WarmUp Tues 524 Take out a sheet of

Warm-Up Tues 5/24 • Take out a sheet of notebook paper • Title- Notes: Constitution and Legislative Branch • In your planner: – Unit 12 Vocab due TOMORROW – 7 Principles Web Organizer due Thursday – Pre. AP: Textbook turn-in TOMORROW – OL: Textbook turn-in THURSDAY

Notes: TX Constitution and Legislative Branch

The TX Constitution • Overall, there have been 7 TX constitutions. • The first, the Constitution of the State of Coahuila y Tejas, was written when TX was part of Mexico in 1827. • Our current state constitution written in 1876. • Democrats wrote it after Reconstruction ended. – The majority party in the South from 1860 s to 1980 s.

The Role of Constitutions • Each TX constitution specified parts of the govt. and duties of each, gave govt. bodies various powers, described the rights of citizens, provided a way to make changes through amendments, and reflected the time in which it was written. • Most TX constitutions are modeled after the U. S. Constitution and reflects the 7 principles of govt.

Differences in Constitutions • U. S. Constitution – Bill of Rights added as amendments – Bill of Rights = First 10 amendments – Constitution amended 27 times • Texas Constitution – Bill of Rights arranged in different order and has 31 rights – Constitution amended more than 470+ times

Amending the Texas Constitution • Requires 3 steps: – Member of legislature proposes an amendment – 2/3 of both houses of the legislature must vote in favor of a proposed amendment – Then, the amendment must win support from a majority of voters.

TX Legislative Branch • Essential Questions: – Compare the principles and concepts of the Texas Constitution and U. S. Constitution – Describe the structure and function of government at the state level

The Function of the Legislative Branch • Bicameral- A Senate and House of Representatives • Senate committees oversee education, criminal justice, health and human services • House committees oversee agriculture and livestock, economic development, environmental regulation, natural resources

Duties of the Legislature • Make laws! • Approve or reject governor’s appointments • Use the power of oversight to review actions of other government branches • Discuss how state money is spent • Listen to voters’ concerns about current issues

TX Senate • 31 members, 4 -year term & at least 26 years old • Ted Cruz and John Cornyn are our two U. S. Senators from Texas

TX House of Representatives • 150 members, 2 -year term & at least 21 years old • Ted Poe represents our area in the U. S. House

Running the State Legislature • The legislature meets in regular session every 2 years; but the governor may call a special session. • The Lieutenant Governor, Dan Patrick, is elected by voters of the state and serves as Senate president. • The Speaker of the House, Joe Straus, is elected by House members to lead the House.

Running the State Legislature (Continued) • The speaker and lieutenant governor appoint legislators to committees • Committees help the legislature carry out tasks, examine issues, and listen to citizens’ concerns • They’re also very powerful in that they can “kill” any proposed law they don’t agree with.

Famous Legislator: Bob Bullock • Democrat politician and former Lieutenant Governor of Texas (1991 -1999). • Known for trademark line “God bless Texas” • The Texas State History Museum is named in his honor.

Unique Power of the Legislature • The legislature has the sole power of impeachment (removing from office). • Only one governor, James “Pa” Ferguson (1915 -1917), has been impeached.

How a Bill Becomes a Law… 1) Proposed laws called bills are introduced in the House or Senate. 2) Then, after being sent to committee 3) Debated on 4) House members hold a vote for approval. 5) If approved, the bill is sent to the other house to repeat the process for approval. 6) If approved by both houses, the bill is sent to the governor for approval.

How A Bill Becomes A Law (Continued) If the bill is signed by the governor, the bill becomes Law • If the bill is not signed, it is vetoed and returned to the legislature for reconsideration. • Then, the legislature can override the veto with 2/3 vote of both the House and Senate to become Law.

Checks and Balances • Executive Power – Veto power • Legislative Power – Override a veto (2/3 vote) • Judicial Power – Declare a law unconstitutional

• Example • School Board (legislative) -Makes a new school rule RMS. • Mr. Bodron (executive) -Doesn’t agree with the rule and says no…vetoes rule. • School Board- They get a 2/3 vote and override the veto. • Dr. Sconzo (judicial) -Then takes the district handbook to see if the rule follows the handbook (constitutional or unconstitutional)