Texas Legislature & Governor – Comprehensive Exam Notes

Informal (Customary) Functions of Texas Legislators

  • Casework

    • Direct assistance to constituents (voters or not, of any age)

    • Examples: fixing driver-license issues, expediting veterans’ benefits, helping with unemployment filings

  • Educating / Informing the Public

    • Newsletters, town-halls, Facebook Lives, Twitter threads, local TV spots

    • Explain current bills, stance on ballot propositions, voting recommendations

    • Not legally required—flow naturally from the representative role

Bicameral Structure & Nebraska Exception

  • 49 of 50 states use a bicameral legislature; Nebraska adopted unicameral (~1952)

    • Advantages claimed by Nebraska: lower cost\text{lower cost}, reduced grid-lock

  • Texas mirrors U.S. Congress:

    • Upper House → Texas Senate

    • Lower House → Texas House of Representatives

Why the Texas Senate Carries More Prestige / Power (7 Point Rationale)

  1. Size – 3131 senators vs 150150 representatives (scarcity → prestige).

  2. Constituency – Each senator represents ≈ 5×5\times as many Texans.

  3. Confirmation Power – Senate alone must approve all gubernatorial appointments.

  4. Presiding Officer elected state-wide (Lt. Governor) vs Speaker chosen internally.

  5. Procedural Freedom – Fewer formal rules; unlimited debate & the filibuster.

    • House uses strict 10-/20-minute speech limits and “chubbing” (weaker filibuster-like tool).

  6. Term Length – Senators 44 yr terms; House 22 yr terms.

  7. Traditional Upper-House Aura – Public equates “Senate” with national prestige.

Districting, Elections & Vacancies

  • Single-Member Districts (SMDs) – exactly one legislator per district.

  • Election Calendar

    • General election: November of even-numbered years.

    • Office start: following January.

    • Terms: House 22 yrs, Senate 44 yrs.

  • Vacancy → Governor calls special election (unscheduled, any issue, any time).

Regular vs Special Sessions

Regular Session (biennial)

  • Meets every odd-numbered year; begins 2nd Tuesday in January.

  • Constitutional cap: 140140 days (≈ 4.54.5 months).

  • Consequences of short window:

    • Amplifies power of presiding officers, governor & lobbyists.

    • Promotes crisis-management over long-term planning (electric-bill analogy).

Special Session

  • Solely the Governor may call; unlimited frequency.

  • Max length: 3030 days each; governor sets the exclusive agenda.

  • Estimated cost: ≈ $1 million\$1\text{ million} per session → political & fiscal restraint.

Redistricting Machinery

  • Constitutional rule: districts must have “equal population” (one-person-one-vote).

    • Example of dilution: 80 % urban + 20 % rural in one district → rural voice weakened.

  • If Legislature fails → Legislative Redistricting Board (LRB) takes over (created 1951):

    • Members: Lt. Governor, Speaker, Comptroller, General Land Commissioner, Attorney General.

  • If both Legislature & LRB fail → federal courts draw the maps.

  • Shelby County v Holder (2013)

    • Struck Section 4(b) formula of Voting Rights Act → Texas no longer needs pre-clearance.

    • Increases risk of discriminatory maps; Congress yet to update formula.

Compensation, Per Diem & Perks

  • Base salary: $7,200\$7,200 per year (identical for House & Senate).

  • Per diem during any session: $221  per day\$221\;\text{per day}.

    • Regular year max pay ≈ 7,200+221×140≈$38,0007,200 + 221\times140 \approx \$38,000.

  • Implications

    • Among the lowest in the U.S.; discourages middle-class candidates.

    • Encourages office-holders to be wealthy or seek outside/lobby income (ethical risk).

  • Allowances (office operations)

    • Senate ≈ $40,000\$40,000 per month

    • House ≈ $15,000\$15,000 per month

  • Retirement

    • Minimum service 1212 yrs to vest.

    • Pension pegged to state-judge salary (≈ $90–100k\$90–100\text{k}/yr) → retirees may earn more than in office.

  • Presiding Officers’ extras

    • Same salary but receive a state-funded downtown Austin apartment (≈ $5–6k/month\$5–6\text{k}/month rent borne by taxpayers).

Constitutional Qualifications & Demographic Reality

Chamber

Age

District Residency

State Residency

House

2121

≥1\ge1 yr

≥2\ge2 yrs

Senate

2626

≥1\ge1 yr

≥2\ge2 yrs

  • Typical member profile (W.A.S.P. pattern):

    • Middle-aged (Senate median ≈ 50s; House ≈ 40s)

    • White, male, Protestant; married; highly educated (many J.D./M.B.A.)

    • Net-worth: most are millionaires; >½ are multi-millionaires

    • Under-representation persists for women & ethnic minorities

    • Voter bias toward “married = stability” & Christian identity still influential.

Legislative Leadership

Speaker of the House

  • Regular House member; elected by majority of the 150; controls committee referrals, agenda, debate limits.

Lieutenant Governor (Senate Presiding Officer)

  • Elected state-wide for 44 yrs; not a senator.

  • Considered one of the most powerful officials in Texas politics; can advance or bury any bill.

Pro Tempore Offices

  • Senate President Pro Tem – elected by Senate; presides in Lt. Gov’s absence; 2nd in gubernatorial succession.

  • Speaker Pro Tem – chosen ad-hoc or permanent at Speaker’s discretion.

Committee System (Know These Two)

  1. Standing Committees (permanent)

    • House ≈ 3636; Senate ≈ 1616.

    • The “work-horses”; most bills die here.

  2. Conference Committee (temporary)

    • 5 senators + 5 representatives; resolves differences between House & Senate versions.

    • Mandatory before a bill reaches the governor when texts differ (≈ 98 % of cases).

Governor of Texas – Key Facts

  • Election timing: Even-numbered off-years (2022, 2026 …) → turnout only 30–40%30–40\%.

  • Term: 44 yrs since 1974; no term limit (Rick Perry served ≈ 1313 yrs).

  • Removal: impeachment only.

    • House majority → impeachment; Senate 2⁄3 → removal.

    • Only case: James "Pa" Ferguson (1917) for misconduct; wife "Ma" Ferguson later won office (slogan “Two Governors for the Price of One”).

Succession & Acting Authority

  1. Lieutenant Governor

  2. Senate President Pro Tem

  3. Speaker of the House

  • 1999 amendment clarified disability scenarios (Lt. Gov becomes acting governor until recovery).

  • If governor leaves state → Lt. Gov becomes acting governor (paid at gubernatorial daily rate ≈$600\approx \$600).

  • Tradition: “Governor for a Day” ceremony allows Senate Pro Tem to serve when both top officers leave (extravagant taxpayer-funded fête).

Compensation & Operating Budget

  • Salary: $154,000\$154,000 (approx.)

  • Fringe: travel & operating budget ≈$37 million\approx \$37\text{ million} (was $17.2 M two decades ago), official mansion, security detail, car & state aircraft.

    • 2008 mansion arson → costly rebuild; Gov. Perry rented $10,000\$10,000-per-month home (state-funded).

Ethical & Practical Implications Discussed

  • Low legislator pay → governance “by the wealthy, for the wealthy,” widened representation gap.

  • Short sessions + special-session costs intensify lobby & executive influence, reducing transparency.

  • Post-Shelby redistricting freedoms heighten risk of racial or partisan gerrymandering.

  • Public ignorance of biennial part-time structure hampers reform momentum (need civic education).

Helpful Memory Aids & Examples

  • 5× Rule – Senator’s constituency ≈ five House districts.

  • $221 rule – daily per diem.

  • 140-30 – 140 day regular; 30 day special.

  • “Paying the electric bill” analogy: Texas addresses problems only when due, leading to interest/late fees → crisis governance.

  • “Two Governors for the Price of One” – mnemonic for the only husband-&-wife governorship.

These bullets encapsulate every major and minor lecture point, contextual anecdotes (ghost-voting video, Leticia Van de Putte’s mariachi “Governor-for-a-Day”), legal cases, monetary figures, and the ethical discussions necessary for a comprehensive exam review.