budget?

Federal grants, payments, and reimbursements received by Texas agencies and institutions.

What is Texas’s current approach to spending and revenue?

Texas follows a 'low-tax, low-service' approach; 2022 state spending was $4,614 per capita vs. $8,346 nationally.

General state and local sales taxes can combine to reach a rate of __________ percent.

8.25% maximum: 6.25% state sales tax plus up to 2% local.

What type of tax does Texas rely on the most to fund its budget?

The sales tax; the state rate is 6.25%.

What are progressive taxes?

Taxes whose burden falls more heavily on upper-income people as income rises.

What are regressive taxes?

Taxes whose burden falls more heavily on lower-income people; sales taxes are a key example.

Why is there a strong possibility that Texas will never have a state income tax?

Few politicians support one, and a 2019 constitutional amendment made adopting a state income tax very difficult.

What is the result of Texas not accepting federal funds?

Texas receives less federal aid/matching money when it does not participate or spend required state matching funds.

What is the Permanent University Fund?

A land-revenue fund established in 1876 that supports institutions in the UT and Texas A&M systems.

What is the Economic Stabilization Fund (ESF) of Texas?

The Rainy Day Fund, created in 1988 to provide money during financial stress or other approved needs.

Texas motor vehicle registration fees go into this fund.

The State Highway Fund.

Texas cannot spend more than __________ of the state budget in any two-year period to help those on welfare.

1% of the state budget in a biennium for needy dependent children/caretakers; Medicaid is excluded.

Texas is allowed to carry debt if this happens.

Debt service payable from General Revenue must not exceed 5% of state revenue.

What is the Permanent School Fund?

A public-school fund created in 1854, supported by public-land proceeds and managed by the State Board of Education.

How many members of the Texas House are there? How many in the Texas Senate?

150 members in the Texas House; 31 senators.

What is the length of the terms for Texas House and Texas Senate members?

House: 2 years. Senate: 4 years.

When are regular sessions of the Texas Legislature held?

140 days every two years, in odd-numbered years.

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

Revenue bills.

What are local bills?

Bills affecting only local government units such as a city, county, or special district.

What are general bills?

Bills applying to all people and/or property statewide.

What is a special bill?

Bills giving a particular individual or corporation an exemption from state law.

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

1) Introduction, 2) referral, 3) standing-committee action, 4) floor action.

What is a standing committee?

A permanent subject-area committee that reviews bills and may amend, advance, pigeonhole, or kill them.

What groups typically exert the greatest degree of influence over the legislative process?

Lobbyists and organized interest groups.

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

To compromise on House and Senate versions so both chambers can pass identical language; 5 House + 5 Senate members.

What is partisan gerrymandering?

Drawing district boundaries to maximize the electoral advantage of the party controlling redistricting.

What is a line-item veto?

The governor’s power to veto specific items in an appropriations bill without vetoing the whole bill.

What are the age qualifications to run for Texas House or Senate?

Texas House: 21. Texas Senate: 26.

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

They appoint members and chairs of standing committees in their respective chambers.

What happens if the governor takes no action on a bill (neither signing nor vetoing) within 10 days of it arriving on his or her desk?

If the Legislature is still in session, the bill becomes law without the governor’s signature after 10 days (Sundays excluded).