Texas Senate

Texas Senate
source
Name	Texas Senate
Legislature	Texas Legislature
House type	Upper house
Body	Texas
Term limits	None
New session	January 10, 2023
Leader1 type	Lieutenant Governor of Texas
Leader1	Dan Patrick
Party1	(R)
Election1	January 20, 2015
Leader2 type	President pro tempore of the Texas Senate
Leader2	Charles Schwertner
Party2	(R)
Election2	May 28, 2019
Leader3 type	Majority Leader of the Texas Senate
Leader3	Paul Bettencourt
Party3	(R)
Election3	January 10, 2023
Leader4 type	Minority Leader of the Texas Senate
Leader4	Carol Alvarado
Party4	(D)
Election4	January 10, 2023
Members	31
Political groups1	Majority (20), Republican (20), Minority (11), Democratic (11)
Term length	4 years
Voting system	First-past-the-post voting
Last election1	2022 Texas Senate election
Next election1	2024 Texas Senate election
Meeting place	Senate Chamber, Texas State Capitol, Austin, Texas
Website	[https://senate.texas.gov/ senate.texas.gov]

Texas Senate. The upper chamber of the Texas Legislature, the Texas Senate consists of 31 members representing districts across the state. It convenes at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas for regular biennial sessions and possesses significant legislative, confirmatory, and investigative powers. The presiding officer is the Lieutenant Governor of Texas, a constitutionally separate executive official elected statewide.

History

The Texas Senate was established by the Constitution of the Republic of Texas in 1836, following the Texas Revolution. Early sessions grappled with issues of debt, relations with Mexico, and Native American conflicts. During the American Civil War, the Senate operated under the Confederate constitution before the Reconstruction era brought federal oversight and a new governing document, the 1869 constitution. The modern framework was established by the 1876 constitution, which remains in effect. Landmark sessions include the Regular Session of 1971, which saw the passage of the Texas Equal Rights Amendment, and the Special Session of 2003, which involved a dramatic legislative standoff over congressional redistricting. Throughout the 20th century, the body was transformed by events like the Sharpstown scandal and the United States Supreme Court decisions in Baker v. Carr and Reynolds v. Sims, which mandated single-member districts.

Membership and elections

Members of the Texas Senate must be at least 26 years old, a qualified voter, and a resident of Texas for five years and of their district for one year preceding the election. Senators serve four-year staggered terms, with half the body facing election every two years. Elections are held in even-numbered years on the same date as the United States House of Representatives elections, using a First-past-the-post voting system. District boundaries are redrawn every decade following the United States Census by the Texas Legislature, a process often subject to litigation, such as the case of Perry v. Perez. Vacancies are filled by a special election called by the Governor of Texas. Notable past members include Barbara Jordan, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Sam Houston.

Powers and duties

The Texas Senate shares lawmaking powers with the Texas House of Representatives, including the authority to introduce and pass bills on any subject, except that revenue bills must originate in the lower house. It holds the exclusive power to try and convict impeached state officials, including the Governor of Texas, in proceedings presided over by the Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. The Senate must confirm gubernatorial appointments to major state agencies, such as the Texas Railroad Commission and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, with a two-thirds vote required. It also ratifies treaties between the state and Native American tribes and must approve any action by the Texas Public Safety Commission to deploy the Texas National Guard outside state borders.

Leadership and committees

The presiding officer is the Lieutenant Governor of Texas, elected statewide every four years, who has extensive powers including committee appointments, floor recognition, and referral of bills. The President pro tempore of the Texas Senate is elected by the members to preside in the lieutenant governor's absence. Other key leaders include the Majority Leader of the Texas Senate and the Minority Leader of the Texas Senate. The work is conducted through standing committees, such as the powerful Finance Committee and State Affairs Committee, and select special committees. The Legislative Budget Board and the Sunset Advisory Commission are joint entities with the Texas House of Representatives where senators play a key oversight role.

Current composition and session

Following the 2022 Texas Senate election, the Republican Party holds a 20-11 majority. The current session is the 88th Legislature, which convened on January 10, 2023. Key legislative priorities have included property tax relief, border security funding under Operation Lone Star, and reforms to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas following the 2021 Texas power crisis. The session's major legislation, such as the state budget, is crafted by senators like Joan Huffman and Brandon Creighton. The body adjourned its regular session on May 29, 2023, but the Governor of Texas may call subsequent Special Sessions, as occurred in 2023 to address issues like school vouchers and public safety.

Category:Texas Senate Category:State upper houses in the United States Category:Government of Texas