1. The 3 Branches of Government

2. Texas Executive 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

3. The Function of the Executive Branch
Enforce/Execute or carry out the laws and policies established by the legislature
Executive power is shared by those elected and those appointed by the governor

4. The Governor of TX 4-year term with no term limits 48 TX governors
Greg Abbott is the current governor
Rick Perry is the previous governor and longest serving governor in TX history
Miriam Ferguson (1924, 1932) and Ann Richards (1990) are the only women to serve as Texas governor

5. Executive Powers of the Governor
Makes appointments to boards and commissions.
Can remove officials that have engaged in misconduct from their positions
The Senate must approve the governor’s decision to remove anyone he or she has appointed to a board or commission

6. Legislative Powers of the Governor
Three of importance:
Address the legislature
Power of veto
The line-item veto
Allowed by the Texas Constitution
Gives governor power to reject particular items in appropriations bills (spending)
Calls special sessions

7. Other Powers of the Governor
Appoints members to Board of Pardons and Paroles, the Board of Criminal Justice, the Texas Youth Commission, and other law enforcement commissions
Can delay execution of prisoners
Can appoint judges to fill vacancies until regular elections are held
Represents Texas at meetings, celebrations, and ceremonies
Serves as commander in chief of Texas State Guard
Can declare martial law in case of a state emergency

8. The State Board of Education
The State Board of Education manages and invests in the $20 billion Permanent School Fund used to finance education in TX public schools.
Barbara Cargill is the current Chair of SBOE. She represents Houston and Southeast Texas.

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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 monies should be spent
Listen to voters’ concerns about current issues

12. 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

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

14. 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.

15. 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.

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

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

18. Checks and Balances Executive Power Legislative Power Judicial Power
Veto power
Legislative Power
Override a veto
Judicial Power
Declare a law unconstitutional

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

20. How A Bill Becomes A Law (Continued)
6) 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.

21. 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)

22. Texas Judicial Branch and Courts Systems

23. TX Judicial System *** Interprets the laws!!! Consists of : Courts
Judges
Law enforcement agencies
Serves the purposes of:
Supporting a system for the trial and punishment of criminals
Providing a system to arbitrate (resolve) legal disputes

24. Texas’s Judicial System
Determine if a law is constitutional or unconstitutional passed by Legislative branch and Executive branch of Texas government

25. Civil Law pertains to legal disputes between:
Texas Civil Law
Civil Law pertains to legal disputes between:
Private citizens
Businesses
Govts.
Most civil cases concern disputes about:
1) Money
2) Property
3) Insurance claims
4) Child custody and support

26. Criminal Law: describe what people can and cannot do.
It deals with crime and the legal punishment of criminal offenses.
There are 2 types of offenses:
A felony is a "very serious" crime. (murder, arson, etc…)
A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act.
(public intoxication, vandalism, trespassing)

27. Felony
Felons can receive punishments which range in severity from probation, imprisonment, and execution.
Loss of voting rights, exclusion from certain jobs
Restricted from:
Obtaining certain licenses
Purchase/possession of firearms
Running for public office

28. Misdemeanors Misdemeanors are less severe than felonies.
In general, misdemeanors are crimes with a maximum punishment of 12 months or less of incarceration, typically in a local jail.
Often punished with probation, community service or part-time imprisonment, served on the weekends.
Misdemeanors never result in the loss of civil rights, but may result in loss of privileges, such as professional licenses, public offices, or public employment

29. The Jury System
1. Grand Jury: Decides whether a trial is warranted (legally necessary)
Consists of 12 citizens called jurors
At least 9 out of 12 jurors must agree on whether decision of trial

30. Petit Jury: Decides on a verdict.
Verdict must be unanimous: guilty or not guilty.
Depending on case, either the judge or jury decides sentence.

31. Famous Texan Judges
In 1978 Raul A. González became the first Hispanic appointed or elected to statewide office in He later served as TX State Judge for the Court of Appeals and TX Supreme Court.

32. Famous Texan Judges
The current and 48th governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, is a former Attorney General of Texas. He was also a former justice on the Texas Supreme Court. He was appointed in 1995 by then-Governor George W. Bush.

33. The Texas 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 1860s to 1980s.

34. 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.

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