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26 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Presiding Officers
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In TX, the chief officers of the state senate and house. They are the lt. gov, who presides over the senate and the speaker of the house.
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Part Time Legislation
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A leg. body that meets for short periods of time. Its members are often provided limited resources, incl. small salaries.
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TX Ethics Commission
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A constit'ly authorized body that has the power to investigate ethics violators of TX ethics laws.
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Ex Officio
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Having a position by virtue of holding a particular office. For example, the lt. gov. of TX serves as ex officio ast eh presiding officer of the TX Senate.
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Cracking
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Take a district with polit. maj. and crack it open to send members of polit'l parties to other dists. to dilute the dist.
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Packing
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Pack the dist. to make sure of dist. votes for a certain party while freeing up other dists. at the same time. The minority is concentrated w/in the smallest possible number of dists. thus ensuring that it will influence the fewest poss. elections and that its influ. within the leg. as a whole will be min.
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Pairing
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In a polit. redist. placing two incumbent officeholders from the same party in the same dist. (Only one officeholder will be elected.)
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Incumbent
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The current office holder.
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Partisan Gerrymandering
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The drawing of dist. lines for the purpose of providing electoral advantage to members of one polit. party.
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The Lobby
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Collectivley he most politically and economically powerful special interest groups in TX
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Mark Up
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In legislation, to amend, change or rewrite blls while they are in committee.
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Pigeonhole
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The action by which a legislative committee tables a bill and then ignores it.
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Tagging
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In the TX Senate a rule that allows a senator to halt a standing committee's consideration for a bill for 48 hours.
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Calendar
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In the TX legislature, the schedule that serves as a conduit for legislation between the committees and the primary legislative body.
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Suspension of the Rules
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Setting aside of the rules of a legislative body so that another set of rules can be used.
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Blocking Bill
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In TX, a bill placed early on the Senate calendar that will never actually be considered. A rule- which can be suspended by a 2/3's vote requires that the senate address bills in chronological order. The blocking bill ensures that a measure must win the vote of 2/3's of the senate to be considered.
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Floor
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The place where a legislative body debates, amends, votes on, enacts and defeats proposed legislation; the entire house or senate acting as a whole.
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Floor Leaders
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Legislators who are responsible for getting party members to vote for or against particular legislation.
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Points of Order
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A formal question to the chairperson about the legitimacy of a parliamentary process. A successful point of order can result in the postponement or defeat of legislation.
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Committee of the Whole
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An entire legislative body (such as the TX senate) acting as committee. The committee's purpose is to allow the body to relax its rules and thereby expedite legislation.
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Cloture
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An action by which legislative debate is ended so that the floor vote must be taken. "Rule 22" ends a fillibuster states that debate may be closed off on a bill if 16 senators sign a petition requesting it- if, after 2 days have elapsed, 3/5's of the entire membership (60 votes) vote for cloture. After cloture is invoked, each senator may speak on a bill for a max of one hour before vote is taken. Final vote must take place within 100 hours of debate after cloture is imposed.
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Table
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In a legislative or similar body, to cease action a partic. measure. A motion to table is not debatable.
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Legislative Budget Board
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The primary budgeting entity for TX state govt.
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Legislative Council
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In TX, a body that provides research support, information and bill-drafting assitance to legislators.
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Legislative Audit Committee
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In TX, a committee that performs audits of state agencies and depts. for the legislature.
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Sunset Advisory Commission
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In TX, a body that periodically evaluates most govt. agencies and depts. The commission may recommend the restructoring, abolition or alteration of the jurisdiction of an agency. 12 member commission. Lt. Gov. appoints 4 senators, 1 public member and the speaker appoints 4 reps and 1 public member. Appt.'ed for 2 two year terms and legislators for 4 year staggered terms. Abolished more than 52 agencies.
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