Chapter 8 Flashcards

1
Q

What two individuals are the presiding officers of the state legislature?

A

The lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house

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2
Q

What are the procedural powers of the presiding officers of the legislature?

A

Directly related to the legislative process

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3
Q

What is not a power of the presiding officers of the legislature?

A

Interpreting laws and giving advisory opinions

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4
Q

Members serving on which state board are not appointed by the presiding officers?

A

The Legislative Advisory Council and Local Governments

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5
Q

Legislative power is concentrated in the offices of which two state officials?

A

The lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house

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6
Q

What does the House Calendars Committee control?

A

The number of votes recorded on each legislative day

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7
Q

Which legislative committee strongly influences the expenditure of funds for all divisions of state government>

A

The Appropriations Committee

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8
Q

Who appoints the chairs and vice chairs of the House subcommittees?

A

Speaker

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9
Q

Which committees do much of the legislative work in both chambers of the Texas legislature?

A

Standing

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10
Q

Which is one of the most powerful committees in the Senate?

A

Finance

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11
Q

Which is one of the most powerful committees in the House of Representatives?

A

Appropriations

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12
Q

How are committee chairs in each legislative chamber selected?

A

The presiding officers make the appointments

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13
Q

What is not a reason why committees are often called “little legislatures”?

A

A bill can be enacted into law by a committee in case of emergency

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14
Q

What are standing committees also known as?

A

Little legislatures

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15
Q

When a committee refuses to release a bill, this is referred to as?

A

Pigeonhole

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16
Q

What is the legislative process for rescuing a pigeonholed bill from a committee called?

A

A discharge petition

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17
Q

When does occur?

A

In the Senate

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18
Q

What is an incorrect statement about legislative tagging?

A

Tagging can last up to 24 hours

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19
Q

Which branch of government has a “watchdog” function over state agencies?

A

Legislature

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20
Q

What is a system of officials and their employees administering government policies and programs

A

Bureaucracy

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21
Q

How many calendars does the Senate have for bills?

A

One

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22
Q

How much a vote is required for a suspension of the rule to consider a bill out of sequence on the senate calendar?

A

2/3 of the entire senate membership

23
Q

What is a blocking bill?

A

A bill placed early on the Senate calendar each session

24
Q

What is Senate Bill 14 address the issue of?

A

Voter ID

25
Q

Floor action

A

The entire senate or house acting as a whole to debate, amend, vote on, enact, pass, or defeat proposed legislation

26
Q

Quorum

A

A determined minority opposed to a scheduled action, have used quorum-busting tactics by deliberately absenting themselves to deny their chamber

27
Q

How many senators must be present in order to conduct legislative business>

A

21

28
Q

What is the 1979 incident that occurred in the Senate to halt actions known as?

A

“Killer Bee” incident

29
Q

What does the final passage of a bill require?

A

A simple majority in both houses

30
Q

How many times does the state constitution require that each bill be read?

A

Three times in each chamber

31
Q

Floor leaders

A

Legislators who negotiate, bargain, and compromise because they are in the center of political communication

32
Q

What is a point of order on the house floor?

A

Its a formal question concerning the legitimacy of a legislative process

33
Q

Chubbing

A

The process in which members pepper bill sponsors with questions on seemingly innocuous bills in order to delay the legislative process

34
Q

What was required of a state constitutional amendment passed in November 2007?

A

Recorded

35
Q

Voice vote

A

Vote cast by lawmaker but that is not recorded in the official record

36
Q

What does a senator need to do in order to vote “yes” on a legislative member?

A

Hold up a single finger

37
Q

What is a incorrect statement about filibustering?

A

Filibustering can be done in both chambers

38
Q

Which method can be used only in the Senate to delay and maybe kill a legislative measure?

A

Filibuster

39
Q

Cloture

A

A parliamentary move to stop legislative debate and force a floor vote

40
Q

Conference committee

A

An ad-hoc committee that meets to resolve differences between senate and house versions of the same legislation

41
Q

What are all conference committees composed of?

A

Five member from each chamber

42
Q

How does a bill become a law?

A

Introduction to the senate calendar, assigned to committee, committee action, senate calendar

43
Q

What does the presiding officer of the Senate not have the authority to do?

A

Provide a proxy vote in order to have a quorum

44
Q

What cannot occur if the Texas Senate forms itself into a committee of the whole?

A

All Senate rules are void

45
Q

What does a subcommittee in the house or senate has legislative power to do?

A

Amend a bill, rewrite a bill, and pigeonhole a bill

46
Q

How long can a bill on the House floor be debated by each member for?

A

10 min

47
Q

What des not happen when a conference committee’s report foes cack to each chamber?

A

Amending a bill

48
Q

What happens if the legislature is in session and the governor refuses to sign a bill?

A

It becomes a law in 10 days

49
Q

The governor may strike out a line item on which type of bill?

A

Appropriations

50
Q

How can a governor’s to be overridden if the legislature is still in session?

A

2/3 of both houses

51
Q

Which body is responsible for proposing the legislature’s version of the proposed biennial budget?

A

The Legislative Budget Board

52
Q

What is not a function of the Legislative Council?

A

Propose the legislature’s version of the proposed biennial budget

53
Q

What is not a legislative commission or board?

A

The Railroad Commission

54
Q

What is a restraint on the powers of the presiding officers?

A

Personality, lobbyists, and governor