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Texas House of Representatives
| Texas House of Representatives | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Type: | Lower house |
| Term limits: | None |
| 2012 session start: | No regular session in 2012 |
| Website: | Official House Page |
| Leadership | |
| House Speaker: | Joe Straus, (R) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 150 |
| Democratic Party (49) Republican Party (101) | |
| Length of term: | 2 years |
| Authority: | Art 3, Texas Constitution |
| Salary: | $7,200/year + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Last Election: | November 2, 2010 (150 seats) |
| Next election: | November 6, 2012 (150 seats) |
| Redistricting: | Texas Legislature has control |
Contents |
Sessions
Article III of the Texas Constitution establishes when the Texas State Legislature, of which the House of Representatives is a part, is to be in session. Section 5 of Article III states that the Legislature shall meet every two years at times to be established by law. Section 5 goes on to say that the Legislature can also be convened by the Governor of Texas.
2012
- See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions
In 2012, the House will not be in regular session.
2011 (82nd Legislature)
- See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions
In 2011, the House will be in session from January 11 through May 30. [4]
2010
- See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions
In 2010, the House did not meet in regular session. [5]
2009 (81st Legislature)
In 2009, the House met in session from January 13 through June 1. [6]
Elections
2012
Elections for the office of Texas House of Representatives will be held on November 6, 2012 in all 150 House districts. Elections for the office of Texas House of Representatives will consist of a Primary Election on March 6, 2012 and a General Election on November 6, 2012. Should a runoff occur, the Primary Runoff Election is scheduled for May 22, 2012. The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections is December 12, 2011.[7]
2010
Elections for the office of Texas House of Representatives were held on November 2, 2010 in all 150 House districts. The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was January 4, 2010, the primary election day was on March 2, and the primary runoff was held April 13.
In 2010, the candidates for state house raised a total of $78,482,292 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were: [8]
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Texans for Lawsuit Reform | $5,176,786 |
| Texans for Insurance Reform | $2,591,865 |
| Associated Republicans of Texas | $2,133,555 |
| House Democratic Campaign Cmte | $1,950,747 |
| Perry, Bob J | $1,733,500 |
| Taylor, Van | $950,000 |
| Joe R Straus III Campaign | $889,000 |
| Texas Association of Realtors | $814,570 |
| Annies List | $778,860 |
| Perry, Doylene | $567,500 |
Qualifications
To be eligible to serve in the Texas House of Representatives, a candidate must be:[9]
- A U.S. citizen
- 21 years old before the general election
- A two-year resident of Texas before the general election
- A district resident for 1 year prior to the general election
Vacancies
| How Vacancies are filled in State Legislatures |
 |
If there is a vacancy in the House, the Governor must call a special election to fill the vacant seat[10]. A Governor's proclamation to a special election must be delivered to local elections authorities representing the vacant seat no later than 36 days before the scheduled election[11].
The Secretary of State can declare a candidate duly elected in a special election if there is no opposition[12].
Representatives
Partisan composition
- See also: Partisan composition of state houses
| Party | As of May 2012 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 49 | |
| Republican Party | 101 | |
| Total | 150 | |
82nd Legislature
The following map displays party control of districts throughout the Texas House of Representatives after the 2010 general elections:
81st Legislature
The following map displays party control of districts throughout the Texas House of Representatives before the 2010 general elections:
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
As of 2011, members of the Texas Legislature are paid $7,200/year. Legislators receive $150/day per diem which is set by the Ethics Commission.[13]
The $7,200/year that Texas legislators are paid as of 2011 is the same as they were paid during legislative sessions in 2010 and 2007. Per diem has increased from $139/day in 2007 to $168/day in 2010 and decreased to $150/day in 2011.[14][15]
When sworn in
Texas legislators assume office at the beginning of the legislative session (January). Special elections will be different and subject to case-by-case basis.
Leadership
The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the body.[16]
Current leadership
| Position | Representative | Party |
|---|---|---|
| State Speaker of the House | Joe Straus |  Republican
|
| State House Speaker Pro Tempore | Beverly Woolley | Republican
|
2010 Leadership
| Position | Representative | Party |
|---|---|---|
| State Speaker of the House | Joe Straus | Republican
|
| State House Speaker Pro Tempore | Craig Eiland |  Democratic
|
List of Members
| State legislatures where heading into the November 2, 2010 elections the Republican Party is in the majority in both chambers |
 |
Amending the constitution
The Texas House of Representatives, together with the Texas State Senate, has the authority to propose amendments to the Texas Constitution. Proposed amendments must be approved in a joint resolution of both the Texas State Senate and the Texas House of Representatives. The joint resolution can originate in either the House or the Senate.
The resolution must be adopted by a vote of at least two-thirds of the membership of each house of the legislature. That amounts to a minimum of 100 votes in the House of Representatives and 21 votes in the Senate.
Amendments may be proposed in either regular or special sessions.
Standing committees
The Texas House has 36 standing committees. The House also has 5 subcommittees and 3 select committees. Below are the standing committees:
- Agriculture and Livestock Committee, Texas House
- Appropriations Committee, Texas House
- Border & Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, Texas House
- Business & Industry Committee, Texas House
- Calendars Committee, Texas House
- Corrections Committee, Texas House
- County Affairs Committee, Texas House
- Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, Texas House
- Culture, Recreation, & Tourism Committee, Texas House
- Defense & Veterans' Affairs Committee, Texas House
- Elections Committee, Texas House
- Economic & Small Business Development Committee, Texas House
- Energy Resources Committee, Texas House
- Environmental Regulation Committee, Texas House
- General Investigating & Ethics Committee, Texas House
- Government Efficiency & Reform Committee, Texas House
- Higher Education Committee, Texas House
- Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee, Texas House
- House Administration Committee, Texas House
- Human Services Committee, Texas House
- Insurance Committee, Texas House
- Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee, Texas House
- Land & Resource Management Committee, Texas House
- Licensing & Administrative Procedures Committee, Texas House
- Local & Consent Calendars Committee, Texas House
- Natural Resources Committee, Texas House
- Pensions, Investments & Financial Services Committee, Texas House
- Public Education Committee, Texas House
- Public Health Committee, Texas House
- Redistricting Committee, Texas House
- Rules & Resolutions Committee, Texas House
- State Affairs Committee, Texas House
- Technology Committee, Texas House of Representatives
- Transportation Committee, Texas House
- Urban Affairs Committee, Texas House
- Ways & Means Committee, Texas House
External links
- Official website of the Texas House of Representatives
- Official list of the current members of the Texas House of Representatives
- Project Vote Smart on the Texas House of Representatives
- Texas Watchdog
References
- ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
- ↑ "Texas House of Representatives" FAQ's, March 13, 2009
- ↑ 2011 Legislative Sessions Calendar, NCSL
- ↑ 2010 session dates for Texas legislature
- ↑ 2009 Legislative Sessions Calendar, NCSL
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2012 Election Dates", Accessed July 15, 2011
- ↑ Follow the Money: "Texas House 2010 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ Qualifications for running for Texas House of Representatives
- ↑ Texas Legislature "Texas Election Code"(Referenced Statute 3.003 (3))
- ↑ Texas Legislature "Texas Election Code"(Referenced Statute 3.003 (3)(b)-(c))
- ↑ Texas Legislature "Texas Election Code"(Referenced Statute 2.055 (3)(b)-(c))
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2011 Legislator Compensation Data"
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
- ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
- ↑ Texas Speaker of the House
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