1. Legislative Branch Legislative Branch Senate House of Representatives
1. List the two parts of the Texas legislature (answer is also in your textbook) a. b.
2. How many senators does Texas have in it’s state legislature? (and in text)
3. How many representatives does Texas have in it’s state legislature? (and in text)
4. The House and the Senate make the ___________ and approve the state ________________.
5. What is a quorum?
6. Who presides (is the President) over the Senate and makes Senate committee assignments?
Legislative Branch
Senate
House of Representatives
Legislative Branch 31
150
laws
budget
At least 2/3 of the members are present to conduct business in each house
Lieutenant Governor

2. Legislative Branch Legislative Branch
7. Members of the House of Representatives must meet the following qualifications:
citizens of U.S.,
qualified voters,
residents of their state for 2 years and residents of their districts for 1 year.
Minimum age: 21
They serve a 2 year term.
Members of the Senate must meet the following qualifications:
citizens of U.S.
residents of their state for 5 years and residents of their districts for 1 year.
Minimum age: 26
They serve a 4 year term.
9. As of 2014, senators and representatives are paid $7,200 annually.
Legislative Branch

3. Legislative Branch Legislative Branch
10. A special session of the legislature can last no longer than 30 days.
11. The legislature meets regularly in odd numbered years for sessions not to exceed 140 days.
12. The leader of the House of Representatives is called the Speaker and is elected by the members of the House.
Legislative Branch
Legislative Branch

4. Legislative Branch Legislative Branch Makes Laws
13. The main duty of the legislature is to make the laws that govern Texas.
14. These laws set taxes, create traffic regulations, and establish qualifications for teachers.
15. Only legislators can propose constitutional amendments.
16. The legislature also has the power to impeach, or bring charges against judges and executive officials.
17. What is a bill? a potential (proposed laws
18. A bill is first read before the entire House or Senate and then it is assigned to a committee.
19. If the committee rejects a bill, the bill dies.
Legislative Branch
Legislative Branch
Makes Laws

5. Legislative Branch Legislative Branch Makes Laws
20. If a committee approves a bill, it goes before the House or the Senate for debate and voting.
21. If a bill is approved by the House and the Senate, the bill is then sent to the governor.
22. The governor has three choices with a bill:
he/she can sign it, and it becomes law
he/she can ignore the bill, and an ignored bill automatically becomes law after 10 days
he/she can veto it.
23. If 2/3 of the members of each house vote to override a veto, the bill becomes law.
Legislative Branch
Legislative Branch
Makes Laws

6. Two duties of the Speaker of the House
Leader of the Texas House of Representatives
Signs all bills and joint resolutions passed by the legislature
Two duties of the Speaker of the House
Leader of the Texas Senate
Chairs the Legislative Budget Board
Serves as acting governor when the governor is out of Texas
Identify three duties of the Lieutenant Governor

7. Enforces/Carries out Laws
Executive Branch
Executive Branch
Enforces/Carries out Laws
1. The main duties of the chief executive (the governor) of Texas includes carrying out the carry out the laws of Texas and to manage the day-to-day business of the state.
2. List four requirements one must meet to run for the position of Governor in Texas?
a. Be at least 30 years old
b. U.S. citizen
c. Resident of Texas for 5 years
d. Qualified Voter
3. What is the yearly salary, as of 2010, of the Governor of Texas? $150,000
4. What has been the average age of Texas Governors at the time they were elected? 47
Legislative Branch
Makes Laws

8. Enforces/Carries out Laws
Executive Branch
5. Who has been the youngest Texas Governor and how old was he when elected? Dan Moody - 33
6. How many women have served as Governor in Texas? 2
7. Who was the first Governor to have been born in Texas? James Hogg
8. How much did it cost to build the Governor’s Mansion in 1856? $14,500
Executive Branch
Enforces/Carries out Laws
Legislative Branch
Makes Laws

9. Enforces/Carries out Laws
Executive Branch
9. Who is the head of the executive branch? Governor
Executive Branch
Enforces/Carries out Laws
Legislative Branch
Makes Laws

10. Executive Branch Attorney General Lieutenant Governor
10.
Executive Branch
Attorney General
Comptroller of Public Accounts
Commissioner of the General Land Office
Commissioner of Agriculture
Secretary of State
Lieutenant Governor
11. Which of the officials in the above graphic organizer is appointed by the governor? Secretary of State

11. Texas Governor Selection Term of Office
Elected in even-numbered years that do
not have presidential elections
Term of
Office
 4 year term
No term limit(s)
Qualifications
At least 30 years old
Citizen of the United States
Texas resident for at least 5 years before the election
Executive Powers
Oversees state agencies
Appoints and removes officials to state agencies (with Senate approval)
Proposes the state budget

12. Legislative Powers of Governor Judicial Powers of Governor
Can make recommendations for new laws
Delivers State of the State address at the beginning of each legislative session (outlines governor’s policy goals)
Can veto any opposed proposed new law
Can call the legislature into special session
Judicial Powers of
Governor
Can appoint judges when vacancies occur
Can pardon people convicted of crimes
Can grant 30-day reprieve to a person facing the
death penalty
Other Powers
&
Duties of the
Serves as commander in chief of the state’s military
(Texas Guard)
Can declare martial law, putting an area under
military control
Represents Texas at state functions and presents
awards
Can declare a site a disaster area after a flood,
hurricane, or tornado

13. Enforces/Carries out Laws
Executive Branch
Executive Branch
Enforces/Carries out Laws
Excluding the ability to veto, which of the governor’s powers do you believe is the most important and why?
Legislative Branch
Makes Laws

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Today
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Principles Worksheet
Legislative Branch Notes
History BEE Packet
Legislative Branch
Judicial Branch

15. Enforces/Carries out Laws
Judicial Branch
The main duty of the Texas Court System is to interpret the laws.
2. What are the two types of law in Texas?
a. civil
b. Criminal
3. Give the definitions (from your textbook p. 653) for the two types of Texas law.
Civil law pertains to legal disputes between individuals
Criminal law is the set that deals with people accused of committing crimes
4. List the two types of courts in Texas.
a. Trial
b. Appellate
Executive Branch
Enforces/Carries out Laws
Legislative Branch
Makes Laws
Judicial Branch
Interprets Laws

16. Enforces/Carries out Laws
Judicial Branch
5. What is the main duty of each of the two types of courts?
a. Trial – hears cases & reaches a decision
b. Appellate – decides if trials held were fair
6. The Supreme Court hears final appeals of civil cases and the Court of Criminal Appeals hears final appeals of criminal cases.
7. The Department of Criminal Justice runs the state prison system for adults.
8. The Texas Youth Commission runs detention facilities for juveniles.
Executive Branch
Enforces/Carries out Laws
Legislative Branch
Makes Laws
Judicial Branch
Interprets Laws

17. Structure of Texas Courts
Trial
Courts
Municipal Courts & Justice of the Peace Courts
Hears misdemeanor, or minor crime, cases
punishable by fines
List 2 examples of misdemeanors: littering and
speeding
County Courts
Hears more serious misdemeanor cases and civil cases involving amounts between $200 and $5,000
District Courts
Hears all civil cases involving sums greater than
$5,000, divorce cases, and some misdemeanor cases.
Hears all felony, or major crime, cases
List 2 examples of felonies: murder and robbery
Appellate
14 Courts of Appeals
Reviews cases from District and county courts
Supreme Court & Court of Criminal Appeals
Reviews hearings from the courts of appeals
Supreme Court only reviews civil cases
Court of Criminal Appeals reviews criminal
cases and all cases involving the death penalty

18. Enforces/Carries out Laws
Judicial Branch
9. Juries are groups of 6 or 12 citizens who hear trial cases and make decisions.
10. Texans must meet several requirements to serve on a jury:
You must be qualified to vote
You must be able to read and write English
You cannot have been convicted of a felony
Executive Branch
Enforces/Carries out Laws
Legislative Branch
Makes Laws
Judicial Branch
Interprets Laws

19. Enforces/Carries out Laws
Judicial Branch
Executive Branch
Enforces/Carries out Laws
1. Texas uses a biennial, or two-year, budget.
Legislative Branch
Makes Laws
Judicial Branch
Interprets Laws

20. List the major sources of state revenue in the graphic organizer.
State Budget
largest source of the state's income:
1. Federal grants
2. Sales tax
3. Fees for licenses and permits
4. Fines charged to people who break state laws

21. Enforces/Carries out Laws
Judicial Branch
Executive Branch
Enforces/Carries out Laws
2. What two areas receive the most funding from the state of Texas?
Health and Human Services, Education
Legislative Branch
Makes Laws
Judicial Branch
Interprets Laws

22. 3. Fill in the chart outlining how Texas public education is governed.
Texas Legislature passes laws governing public schools
Texas Board of Education sets education policy and reviews textbooks
Texas Education Agency puts education policy into effect
Independent school districts run schools locally
Boards of trustees or school boards govern the school districts
Superintendents run the day-to-day business of the school district
Texas Public Schools