Texas Senate

Texas Senate
=*Coat_of_arms_of_the_Republic_of_Texas.svg: Sodacan derivative work: Fry1989 · Public domain · source
Name	Texas Senate
Legislature	Texas Legislature
House type	Upper chamber
Members	31
Meeting place	Texas State Capitol, Austin, Texas
Leader1 type	Lieutenant Governor
Leader1	Dan Patrick
Leader2 type	President Pro Tempore
Website	Official website

Texas Senate The Texas Senate is the upper chamber of the Texas Legislature, meeting in the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas and operating within the constitutional framework established by the Constitution of Texas and influenced by the United States Constitution, the Reconstruction era settlements, and modern judicial decisions such as Reynolds v. Sims and Baker v. Carr. As a 31-member body, it interacts with the Texas House of Representatives, the Governor of Texas, and state agencies like the Texas Ethics Commission and the Texas Legislative Council while engaging with stakeholders including Texas Political Action Committee, Texas Municipal League, and national associations such as the National Conference of State Legislatures.

History

The chamber traces origins to the Republic of Texas legislature established after the Texas Revolution and the Treaty of Velasco, evolving through annexation to the United States in 1845, wartime changes during the American Civil War, Reconstruction policies under Andrew Johnson and Ulysses S. Grant, and 20th-century reforms inspired by figures like Governor James Stephen Hogg and jurists from the Texas Supreme Court. Twentieth-century events including the Civil Rights Movement, litigation such as White v. Regester, and redistricting disputes influenced composition, while modern developments were shaped by actors like Rick Perry, Ann Richards, and rulings from the United States Supreme Court.

Composition and Membership

The Senate consists of 31 senators elected from single-member districts apportioned under decennial census data and redistricting plans litigated in cases involving the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and plaintiffs including the League of United Latin American Citizens and organizations like the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Members affiliate with parties such as the Republican Party and the Democratic Party and have included notable legislators like Lyndon B. Johnson, John Connally, and contemporary figures including John Whitmire. Service is supported by staff from the Legislative Budget Board, legal counsel from the Texas Legislative Council, and research from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Powers and Responsibilities

The chamber shares lawmaking duties with the Texas House of Representatives, exercises advice and consent on gubernatorial appointments per the Constitution of Texas, tries impeachments following procedures similar to federal practice in United States Senate impeachment trials, and participates in budget formation through the Legislative Budget Board and appropriations bills influenced by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. It also conducts oversight of executive agencies such as the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Education Agency, confirms appointments to boards like the Texas Board of Nursing, and enacts statutes that interact with federal statutes including the Affordable Care Act and federal court decisions from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Legislative Process and Procedure

Sessions convene in regular biennial meetings called by the Governor of Texas and special sessions proclaimed by the governor under constitutional authority, with procedures governed by rules adopted by the chamber and informed by precedents from bodies like the United States Senate and the British House of Lords parliamentary traditions. Bills originate in either chamber but appropriation measures must begin in the Texas House of Representatives; passage requires majority votes with supermajority thresholds in some contexts influenced by Senate filibuster practices and cloture-like motions administered by the chamber leadership, including the Lieutenant Governor of Texas who presides and controls committee referrals. Legislative journals record actions and are archived by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission; floor debates have featured prominent episodes like the 2003 redistricting battles tied to Tom DeLay and national intervention by groups such as the Republican National Committee.

Committees

The Senate organizes standing and select committees—examples include Appropriations, Finance, Education, State Affairs, and Criminal Justice—mirroring structures in the United States Senate and other state senates, with chairs wielding influence over hearing schedules, witness lists, and markups. Joint committees with the Texas House of Representatives and entities like the Legislative Budget Board coordinate on fiscal analysis; staff resources come from the Texas Legislative Council and the Legislative Reference Library of Texas. Committee investigations have touched agencies such as the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and controversies involving entities like Enron in past eras of inquiry.

Elections and Terms

Senators are elected to four-year staggered terms with post-census redistricting often resetting terms so some serve two-year terms following the United States decennial census and redistricting acts promulgated by the Texas Legislature or adjudicated by federal courts, including litigation by plaintiffs like the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Campaigns involve finance filings regulated by the Texas Ethics Commission and contribution regulations influenced by the Federal Election Commission standards when federal actors are involved; high-profile campaigns have featured candidates such as Kay Bailey Hutchison and Wendy Davis.

Facilities and Administration

Meetings occur in the Texas State Capitol complex, with offices in the Capitol and surrounding Capitol Grounds and support from the Legislative Budget Board, sergeants-at-arms, and the Texas Facilities Commission which oversees maintenance. Administrative records, archives, and legislative history are preserved at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and the Legislative Reference Library of Texas; security and ceremonial functions coordinate with the Office of the Governor of Texas and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Category:Politics of Texas