Everything about The Texas Legislature totally explained
The
Texas Legislature is the
state legislature of the
U.S. state of
Texas. The legislature is a
bicameral body composed of the
upper house Texas Senate with 31 members, and the
lower Texas House of Representatives with 150 members. The Legislature meets at the
Texas State Capitol in
Austin. In Texas, the legislature is arguably considered the most powerful arm of the
Texas Government due to its
power of the purse to control and direct the activities of state government, as well the strong constitutional connections between the legislature and the
Lieutenant Governor of Texas.
The Legislature replaced the
Congress of the Republic of Texas following Texas' entrance into the
United States in
1845. The
first session of the legislature met from
February 16 to
May 13,
1846.
Structure and operations
The legislature meets in regular session on the second Tuesday in January of each odd-numbered year. The
Texas Constitution limits the regular session to 140 calendar days. The
Lieutenant Governor, elected statewide separate from the
Governor, presides over the Senate, while the
Speaker of the House is elected from that body by its members. Both have wide latitude in choosing committee membership in their respective houses and have a large impact on lawmaking in the state.
Only the Governor may call the Legislature into special sessions (the legislature may not call itself into session, as is the case in some other states), and the governor may call as many sessions as he wishes. For example, Governor
Rick Perry called three consecutive sessions in 2003 to address congressional
redistricting. The
Texas Constitution limits the duration of each special session to 30 days; lawmakers may consider only those issues designated by the Governor in his "call," or proclamation convening the special session (though other issues may be added by the Governor during a session).
Both houses of the Legislature are officially organized on a bipartisan basis, with members of both parties serving in leadership positions such as committee chairmanships. Currently (2007), a majority of the members of each chamber are members of the
Republican Party.
Qualification for service
The Texas Constitution sets the qualifications for election to each house as follows:
- A senator must be at least 26 years of age, a citizen of Texas five years prior to election and a resident of the district from which elected one year prior to election. Each senator serves a four-year term and one-half of the Senate membership is elected every two years in even-numbered years, with the exception that all 31 Senate seats are up for election for the first legislature following the decennial census in order to reflect the newly redrawn districts. After the initial election, the Senate is divided by lot into two classes, with one class having a re-election after two years and the other having a re-election after four years.
A representative must be at least 21 years of age, a citizen of Texas for two years prior to election and a resident of the district from which elected one year prior to election. They are elected for two-year terms, running for re-election in even-numbered years.
Neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate has term limits.
Scandals
On May 14, 2007, CBS Austin affiliate KEYE reported on the rampant multiple voting by members of the Texas House of Representatives during a voting session. The report noted how representatives would race to the nearest empty seats to register votes for absent members on the legislature's automated voting machines. Each representative would vote for the nearest absent members, apparently regardless of party affiliation. This practice was in direct violation of a Rule of the Texas Legislature; however, no house member had ever been disciplined for the practice. The then-Speaker of the House, responsible for enforcement of the rule, issued a statement that discipline for violations of the rule is left to the individual house members.
Makeup of the Texas House of Representatives
Note: The resignation of Robert Puente (D-San Antonio) created a vacancy, making the total representative count 149 instead of 150. His seat will be filled by a special election on May 10, 2008.
Makeup of the Texas Senate
Further Information
Get more info on 'Texas Legislature'.
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