Texas Government

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Characteristics of TX Legislature

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181 Members
Meets in regular session for 140 days every other year
Represent single-member districts
House has more rules and restrictions than the Senate

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Diffusion Gerrymandering

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the minority party is mixed into the majority party so that only majority representatives are selected

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Concentration Gerrymandering

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concentrates teh opposition into one district so they will have less influence; in this way the majority can still get the number of seats they want

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Pairing Gerrymandering

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draw new lines and current representative end up in each others districts

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Typical Texas Governor

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white, Protestant, educated, conservative, "Good Cittizen", married, professional, male

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Election of Texas Legislators

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legislative elections are held on General Election days
Primary elections are held to nominate legislative candidates
Legislative candidates require a plurality vote to win election to office

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Powers of Presiding Officers

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Appoint most committee members; Appoint committee chairs; Assign bills to committees; Schedule legislation for floor action; Interpret procedural rules when conflict arises; Appoint chairs to conference committees; Serve and appoint members to the Legislative Audit Committee and the Sunset Advisory Commission

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Senatorial Courtesy

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the Senate will ordinarily not confirm the appointment of an individual to whom the senator from the appointtee's district objects

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Information and Research

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Is the most important tool used by the state bureaucracy and lobbyists to affect legislation

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Ex Officio

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holding a position because some other office is held. Holding two offices

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Texas Redistricting

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Texas Constitution requires the state legislature to reapportion the seats (allocation representatives to districts) in both houses of Congress after each national census

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"Benefit Theory" of taxation

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those who use, pay more

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Characteristics of Special Session

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Is held whenever called by the governor
Is limited to a maximum of 30 days
Can consider only subjects subitted by the governor

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Two thirds rule

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the process by which bills are scheduled for floor action in the Texas Senate

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Special Bill

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gives an exemption to persons and/or property from a general bill

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Joint Resolution

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the process the legislature uses to ratify amendments to the United State Constitution

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Reynolds vs. Sims

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determined that the legislature district lines be redrawn every ten years after the Federal Census

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Functions of the TX Attorney General

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Enforcement of anti-trust and consumer protection laws
Defends orders issued by regulatory agencies
Issues advisory opinions on legal questions involving state and local governments

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Progressive Tax Rates

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increase as the base increases; for example, federal income taxes

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Regressive Tax Rates

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taxes for which the effective rates are higher for low and middle income taxpayers; for example sales and consumption taxes

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Line of succession

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Lt. Governor, president pro tempore, the chief justice of the texas supreme court will preside over the senate if the governor is being tried on articles of impeachment

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Fiscal Priorities in TX

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Education; Health & Human Services; Transportation; Other; Public Saftey & Criminal Justice; General Government

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Secretary Of State

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Keeper of the "Great Seal of TX"
Regulates notaries
Regulates TX elections
Grants charters to TX corporations
Regulates clubs like AAA

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Weak office of Governor

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Independent elections of other key executives
Inability to appoint members of all state boards and commisssions

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Plural Executive

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an executive branch of government in which other officeholders are elected independently of the governor

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Constitutional Powers of the TX Governor

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Appointing judges to vacancies on state courts
Line item veto on budget bills
Call special sessions

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Qualifications for Governor

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At least 30 years of age
Not be a Communist, Facist or Nazi
Belief in a Supreme Being
Be a Qualified voter

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Simple Majority

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the process by which articles of impeachment must pass the Texas House

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Severance Tax

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a tax levied on the removal of natural resources (oil, and gas) from the earth

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Legislative Budget Board

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responsible for proposing the legislature's version of the proposed biennial budget. The governor also propses a budet to the legislature

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Sunset Advisory Commission

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systematically evaluates most government agencies and departments. The commission may reconmmend restructuring, abolishing, or altering the jurisdiction of an agency.

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Zero Based Budgeting

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Starts from scratch every year but assumptions and negotiations cause cuts

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Incremental Budgeting

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Most used system; based on the previous spending record and adds a % increment to adjust for inflation and population growth; its flaws are a loss from next years budget

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State Comptroller of Public Accounts

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Estimates the state's income for the proposed bienniel budget
Central Accounting officer of the state
Chief tax collector
Budge revenue estimator (budget must go to this office before Governor approval)

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Railroad Commission

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Grant permits to drill oil
Enforcing controls on strip mines
Regulating intrastate railroads

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"Good Tax"

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raises sufficient revenue; meets least resistance by the public; costs little to collect