The Texas Legislature

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The Texas Legislature
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Texas Legislature Basic Features

• House of Representatives
• ? 150 Members
• ? 2-Yr Office Terms
• ? Speaker presiding officer
• ? about 40 standing committees
• ? more impersonal
• ? at least 21 years old
• ? Texas resident for 2 yrs
• ? District resident for 1 yr

• Senate
• ? 31 members
• ? 4-Yr, Staggered Terms
• ? Lieutenant Governor presiding officer
• ? 15 standing committees
• ? less impersonal
• ? at least 26 years old
• ? Texas resident for 5 yrs
• ? District resident for 1 yr

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Determinants of Legislative Decisions

• Constituency public opinion and policy
  preferences
• Fellow legislators, including the sponsor of the
  Bill
• House/Senate Leadership especially the
  presiding officers
• Staff personnel
• Interest Group lobbyists
• The Governor
• Local government lawmakers from same county or
  region
• Statewide political actors, including from
  Executive Branch
• The media (e.g. local and capital news media)
• Personal ideology, policy preferences, and values
  and beliefs

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Texas House Leadership

• Speaker of the House
• Names standing committee chairs and vice-chairs
• Names all procedural committee assignments
• Influences jurisdiction where bill ends up
• Can appoint a Speaker pro tempore (deputy
  presiding officer)

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Texas Senate Leadership

• Lieutenant Governor
• Due to legislative role, the most influential
  state public official in Texas
• Makes committee assignments, including chairs
• Influences bills jurisdiction

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Texas Legislature Ongoing and Future Issues

• Further Tinkering of Texas Constitution
• Continued Institutionalization
• Increasing Partisanship
• Adapt to Changing Population Demographics
• Address Pressing Policy Issues/Challenges