Yo, what it is! You know what it is, it’s your man Kingmusa— and welcome to The Study Guide! I'm here to break down today's class notes and help us learn together. Today we are going over Texas Gov’t and we will be focusing on Week 11: The Texas Legislature" Let's dive into our eleventh module on The Texas Legislature. We’re continuing our journey through Texas government this semester, and today we're focusing on the people who make the laws.
Key Concept of the Day:
In this session, we will evaluate the characteristics of a citizen legislature, describe different theories and types of representation, discuss the methods and categories of gerrymandering, and outline the steps involved in the Texas legislative bill process. This week’s module explores the structure and function of the Texas Legislature, drawing parallels with the U.S. Congress. We'll delve into the debate surrounding a citizen legislature, the different ways representatives can represent their constituents, the complexities and unfairness of gerrymandering, and the intricate process by which a bill becomes a law in Texas. The Texas Legislature, like the US Congress, has two parts: the House and the Senate. Its main job is to make and pass laws, including creating bills. The Legislature meets every two years for a regular session of 140 days, with special sessions for 30 days called by the Governor. It has two chambers: the House of Representatives (150 members) and the Senate (31 members).
Understanding the Texas Legislature helps us see how laws are made in our state, who represents us and how, and some of the challenges in creating fair representation for everyone.
Here are the main points:
- The Texas Legislature has a House (150 members, 2-year terms) and a Senate (31 members, 4-year terms). They meet for only 140 days every other year, a concept known as a "citizen legislature." Lawmakers earn a modest $7,200 annually plus a per diem during sessions.
- Representation can be geographic (living in the district), substantive (sharing opinions), and descriptive (reflecting demographics).
- Gerrymandering is the unfair drawing of district lines to favor a group (partisan or racial) through packing (concentrating voters), splitting (dividing a group across districts), or cracking (splitting a district into smaller pieces).
- The Texas bill process has 7 steps: introduction, committee review (hearings and amendments), floor debate and vote in the first chamber, the same process in the second chamber, conference committee (if versions differ), final passage in both chambers, and the Governor's signature or veto (which can be overridden by a 2/3 vote in the Legislature).
Alright, so the Texas Legislature is set up kind of like the U.S. Congress, with a House and a Senate. They make the laws for Texas, and a big part of that is turning ideas for new laws into actual laws. One interesting thing is that Texas tries to have a "citizen legislature," meaning the lawmakers aren't supposed to be full-time politicians. They have other jobs and only meet for a short period every other year. There are pros and cons to this – on one hand, it could mean they're more in touch with regular folks, but on the other hand, they might not have the time or resources to really dig into complex issues. When we elect these folks, they represent us in different ways. They might just live in our area (geographic representation), share our opinions (substantive representation), or even look like the people they represent (descriptive representation).
Ideally, you'd want all three! Now, here's where things can get a little shady: gerrymandering. This is when the lines for voting districts are drawn in a way that unfairly helps one group and hurts another. It can be done to favor a political party (partisan gerrymandering) or even a specific racial group (racial gerrymandering). They can "pack" one group into a single district to waste their votes or "splinter" a group by dividing them up so they don't have enough power in any one district. Finally, getting a bill passed in Texas is a whole process with seven steps. It starts with introducing the bill in either the House or the Senate, then it goes to a committee where it's debated and changed. After that, it goes to the full chamber for more debate and a vote. If it passes in one chamber, it has to go through the same process in the other. If the two versions are different, they go to a conference committee to work it out. Once both chambers agree on the exact same version, it goes to the Governor, who can either sign it into law or veto it. It's a long and sometimes complicated journey!
Texas legislators are part-time and earn a modest salary of $7,200 per year, plus $221 per day during sessions. Gerrymandering involves drawing district lines to unfairly favor one group, like a political party or a racial group. There are three main ways to do gerrymandering: packing (putting all voters of one party in one district), splitting (dividing a strong minority group), and cracking (splitting a district into smaller pieces). Representatives can provide geographic, substantive, or descriptive representation. Citizens tend to elect representatives with similar backgrounds, suggesting a mostly white and older voting population in Texas. Representatives can act as trustees (using their own judgment), delegates (following constituents' direct wishes), or partisans (voting along party lines).
Representatives can take on different roles based on the issue. They may be Trustees on less publicized matters or Delegates on hot-button topics. The House of Representatives has five major leadership positions due to its size: the Speaker (manages procedures, sets the agenda, negotiates), the Majority Leader (manages the floor, negotiates, represents the party), and the Whip (ensures party voting). The Senate has three major leadership positions: the Lieutenant Governor (presiding officer), the President Pro Tempore (presides in the Lt. Governor's absence), and the Majority Leader (represents the majority party). The Minority Leader represents the minority party. The House of Representatives also has two major leadership positions: the Speaker and the Majority Leader.
The Committee System allows simultaneous consideration of issues. Committees are standing (permanent, specific topics), select (temporary, investigate), joint (House and Senate members), and interim (meet between sessions). The Speaker of the House and the Lieutenant Governor appoint committee members based on expertise. Only members can introduce bills, with at least one primary sponsor required. Committees analyze, amend, and hold hearings. A majority vote in committee is needed for a bill to move forward. The bill-making process has seven steps, similar in both chambers.
Basically, the Texas Legislature is a part-time group that makes our state's laws. How they represent us and how voting districts are drawn can be complicated, and getting a bill passed is a whole journey through different stages and approvals. So, to wrap it up, the Texas Legislature is a part-time body that tries to represent everyday Texans. However, the reality of representation can be complex, especially with issues like gerrymandering affecting how our districts are drawn. And remember, turning an idea into a Texas law involves navigating a multi-step process in both the House and the Senate, with the Governor having the final say.
Committees prepare reports explaining the bill’s purpose, content, and cost, crucial for member decision-making. The House and Senate handle bills on the floor through debates, amendments, and votes. A bill must pass both chambers and remain unchanged before being sent to the Governor. The Conference Committee reconciles differing versions of the bill. Failure to agree kills the bill. Senators can use a filibuster (refusing to yield the floor) to delay passage. A bill becomes law with the Governor's signature, but a veto can be overridden by a two-thirds majority in the Legislature.
That wraps up today’s episode of The Study Guide. Remember, we teach to learn, and I hope this has helped you understand Week 11: The Texas Legislature better. Keep studying, keep learning, and keep pushing toward your academic goals. Don’t forget to follow me on all platforms @Kingmusa428 and check out more episodes at kingmusa428.com. See y’all next time!
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