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The Texas Legislature

The Texas Legislature. Geographic Districts. There are 150 seats in the Texas House of Representatives with a discrete district for each. There are 31 single member districts in the state senate. Each house and senate seat must contain equal populations within their respective houses.

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The Texas Legislature

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  1. The Texas Legislature

  2. Geographic Districts • There are 150 seats in the Texas House of Representatives with a discrete district for each. • There are 31 single member districts in the state senate. • Each house and senate seat must contain equal populations within their respective houses. • Both houses of the legislature are redistricted every ten years based on census data and politics.

  3. Texas Senate A U. S. citizen A registered voter At least 26 years of age Have lived in Texas for five years and the district for one year. Texas House A U.S. citizen At least 21 years of age Have lived in Texas for two years and the district for one year Qualifications for MembershipFormal

  4. Qualifications for MembershipInformal • Informal Qualifications • Conservative • Anglo • Protestants • Male • Business/Attorney

  5. Sessions and Salaries • Biennial Session • Legislature meets on the second Tuesday in odd-numbered years. • Meets for 140 days • Special Sessions • Governor may call a thirty day special session.

  6. Sessions and Salaries • 7,200 annual salary • $125 per diem for regular and special sessions • Travel Allowance • Legislators usually have other jobs.

  7. The Presiding Officers • Lieutenant Governor • Elected statewide • Four year term • Presiding officer of the Senate • Speaker of the House • Elected by a majority vote of the house membership • Election occurs on the first day of the session

  8. The Legislative Committees • Standing committees • Subcommittees • Ad Hoc Committees • Conference Committees • Interim Committees

  9. The Legislative Staff • House members receive $7,500 monthly for office expenses • Senate members receive $22,000 for office expenses • Legislative staff members lack expertise when compared to the lobby staff. • House Research Organization • Legislative Council

  10. Legislative Process Procedural Powers of the Presiding Officers • Appoint committee chairs • Assigns bills to committee • Schedules legislation for floor action • Recognize members on the floor for amendments and points of order • Interpret the procedural rules when needed • Appoint the chairs and members of the conference committees

  11. Legislative Process Institutional Powers of the Presiding Officers • Appoint the members and serve as chair(lieutenant governor) and vice-chair(speaker) of the • Legislative Budget Board, and the • Legislative Council. • Legislative Audit Committee. • Serve on and appoint the members of the Sunset Advisory Commission

  12. Legislative Process • Procedural Tools of Leadership • Committee Membership • The presiding officers exercise influence by appointing committee membership. • Selection of Committee Chairs • The presiding officers appoint the committee chairs. • Committee Jurisdiction • The presiding officers assign bills to committees.

  13. Presiding Officers May Oppose A Bill • A bill may be a threat to the officer’s backers and financial supporters. • The backers of a bill may have been uncooperative thus the officers may punish them. • The bill’s opponents may have more bargaining power. • The bill’s backers may feel the passage of the bill might financially cripple a favorite program.

  14. Committee Powers and Functions • Committees are “little legislatures”. • Committees are extensions of the presiding officers. • In committee the bills may be • rewritten • pigeonholed • Edited • tagging • Division of Labor • Bills are marked up in each committee.

  15. Pigeonhole • Committees may also chose not to consider a bill. • Discharge petition • Tagging • Bureaucratic Oversight • Committees may also hold hearing to see that bureaucrats are carrying out public policy. • Several factors make bureaucratic oversight difficult: • short legislative session • movement of members from one committee to another • short term for legislators when compared to top administrators.

  16. The Calendar • Scheduling a bill is crucial to passage and success. • House Calendars • The speaker of the house does not have direct control over the calendar, but does control committee membership. • The Senate Calendar • The senate calendar is used only in theory. • Most bills are considered by a suspension of the rules. • The lieutenant governor must recognize a senator to make this motion • The presiding officer or eleven senators could prevent any bill from becoming law.

  17. The Floor of the House • As bills reach the House floor, a loudspeaker system allows votes for or against. • Floor leaders: representatives who are trying to get a bill passed. • The Floor of the Senate • The Senate floor is similar to the house with one exception, the filibuster. • Senate rules allow a senator to speak unlimitedly to try to prevent a vote on a bill. • The presiding officer controls those who speak.

  18. The Conference Committee • Resolves difference between both houses • A temporary committee • Five members from each house • Members appointed by the presiding officer

  19. How a Bill Becomes Law • Introduction to the Senate • First Reading and Assignment to committee • Second and Third Readings: Senate Committee Action • Senate Calendar • Senate Floor

  20. Introduction to the House • First Reading and Assignment to Committee • Committee action • Committee on House calendars • Second and Third Readings: House Floor Action • Conference Committee • Floor Action • The Governor

  21. Nonprocedural Tools of Leadership Tools • The Legislative Budget Board: Members and presiding officers influence the budgeting process. • The Legislative Council: The presiding officers appoint committee membership which oversees bill drafting and research. • The Legislative Audit Committee: The presiding officers, members of this committee, audit agency expenditures. • The Sunset Advisory Commission: This commission with the presiding officers as members reviews state agencies.

  22. Restraints on the Powers of the Presiding Officers • Personality • leadership style • The Team • legislator coalitions • The Lobby and Bureaucracy • coalition of presiding officers, bureaucrats and lobby insures success • The Governor • the threat to veto and line-item veto give power • The Political Climate • scandal may limit the power of the presiding officers. • Political or Economic Ambition • political credits, interest group support, and presiding officer’s role may serve as a stepping stone to other offices.

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