Chapter 7

Question 1

Difference between Washington Legislative and Texas Legislative

Answer 1

Texas only meets every other year for 140 days and is part-time

Question 2

Texas House

Answer 2

150 representatives, serve two-year terms

Question 3

Texas Senate

Answer 3

31 representatives, serve 4-year terms

Question 4

What makes law making difficult in the Texas Legislative?

Answer 4

Strict time limits on sessions and the bicameral system

Question 5

Texas House requirements

Answer 5

-Be 21 years old, a registered voter, and a US citizen
-Texas resident for 2 years
-Reside in their district for at least 1 year

Question 6

Texas Senate requirements

Answer 6

-Be 26 years old and a registered voter
-Texas resident for 5 years
-Resident in their district for at least 1 year

Question 7

Why is pay for legislatures so low?

Answer 7

To discourage legislators from living off the wages and go work in the civilian life

Question 8

The role of the Texas Legislature is to __.

Answer 8

Create laws

Question 9

Who can call special sessions?

Answer 9

Only the Governor

Question 10

Apportionment

Answer 10

The process of redrawing district lines after every census to reflect population shifts

Question 11

Gerrymandering

Answer 11

The act of drawing representative
districts in order to help or hinder a person, or a political
party, from winning an election

Question 12

Lieutenant Governor

Answer 12

An elected official separate from the governor

-Appoints every senate committee member plus chair and vice-chair
-Assigns bills to committees

Question 13

Speaker of the House

Answer 13

Chosen by members of the House to a two-year term

direct debate, send bills to committees, appoint the Appropriations Committee and half the members of
most standing committees, choose committee chairs.

Question 14

Standing committee

Answer 14

Deliberative bodies formed
each time the legislature meets that deals with topics of
recurring interest

A permanent committee

Question 15

Special committee

Answer 15

Temporary committees formed by
the legislature for limited or nonroutine purposes

Question 16

Conference committee

Answer 16

A joint committee of House and Senate
members whose purpose is to iron out the differences between
the House and Senate versions of a bill

Question 17

Interim committee

Answer 17

A special committee formed to study a
topic or problem between sessions of the legislature

Question 18

What are the two types of regular committees?

Answer 18

Substantive- shape legislation (laws)
Procedural- sets the process bills must follow

Question 19

who appoints the committee chair?

Answer 19

chamber leaders

Question 20

pigeonholing

Answer 20

The act of setting aside a bill in committee and refusing to consider it

Question 21

How is a bill introduced in the House?

Answer 21

First reading: The bill goes to one of the committees set by the speaker. There, it can either be ignored or signed

Second reading: Members can choose to amend the bill with a majority vote. If it is voted against, it dies

Third reading: final chance of amending it. Needs a 2/3rd vote in order to be signed into law.

Question 22

How is a bill introduced in the Senate

Answer 22

First reading: Lieutenant Governor signs the bill to a committee. Can be ignored or tagged (postponed for 48 hours)

Second reading: 5/9 of senators (18) must vote in approval to bring the bill to the floor.

Third reading: 2/3rd to amend, signed to pass

Question 23

How does the Governor affect the bill-making process

Answer 23

They have 10 days to sign, reject, ignore, or let it become law without a signature (20 days if the bill comes on the last day of the 10-day period)

Legislature can override the veto with a 2/3rd vote from both chambers