1 / 18

Chapter 3

Chapter 3. The Texas Legislature. http://www.legis.state.tx.us/. Texas Legislature in Context. Bicameral (two chambers): House and Senate Population size of legislative districts must be roughly the same [ Reynolds v. Sims (1964) ] Biennial regular session (140 days every other year)

carys
Télécharger la présentation

Chapter 3

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Chapter 3 The Texas Legislature http://www.legis.state.tx.us/

  2. Texas Legislature in Context • Bicameral (two chambers): House and Senate • Population size of legislative districts must be roughly the same [Reynolds v. Sims (1964)] • Biennial regular session (140 days every other year) • Governor may call thirty-day special session(s) and set session agenda/topic • Currently, 83rd TX Leg in session (Jan. 8, 2013)

  3. Typologies of State Legislatures • Citizen legislature—Part-time salary and job requirements; desire is to prevent professionalization of politics • Professional legislatures—Full-time salary and requirements • Texas considered a hybrid: • Only 140 days of every 730 (two years) are in session • Low annual salary: just $7,200 + per diem of $139 each day attended; total $33,680 for 2 yrs, avg 16,930 • Generous retirement benefits

  4. Qualifications for Office and Length of Terms

  5. Elections • Elections held every 2 yrs • Senate staggered ½ each election, except after redistricting which requires whole Senate re-elected. Lottery determines who goes on 2 yr vs 4 term • No term limits in either chamber • Incumbency rate: 80% + • Need sufficient monies to win • Primary election often more important than general election in Nov. • http://www.laits.utexas.edu/txp_media/html/part/features/0400_02/slide1.htmlfor incumbency graph

  6. Theories of Representation • Delegate Theory – follow constituents' instructions over personal beliefs • Trustee Theory – faith that rep do the right thing as has more info than voter • The Politico Approach – get me reelected • Microcosm Theory – legis mirrors demographics of whole population

  7. Electing the State Legislature • Single-member district - only one person per office elected • Adv: minorities impact elec outcome more • Plurality = the most • Majority = 50%+1 • SMDP versus SMDM: • SMDP used for General Election • SMDM used for primaries (TX legis, US HR & US Sen, local officials)

  8. New Numbers = New Maps • Redistricting: state redraws district based on new US census data • One person, one vote [necessary numerical equality, contingency, and compactness] • Gerrymandering = drawing district lines to favor one party/group over another • DOJ approves new maps to ensure no racial discrimination

  9. Gerrymandering

  10. Who wins?

  11. Legislative Organization • Chamber Leadership: • Lieutenant Governor (Senate; elected by voters) and Speaker of the House (House; selected by members) • Powers include assigning members to standing committees, appointing committee chairs, and serving on the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) • Party Organization: • Party caucuses versus Special caucuses

  12. Legislative Organization (con’t):Committees • Standing committees —permanent, House and Senate exclusive formal work groups that typically exist across sessions and across elections; specific topics • Select committees—temporary work groups created by the presiding officers of each chamber for a special purpose; also called “joint committees” • Interim committees—legislative work groups created in between sessions to address specific problems and to research specific issues • Conference committees—as part of the legislative process, empanelled to reconcile House and Senate versions of a bill • Calendars committee – all members selected by the Speaker ; controls scheduling of bills in House

  13. Legislative Process • Bills versus resolutions. • Public hearings, committee debates, mark-up sessions, and amendment opportunities precede the standing committee’s final vote on the bill. • Each chamber is able to conduct floor debate. • Senate filibuster limited to one senator only – no teams or yielding and no cloture to stop • A bill passed by each chamber (an “enrolled bill”) is considered by the governor. • In Texas, the governor has a variety of choices when responding to a bill

  14. Readings • Bill must be approved after 3 readings in the house and senate • 1st reading – referral to committee • 2nd reading – prior to floor debate & vote • 3rd reading –prior to going to other house, read and vote again

  15. Approval • Exactly verbatim in both versions of bill, House and Senate • If not exact, then goes to conference committee • Members selected by House (5 members) and Senate (5 members) • To pass, must receive 3/5 of House members and 3/5 of Senate members • Not 6/10 as doesn’t equally represent each house.

  16. Governor’s Action • Sign bill into law; effective in 90 days • Sooner if appropriations or emergency legislation • Nothing, and it becomes law after • 10 days if legis in session or 20 days if not in session • Veto whole bill • Override by 2/3 legis if in session • Line-item veto for money items • Role of Comptroller – must certify that adequate revenues available for any expenditure of funds

  17. Weird Texas words • Tagging – way for 1 senator to kill a bill by delaying hearing on bill for 48 hours • Bracketing – wording bill so that only one specific locale is effected • Ex. “any city with over 3 mil.”  Houston • Pre-filing – allowing bills to be filed after Nov. election and prior to start of session • Sunset Advisory commission – state agency that evaluates and recommends whether a state agency should be continued or abolished. • Sunshine laws = Open public meetings laws; applies to all govt’l entities including HOAs

More Related