The Texas LegislatureThe Texas Legislature

Key TermsKey Terms

Lieutenant Lieutenant governorgovernor

Special SessionSpecial Session BipartisanBipartisan Committees Committees

(standing, (standing, procedural, joint, procedural, joint, rules, calendar)rules, calendar)

Party CaucusParty Caucus

First ReadingFirst Reading Second ReadingSecond Reading Conference Conference

committeecommittee Line Item VetoLine Item Veto biennialbiennial

The Texas LegislatureThe Texas Legislature

I.I. On paper, the Texas legislature looks much like the U.S. On paper, the Texas legislature looks much like the U.S. CongressCongress

   A. Two chambers: Senate and HouseA. Two chambers: Senate and House

B. Senate: 31 members elected for 4-year terms. B. Senate: 31 members elected for 4-year terms.

C. House: 150 members elected for 2-year terms. C. House: 150 members elected for 2-year terms.

D. Pay is $7,200 a year plus a per diem while on state D. Pay is $7,200 a year plus a per diem while on state business. business.

. The Senate is given the power to confirm the Governor’s . The Senate is given the power to confirm the Governor’s appointments.appointments.

. All revenue bills start in the House. . All revenue bills start in the House.

II. Membership — ChartII. Membership — Chart

III. Sessions.III. Sessions.

A. 140 days every other year. 43 states A. 140 days every other year. 43 states have have annual sessions. annual sessions.

   B. Special sessions may be called by GovernorB. Special sessions may be called by Governor

    C. Special sessions are for 30 days — Governor sets C. Special sessions are for 30 days — Governor sets the the agendaagenda

   D. Governor can call as many as she/he wishes.D. Governor can call as many as she/he wishes.

IV. LeadershipIV. Leadership

A. The Senate president is the Lieutenant Governor, A. The Senate president is the Lieutenant Governor, elected statewide. elected statewide.

B. The House leader is the Speaker, elected by the B. The House leader is the Speaker, elected by the majority party in the House.majority party in the House.

V. Leadership PowerV. Leadership Power

A. More powerful that the leadership in A. More powerful that the leadership in CongressCongress

  B. Leadership decides the committee B. Leadership decides the committee

structure, who will serve on each structure, who will serve on each committee, and who will be chair.committee, and who will be chair.

  C. Bipartisan process; leadership normally C. Bipartisan process; leadership normally

will select some chairs from the will select some chairs from the opposition party.opposition party.

OrganizationOrganization

Leaders Leaders Lieutenant GovernorLieutenant GovernorSpeakerSpeaker

Committees Committees Types of committeesTypes of committees

standingstandingproceduralproceduraljointjointconferenceconferenceinterim interim

OrganizationOrganization Power and InfluencePower and Influence

Legislative Party Caucus Legislative Party Caucus Leadership – the HouseLeadership – the House

Texas Constitution requires that legislature elect Texas Constitution requires that legislature elect one of their members to be head of House one of their members to be head of House called the “Speaker” called the “Speaker”

Leadership - the SenateLeadership - the SenateConstitution calls for lieutenant governor to be Constitution calls for lieutenant governor to be

leader of the Senate leader of the Senate Lieutenant governor in Texas is a very powerful Lieutenant governor in Texas is a very powerful

positionposition

VII. How a bill becomes a lawVII. How a bill becomes a law  A. Much like the U.S. CongressA. Much like the U.S. Congress

  B. Introduced in both chambers (called a First Reading)B. Introduced in both chambers (called a First Reading)

  C. Sent to a committee; may never emerge.C. Sent to a committee; may never emerge.

  D. If passed out of committee, in House it must be endorsed D. If passed out of committee, in House it must be endorsed

and scheduled for debate by Calendar Committee (functions and scheduled for debate by Calendar Committee (functions much like Rules Committee)much like Rules Committee)

  E. Debated and voted upon (called Second Reading)E. Debated and voted upon (called Second Reading)

  F. Tradition of open and spirited debateF. Tradition of open and spirited debate

  G. Voted on again (called Third Reading); usually just a formal G. Voted on again (called Third Reading); usually just a formal

process.process.  

H. May have to go to Conference CommitteeH. May have to go to Conference Committee  

I. If passed by both chambers, goes to the Governor.I. If passed by both chambers, goes to the Governor.

Basic Steps in the Texas Legislative Basic Steps in the Texas Legislative ProcessProcess

VIII. Senate has a 2/3s rule for the passage of any legislation.VIII. Senate has a 2/3s rule for the passage of any legislation.

IX. Members of the legislature can generally get a bill passed IX. Members of the legislature can generally get a bill passed only by finding other members to co-sponsor their only by finding other members to co-sponsor their legislation. legislation.

First question they are asked by other members is “who First question they are asked by other members is “who hates this bill?” hates this bill?”

Member must convince them that supporting the bill will Member must convince them that supporting the bill will not cause them problem with constituents or powerful not cause them problem with constituents or powerful interest groups. interest groups.

May take a member several sessions to gain enough May take a member several sessions to gain enough support to get a bill passed. support to get a bill passed.

Lawmaking & Budgeting in the Lawmaking & Budgeting in the Texas LegislatureTexas Legislature

Budgeting processBudgeting process Texas has biennial budgetTexas has biennial budget Role of the Governor and Legislative Budgeting Role of the Governor and Legislative Budgeting

Board Board (Interim budgeting authority)(Interim budgeting authority) Balanced budget requirement Balanced budget requirement Budgeting process includes: consideration of Budgeting process includes: consideration of

balanced budget requirement, comptrollers balanced budget requirement, comptrollers revenues estimates, proposed budget by governor revenues estimates, proposed budget by governor and the LBB, spending limits, and governor’s line and the LBB, spending limits, and governor’s line item veto authorityitem veto authority

The Legislature & the GovernorThe Legislature & the Governor

In Texas governors may be weak in In Texas governors may be weak in terms of executive branch control but terms of executive branch control but strong players in the legislative processstrong players in the legislative process

The Governor and special sessionsThe Governor and special sessions Governor’s veto power over legislationGovernor’s veto power over legislation

In Texas the governor’ s veto is In Texas the governor’ s veto is rarely overridden, in part, because most rarely overridden, in part, because most vetoes take place after the session ends.vetoes take place after the session ends.

SummarySummary The Texas legislature is set up much like The Texas legislature is set up much like

the US congress with a couple of the US congress with a couple of important exceptions: it only meets every important exceptions: it only meets every other year and the Lieutenant Governor other year and the Lieutenant Governor acts as the president of the Senate.acts as the president of the Senate.

There is a complicated system of There is a complicated system of committees that a bill must maneuver in committees that a bill must maneuver in order to become laworder to become law

The state budgeting process is much less The state budgeting process is much less like the national process because of role of like the national process because of role of the Legislative Budgeting Board and the the Legislative Budgeting Board and the balanced budget requirement.balanced budget requirement.

Discussion QuestionsDiscussion Questions

What are the advantages and What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a legislature disadvantages of having a legislature that only meets every other year? that only meets every other year? Why would the writers of the Texas Why would the writers of the Texas constitution set up the system in constitution set up the system in such a way?such a way?

How (if at all) does a balanced How (if at all) does a balanced budget requirement affect policy?budget requirement affect policy?

Discussion QuestionsDiscussion Questions

On paper, the Texas Legislature On paper, the Texas Legislature looks much like the US congress, but looks much like the US congress, but one important difference is the role one important difference is the role the Lieutenant Governor who acts as the Lieutenant Governor who acts as the president of the senate. How the president of the senate. How does the role of a separately elected does the role of a separately elected Lieutenant Governor change the Lieutenant Governor change the policy making process from the policy making process from the federal to the state level? federal to the state level?

AppendixAppendix

Ideological Voting Pattern in the Ideological Voting Pattern in the Texas House of RepresentativesTexas House of Representatives