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