tx chap 2 Flashcards
(24 cards)
republic of texas constitution(1836-1845)
- est term limits on president
- included sep of church and state
- est unitary gov
- had homesteads, community property and common law
homesteads
owner occupied prop protected fr forced sales
community property
property fr marriage owned equal by both spouse
common law
law developed fr judicial rulings and customs over time
constitution of 1845
- restricted power of legislature; est biennial mettings
- limit state debt to 100,000
- est long ballot ( independent election of executive and judicial officers)
- require 2/3 texas house to approve incorporation of banks/corporations
constitution of 1861
- similar to 1845
- acknowledged texas as confederate state
constitution of 1866
- nullified secession
- abolished salvery
- renounced confederate war debts
- reconstruction act of 1867; voided bc no satisfy republicans
constitution of 1869
- centralized power in governor
- lengthened chief executive tern to 4 years and gave governor appointment powers
- provided annual legislative sessions
- accumulated massive gov debt
constitutional convention of 1875
- cut saleries for gov officials and strip most governor powers
- limit property tax
- limit legislative sessions
- strengthened local government
texas constitution today
- second longest
- has bill or rights like us con (stop discrimination based on sex, guarantee victim rights, no imprisonment for debt, no monopolies, no suspension of habeas corpus)
- has statutory law
legislative branch
- 31 senate (26+ age, citizen, texas resident for 5yrs)
- 150 house ( 21+, citizen, texas resident for 2 yrs)
- senetor 4 year term fr single member district
- house 2 year terms
- biennial regular sessions ( limit up to 140 days)
- special sessions called by governor no more 30 day
executive branch
- governor head ( 30+, citizen, texas resident 5yrs)
- no term limits
- plural executive: power divided among independent officers, 4yr term (governor, lieutenant gov, attorney gen, comptroller, commissioner of gen land office, 3 railroad commissioners(staggered 6 yr term))
indirect appointive powers
tx gov can appoint supervisory boards but not operation directors for state agencies
removal power
authority to fire appointed officals
directive power
power issue binding orders to state agencies
budgetary power
power recommend to leg budget for various executive agencies
line item veto
power strike out section bill without veto entire bill
judicial branch
fragmented court sysem- tx supreme court and texas court of criminal appeals
-county judges and justices of peace no need law degree
- partisan elections lead to long ballot
vote eligability
cant vote under 18, certain convicted felons, or legally declared mentally incompetent
- no allow initiative, referendum or recall of officials
initiatives
empower citizen to place proposal on ballot
referendums
election allow voter determine if ordinance or stature will go into effect
popular recall
special election remove official before end of term
local gov
sub to state
- decentralize gov power
- structure = general law charter and home rule charter
amendment procedures
2 steps
- proposal - need sup 2/3 total of each chamber(21 senator and 100 representatives)
- potential amendments added to ballot and voters vote
