Question

Essay

250-500

How does the design and operation of Texas state legislature reflect the constitutional culture of Texas?

Answer 1

The Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of Texas. The legislature is abicameral body composed of a 31-memberSenate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a powerful arm of the Texas government not only because of itspower of the purse to control and direct the activities of state government and the strong constitutional connections between it and theLieutenant Governor of Texas, but also due to Texas's plural executive.The Legislature is the constitutional successor of the Congress of the Republic of Texas since Texas's 1845 entrance into theUnion. The Legislature held its first regular session from February 16 to May 13, 1846.

The Texas Legislature meets in regular session on the second Tuesday in January of each odd-numbered year. The Texas Constitution limits the regular session to 180 calendar days. The lieutenant governor, elected statewide separately from thegovernor, presides over the Senate, while theSpeaker of the House is elected from that body by its members. Both have wide latitude in choosing committee membership in their respective houses and have a large impact on lawmaking in the state.

Only the governor may call the Legislature into special sessions, unlike other states where the legislature may call itself into session. The governor may call as many sessions as he or she desires.

Any bill passed by the Legislature takes effect 90 days after its passage unless two-thirds of each house votes to give the bill either immediate effect or earlier effect. The Legislature may provide for an effective date that is after the 90th day. Under current legislative practice, most bills are given an effective date of September 1 in odd-numbered years .