TEXAS GOVERNMENT 2306

UNIT 7

THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE

TEXAS LEGISLATURE TEXAS SENATE Size

31 Senators

Terms 4 years, staggered

Presiding Officers Lieutenant Governor Elected statewide for a

4 year term

TEXAS HOUSE Size

150 Representatives

Terms 2 years

Presiding Officers Speaker Elected to the House from

a district & then by entire membership of the House (2 year term)

Formal Qualifications for Texas Legislature

Informal Qualifications for Texas Legislature

THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE & THE THREE “S’S”

SALARY

SESSION    

STAFF

SALARY

    $7,200/year ($600/mo.)     + $125 per diem while in session

    Effects: o    high turnover—30% averageo    many Texans cannot afford to serve o    legislators more easily “corrupted”

SESSION

  Biennial sessions/140 days

Texas is one of only 6 states whose legislature does NOT meet annually (the other states are Ark., Mont., Nev., N.D., & Oregon)

  Effects:

o  Lack of adequate time o  Rushed, chaotic session o  Bills poorly researched, not read before vote o  Reliance on lobbyists for research, info, &

bill writing

STAFF

     Inadequate Staff expense account o      Senate - $22,000/month o      House - $7,500/month

    Effects: o      Overworked, underpaid, too small o      High staff turnover o      Greater reliance on lobbyists & their staffs

POWERS OF PRESIDING OFFICERS

1.         Appoint committee chairs & vice-chairs  2.         Appoint majority of comm. members  3.         Refer all bills to committee  4.         Schedule legislation for floor action  5.         Recognize members on the floor  6.         Interpret procedural rules 7.         Appoint conference committees  8.         Appoint members to:

      Legislative Budget Board (LBB)       Legislative Audit Board       Legislative Council       Sunset Advisory Commission (SAC)

TEXAS LEGISLATURE & THE CONSTITUTIONAL RULES

Every bill must be read 3 times on 3 different calendar days

Every bill must pass 4 floor votes—2 in the Senate and 2 in the House of Rep.

Most floor action (floor debate & vote on bills) is limited to the final 80 days of the regular session

LEGISLATIVE SESSION FIRST 30 DAYS:

    Introduce bills     Emergency appropriations     Approve governor’s recess appointments

  SECOND 30 DAYS:

    Consideration of bills by committees & subcommittees

   LAST 80 DAYS:

    Act on bills & resolutions on the House & Senate floors     Very rushed, chaotic     Legislature frequently runs out of time to consider all

bills     Ave.: about 30% of all bills pass

How a Bill Becomes a Law

State Legislative Sessions & Salary

Rankings of State Legislatures

Initiative, Referendum & Recall

Texas House of Representative Districts

Texas Senate Districts

Texas Congressional Districts

THREE TYPES OF GERRYMANDERING

1.           Racial

2.           Unequal Population

3.           Partisan/Political

  4. Protecting Incumbent

Rules of Redistricting

1964-US Supreme Court One man-one vote rule (one person-one vote)

1965-Voting Rights Act No racial gerrymandering

Political/Partisan Gerrymandering Cannot be too extreme (US Supreme Court)