The Texas Legislature Geographic Districts There

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. • Both houses of the legislature are redistricted every ten years based on census data and politics.

Qualifications for Membership Formal • • 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 Membership Informal • Informal Qualifications – Conservative – Anglo – Protestants – Male – Business/Attorney

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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

• 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

– 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

• 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.

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.