The Texas Legislature
Chapter 23
O’Connor and Sabato
American Government: Continuity and Change
The Texas Legislature
In this chapter we will cover…
1. The Roots of the Legislative Branch
2. The State Constitution and the Legislative Branch of Government
3. Legislative Membership: Representing the Public
4. How the Texas Legislature is Organized
5. The Lawmaking and Budgeting Function of the Legislature
6. How the Legislature Makes Decisions
7. The Legislature and the Governor
Roots of the Legislature in Texas
Roots in Mexican legislature (Mexican provinces of Tejas and
Chohuila)
1836 Texas independence - Constitution of Republic of Texas
calls for bicameral Congress
1846 Texas joins Union - Republic of Texas legislature
dissolved and first Texas Legislature convenes
Legislature dominated by Anglos
During Reconstruction – African Americans in Texas
Legislature (1869/1874… then reduced in #s)
End of Reconstruction meant the end of representation for
African Americans
State Constitution & the Legislative
Branch of Government
Texas legislature – bicameral (Senate has
31 members and House of Representatives
has 150)
Constitution sets term limits, compensation,
and requirements for office
Legislative session – every two years
Constitution provides for regular and special
sessions
Legislative Membership:
Representing the Public
Issues of representation include
-Nature of representation
-How to achieve representation
-Equality of representation
Determining representation
-Districts and redistricting
-Reelection rates& membership turnover
Legislative Membership:
Representing the Public
Demographics of representation
occupation
education
religion
gender
race
age
political party
ideology
Organization of Texas Legislature
Leaders
Lieutenant Governor
Speaker
Committees (subunit of the legislature)
Types of committees
standing
procedural
joint
conference
interim
Organization of Texas Legislature
Power and Influence
Legislative Party Caucus (same party identification)
Leadership/Opposition – the House
Texas Constitution requires that legislature elect one of their
members to be head of House called the “Speaker”
(influence and power)
Leadership and Opposition - the Senate
Constitution calls for lieutenant governor to be leader of the
Senate (influence and power)
Lieutenant governor in Texas is a very powerful position
Ideological Voting Pattern in the Texas
House of Representatives
Lawmaking & Budgeting in the Texas
Legislature
Bills and Resolutions
Rules of the process whereby a bill becomes
a law adopted by legislative chambers
embody constitutional limits
Bills are filed, committeed, read, calendared,
filibustered, amended, engrossed, and signed
Basic Steps in the Texas Legislative Process
Lawmaking & Budgeting in the
Texas Legislature
Budgeting process
Texas has biennial budget
Role of the Governor and Legislative Budgeting Board
Balanced budget requirement
Budgeting process includes: consideration of balanced
budget requirement, comptrollers revenues estimates,
proposed budget by governor and the LBB, spending limits,
and governor’s line item veto authority
How the Legislature Makes Decisions
decision process – complex involving many
players (voters, lobbyists, judges, media, etc.)
Growth and dependency on support staff is focal
point of institutionalization of legislatures
Lobbyist influence and role is of special concern
in the development of public policy
Campaign finances and election lines become
blurred
The Legislature & the Governor
In Texas governors may be weak in terms of
executive branch control but strong players in
the legislative process
The Governor and special sessions
Governor’s veto power over legislation
In Texas governors veto rarely overridden
due to nature and timing veto power