Ch10: The Legislative Process

How many days must pass at the beginning of a legislative session before the legislature may act on pending legislation?

60

What is the purpose of a conference committee?

A conference committee is formed to resolve the often significant differences in the two versions of a bill passed by the house and senate.

What is involved in a filibuster?

A filibuster involves trying to kill a bill by "talking it to death," using up so much time that the rest of the senate decides to move on to other business.

Under which of the following circumstances can a point of order be raised on an amendment?

A point of order can be raised on an amendment if it changes the bill's original purpose, however slightly. (see section 10.11 Floor Debate)

What is a point of order?

A point of order is an error in the format, content, or procedural path of a bill.

Which of the following is one of the most powerful substantive committees in the House of Representatives?

Appropriations Committee

What comprises the bulk of the lobby in Texas?

Business interests comprise the bulk of the lobby in Texas.

In which of the following windows does the Texas Constitution state that committees in each chamber shall hold hearings on bills, resolutions, and emergency matters?

Days 31-60

After all debate and amendments on the house floor, a bill must be read a third time. At this point, which of the following is true regarding amendments?

During the third reading a bill may be amended, but the amendment requires a two-thirds majority approval.

Fill in the blank. The ________ is a result of the rules of the legislative body designed to pace the lawmaking process and encourage orderly consideration of public policy.

Flow of legislation

According to lecture, the calendar and the clock are important components of the legislative process because they:

Impose deadlines and thresholds on the legislative body.

How many readings does the Constitution require that a bill go through on the floor of each house?

In what way does the Constitutional creation of the "citizen legislature" reinforce the role of lobbyists in the Texas legislative process? Choose the best answer.

In lecture it was noted that committee chairs often orchestrate compromise among stakeholders on a piece of legislation to increase its likelihood of success. Which of the following terms was used to explain this critical component of the legislative process?

Induced negotiations

Which of the following is a common way for interest groups to interact with other actors in the legislative process?

Interest groups interact with others in the legislative process by providing information and support to legislators and their staff.

What is likely to happen to a bill that is found to be in violation of the rules?

It goes to a committee to fix its mistakes and is then sent to the floor, where there may not be enough time to address it.

What does it mean when a committee "marks up" a bill?

It makes substantive changes and editorial corrections to the bill

According to lecture, there is a bias toward inaction in the Texas legislature, as is the case with most government institutions. Which of the following best describes what is a bias toward inaction?

Large-scale change is difficult to achieve due to the complexities related to government institutions and the lawmaking process.

Interest groups often organize legislative days. What are these days?

Legislative days are days when interest group leaders organize visits by members of their group to the capitol offices of their representatives.

What is meant when it is said that legislative staffers possess "institutional memory"?

Legislative staffers who possess "institutional memory" have knowledge about things that have happened in the past that is useful in navigating the process in the present.

What is the practice informally referred to as "voting the district"?

Legislators, knowing what issues matter to their constituents, cast votes in line with those preferences. The process of legislators casting their votes in line with their constituents' preferences is informally known as "voting the district."

What is the ultimate effect of having a "citizen legislature" with low salaries that require legislators to have other full-time occupations?

Lobbyists are typically better equipped than legislators to develop policy expertise and devote their full attention to legislative issues.

When does most of the political maneuvering around significant legislation generally occur?

Most of the dramatic political maneuvering around significant legislation occurs when bills are deliberated over by substantive committees.

Who can formally introduce a bill for consideration in the legislature?

Only members of the legislature may formally introduce a bill for consideration.

Which of the following is the point at which a piece of legislation is subject to the most debate and potential for amendments?

Second reading

Whose primary responsibility is it to schedule when bills or resolutions will be taken up for consideration by the members of the house?

The Calendars Committee's primary responsibility is to schedule when bills or resolutions will be taken up for consideration by the members of the house.

How does the capitol press corps impact the legislative session?

The capitol press corps shapes the legislative session by writing stories that may affect outcomes and alter the legislative process.

Of the 140-day legislative session, how many days are set aside for consideration of proposed legislation before any legislation can be acted on?

The constitution requires that 60 days pass before the Legislature may act on pending legislation

The calendar and the clock were designed to impose order on the legislative process. According to lecture, how well does this work in practice?

The end of session is marked by frenzied efforts to pass legislation.

Which of the following BEST describes the governor's line-item veto powers?

The governor's use of the line-item veto is limited to appropriations bills.

How does the house differ from the senate?

The house's members are elected from smaller and more diverse districts than those of the senate, which results in a chamber that is more unpredictable and in many ways more volatile.

What is the practical effect of the "constitutional order of business"?

The intention of the constitutional order of business is to make sure all pieces of legislation get carefully considered, but in practice, this causes a frantic scramble during the final few weeks of the session.

What is the person who introduces a bill for consideration known as?

The person who introduces a bill for consideration is known as the sponsor of the bill.

The process of making substantive changes and editorial corrections to a bill is called what?

The process of making substantive changes and editorial corrections to a bill is called bill markup.

What is an example of a serious consequence of the rivalry between the senate and the house?

The rivalry between the house and the senate has prevented them from passing important bills. During the 83rd Legislature, both chambers passed higher education funding bills but could not agree on a compromise bill.

The shortness of the legislative session has led to what practice?

The shortness of the legislative session has led to the practice of members of the legislature pre-filing bills before the legislative session even begins.

What is the size of each house of the Texas Legislature?

There are 150 members in the house, and 31 members in the senate.

Which of the following statements most accurately compares committees in the house to committees in the senate?

There is more variation in the power and influence of senior members within the house than within the senate.

What is the primary responsibility of the Calendars Committee?

To schedule when bills or resolutions will be taken up for consideration by the members of the House

The 63rd day of the legislative session marks which one of the following thresholds:

Voting on non-emergency items

What occurs when a committee pigeonholes a bill?

When a committee pigeonholes a bill, it moves that bill to the bottom of the committee's agenda, effectively killing it.

Which of the following sentences most accurately describes the authorship of legislation?

While only legislators may introduce bills in either of the chambers, lobbyists, interest groups, and other organizations may help with the inspiration and language of legislation.

What is the most pressing priority of the Texas Legislature?

Write and pass budget legislation to appropriate funds

What factors might leave legislators more open to the influence of other legislators, interest groups, and lobbyists?

a combination of an unengaged public and a vast array of subjects faced by legislators A combination of an unengaged public and a vast array of subjects faced by legislators means that there is often no "district vote" for legislators to consider. Under these circumstances, legislators are more likely to be unengaged and open to the influence of other members, interest groups, and lobbyists.

While interest groups often influence the drafting of new legislation, which of the following acts as a check on that influence?

the legislator who sponsors the bill

What is the purpose of the waiting period before the legislature can act on pending legislation?

to prevent bills from being pushed through the legislative process too quickly without adequate deliberation