The Texas Legislature

Chapter 29

Section 1

Joe StrausSpeaker of House

David DewhurstHead of Senate

The Function of the Legislative Branch

House of Representatives• Responsibilities

– Agriculture and Livestock

– Economic Development

– Environmental regulation

– Higher Education

– Natural Resources

– Public Health

– Taxes (↑ or ↓)

Senate• Responsibilities

– Education

– Criminal Justice

– Health and Human Services

– Taxes (↑ or ↓)

Bicameral – two rooms (chambers)

Texas Representative Districts

QualificationsHouse of Representatives

• 150 members• Based on population• 2 year term• 21 years of age• U.S. citizen• Resident of Texas – 2 years• Live in represented area

one year prior to election

Senate• 31 members• Based on equality (1

Senator per district)• 4 year term• 26 years of age• U.S. citizen• Resident of Texas – 5 years• Live in represented area

one year prior to election

Texas Senate Districts

Texas Senator

Tommy Williams

District 4

U.S. Senatorsrepresenting Texas

Kay Bailey Hutchison John Cornyn

Texas Representative

Rob Eissler

District 15

U.S. Representativerepresenting Texas

Kevin Brady8th District

Duties• Main responsibility – make the laws• Approve/reject governor appointments• Oversight – power to review activities of other 2 branches• Spending of state monies

– Prison overcrowding– Education– Taxes– Environment

• Represent the people – listen to voters’ concerns over current issues

Running the State Government

• Lt. Governor – Senate president – elected by voters

• Speaker of the House – head of House – elected by members

• Committees research and draft (create) bills– Bills can “die” in committee

• Redistricting – redrawing legislative and congressional districts as the population changes– After a census– Changes political power

How a Bill Becomes a Law

• 2 types of proposals– Resolution – opinion of legislature

• Honor individuals

• Special groups (school wins state championship)

– Bill – proposed law

Texas State Governments

The Executive Branch

Chapter 29

Section 2

Governor Rick Perry

Lt. GovernorDavid Dewhurst

The Function of the Executive Branch

• Main purpose – carries out (enforces) the laws passed by Congress

• Conducts the business of the state• 99% of the state’s budget

The Governor of Texas

• Head of the executive branch• Qualifications

– U.S. citizen– Texas resident 5 years prior to election– 30 years of age

• 4 year term (but no limit of terms)• 2 women governors (Miriam Ferguson and

Ann Richards)

Executive Powers of the Governor

• Make appointments to boards and commissions– Approved by 2/3 of the Senate

• Remove officials (i.e. misconduct of official)– Approval of Senate for board or

commissions

Legislative Powers of the Governor

• Send messages to Congress (recommendations)

• Speaks to Congress at beginning of session (state address)

• Veto power (reject) or signs bills– Line-item veto (reject a certain part or item of bill)

• Call special sessions of Congress for emergency business (i.e., educational budget)

Other Powers of the Governor

• Appoints members to– Board of Pardons and Paroles

– Board of Criminal Justice

– Texas Youth Commission

• Delay executions or grant pardons (get out of jail card)• Appoint judges to fill vacancies• Commander in Chief of Texas Guard (Army National

Guard, Texas Air National Guard, Texas State Guard)• Represents Texas (meetings, celebrations, ceremonies)

Other Elected MembersDavid Dewhurst

• Lt. Governor– Chief executive in

governor’s absence– Carries out

governor’s requests– Serves as Senate

president

Attorney GeneralGreg Abbott

– State lawyer

– Represents Texas in court

– Advises Congress

– Explains rules to govt. groups

Commissioner of General Land OfficeJerry Patterson

– Manages land/mineral rights owned by Texas

Comptroller of Public AccountsSusan Combs

– Chief tax collector

– Provides budget estimates to Congress

– Makes state expenditures

Commissioner of AgricultureTodd Staples

– Enforces agricultural laws– Provides

education/research to farmers/ranchers and consumers

– Promotes Texas products– Protects the environment

Secretary of StateHope Andrade

• Appointed by Governor• In charge of state

elections– Operation

– Education

• Texas/Mexico relations• International

representative

Boards and Commissions

• Board of Insurance• Texas Transportation Commission• Business and Economic Development

Council• Railroad Commission• State Board of Education

– Invests and manages $20 billion in Permanent School Fund for Texas public schools

Railroad Commissioners

Elizabeth Jones Michael Williams David Porter

Texas State Governments

Financing State Governments

Chapter 29

Section 3

Setting the State Budget

• Requires careful planning and budgeting

• Sets economic and social priorities

• Estimates how much revenue ($ received) and expenditures ($ paid out) state gets

• Determines which programs grow, shrink, or eliminated

The Budget Process

• Budget – plan for how much one expects to earn & how one proposes to spend the earnings

• Starts 12 months before Congress meets– Legislative Budget Board and Governor’s

Office of Budget and Planning

• Committees send budget through bill process in Congress

How the State Spends Money2002-2003 Fiscal Year

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

General Govt. HealthServices

Education Judiciary Public Safety NaturalResources

BusinessDevelopment

Legislature TobaccoSettlement

2.9

35

48.7

.43

8.32.0

13.9

.29 1.1

Where the State Gets Its Money

• General Sales Tax – varies with the price of item or service sold

• Motor Fuels Tax – gasoline and diesel• Sale of Motor Vehicles and manufactured housing• Franchise Tax – tax on businesses based on value of

machinery and equipment used to produce $• Tax on utility services, alcohol beverages, tobacco products• Texas Lottery – education• Sale, rental, and leasing of land/mineral rights• Fees and state permits for state services• Windfall – unexpected source (unreliable)

Influences on the Process

• People– Special interest groups

– legislators

• Federal (U.S.) decisions

• Court decisions at federal and state levels