Which of the following statements describes the regular sessions of the Texas Legislature?

Texas State Legislature
General information
Type:	State legislature
Term limits:	None
Session start:	No regular legislative session
Website:	Official Legislature Page
Leadership
Senate President:	Dan Patrick (R)
House Speaker:	Dade Phelan (R)
Structure
Members:	31 (Senate), 150 (House)
Length of term:	4 years (Senate), 2 years (House)
Authority:	Art 3, Texas Constitution
Salary:	$7,200/year + per diem
Elections
Last election:	November 3, 2020
Next election:	November 8, 2022
Redistricting:	Texas Legislature has control

The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of Texas. The legislature meets at the Texas State Capitol in Austin. In Texas, the legislature is considered "the dominant branch of state government," according to the Texas State Historical Association.[1]

It is composed of the upper chamber, the Texas State Senate, and the lower chamber, the Texas House of Representatives.

Texas entered the Union in 1845. The first legislature met from February 16 to May 13, 1846.

Texas has a Republican trifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.

Texas enacted new state legislative districts on October 25, 2021. The Senate Redistricting Committee released a draft of a Senate legislative map on September 18, 2021, and a Senate panel advanced the proposal to the full Senate for debate on September 28, 2021. The Senate approved the plans in a 20-11 vote on October 4, 2021.[2] The House approved an amended version of a proposed House district map in an 83-63 vote split along party lines on October 13, 2021.[3] After both sets of legislative district maps passed their respective chambers, the House and Senate both approved maps for the other chamber's districts on October 15, 2021. The House approved the Senate map by an 81-60 vote, and the Senate approved the House map by an 18-13 vote.[4] Gov. Abbott signed both maps into law on October 25, 2021.[5]These maps take effect for Texas' 2022 legislative elections. Click here for more information.

Elections

2022

Elections for the Texas State Senate will take place in 2022. The general election is on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for March 1, 2022, and a primary runoff was scheduled for May 24, 2022. The filing deadline was December 13, 2021.

Elections for the Texas House of Representatives will take place in 2022. The general election is on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for March 1, 2022, and a primary runoff was scheduled for May 24, 2022. The filing deadline was December 13, 2021.

2020

Elections for the office of Texas State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for March 3, 2020, and a primary runoff was scheduled for July 14, 2020. The filing deadline was December 9, 2019.

Elections for the office of Texas House of Representatives took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for March 3, 2020, and a primary runoff was scheduled for July 14, 2020. The filing deadline was December 9, 2019.

2018

Elections for the Texas State Senate took place in 2018. An open primary election took place on March 6, 2018.[6] A primary runoff election took place on May 22, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was December 11, 2017.[7]

Elections for the Texas House of Representatives took place in 2018. An open primary election took place on March 6, 2018.[8] A primary runoff election took place on May 22, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was December 11, 2017.[9]

2016

Elections for the Texas State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 1, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was December 14, 2015.[10]

Elections for the Texas House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 1, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was December 14, 2015.[11]

2014

Elections for 15 of the 31 seats in the Texas State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on March 4, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was December 9, 2013.

Elections for all 150 seats in the Texas House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on March 4, 2014. Those candidates who did not receive 50 percent or more of the vote in their party primary on March 4 faced an additional May 27 primary runoff. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was December 9, 2013.

2012

Elections for the office of Texas State Senate took place in 2012. The primary election was held on May 29, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was March 9, 2012.

Elections for the office of Texas House of Representatives took place in 2012. The primary election was held on May 29, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was March 9, 2012.

2010

Elections for the office of Texas State Senate took place in 2010. The primary election was held on March 2, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was January 4, 2010.

Elections for the office of Texas House of Representatives took place in 2010. The primary election was held on March 2, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was January 4, 2010.

Sessions

Article III of the Texas Constitution establishes when the Legislature 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. Current law establishes the start of session to be noon on the second Tuesday in January of all odd numbered years.[12] Section 5 goes on to say that the Legislature can also be convened by the Governor of Texas. Sessions are limited to 140 days.

2022

In 2022, the legislature will not hold a regular session.

2021

In 2021, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 12, 2021, and adjourn on May 31, 2021.

2020

In 2020, the legislature did not hold a regular session.

2019

In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 8, 2019, through May 27, 2019.

2018

In 2018, the legislature did not hold a regular session.

Role in state budget

The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[42]

1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies beginning in June.
2. Agencies submit their budget requests to the governor between July and September.
3. Agency hearings are held between July and October.
4. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature by the date of the State of the State address.
5. The legislature typically adopts a budget in May. A simple majority is required to pass a budget. The fiscal year begins in September.

Texas is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[42]

The legislature is constitutionally required to adopt a balanced budget. The governor must sign a balanced budget into law.[42]

Qualification for service

The Texas Constitution sets the qualifications for election to each house as follows:

• A senator must be at least 26 years of age, a citizen of Texas five years prior to election and a resident of the district from which elected one year prior to election. Each senator serves a four-year term and one-half of the Senate membership is elected every two years in even-numbered years, with the exception that all 31 Senate seats are up for election for the first legislature following the decennial census in order to reflect the newly redrawn districts. After the initial election, the Senate is divided by lot into two classes, with one class having a re-election after two years and the other having a re-election after four years.

• A representative must be at least 21 years of age, a citizen of Texas for two years prior to election and a resident of the district from which elected one year prior to election. They are elected for two-year terms, running for re-election in even-numbered years.[43]

Neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate has term limits.

Texas State Senate

The current make-up of the Texas Legislature is as follows: There are 31 Senators in the Texas State Senate.

As of the 2020 Census, Texas state senators represented an average of 940,177 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 811,147 residents.

Click here for a list of members of this chamber.

Between 1992 and 2020, partisan control of the Texas State Senate shifted in favor of the Republican Party. As a result of the 1992 elections, Democrats held an 18-13 majority. Republicans flipped the chamber in 1996 and, by 2020, expanded their majority to 18-13. The table below shows the partisan history of the Texas State Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2020. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

Texas State Senate election results: 1992-2020

The movement from an 18-13 Democratic majority in 1992 to a 18-13 Republican majority in 2020 was gradual. Half of the elections between 1992 and 2018 saw no change to the partisan balance of the state Senate. In years where there was a shift in balance, those shifts were minimal. Republicans made their largest gains—three seats—in the 2002 elections. The only years Democrats made gains were 2008, 2018, and 2020 picking up one seat in each year.

Texas House of Representatives

There are 150 representatives in the Texas House of Representatives.

As of the 2020 Census, Texas state representatives represented an average of 194,303 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 167,637 residents.

Click here for a list of members of this chamber.

Between 1992 and 2020, partisan control of the Texas House of Representatives shifted in favor of the Republican Party. As a result of the 1992 elections, Democrats held a 91-58 majority. Republicans flipped the chamber in 2002 and, by 2020, expanded their majority to 83-67. The table below shows the partisan history of the Texas House of Representatives following every general election from 1992 to 2020. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

Texas House of Representatives election results: 1992-2020

Republicans gained control of the state House in 2002 after gaining 16 seats. The partisan balance of the chamber moved 14 seats in favor of Republicans in the four elections leading up to the 2002 elections. Between 2002 and 2008, Democrats were able to take back 12 seats. After 2008, the chamber was nearly split at a 76-74 Republican majority. Republicans' largest gains would occur as a result of the 2010 elections, when they picked up 23 seats. Democrats gained 16 seats between 2010 and 2020.

District maps

State Senate

The map below shows this district's current boundaries, not those enacted as part of the 2020 redistricting cycle. To compare this map to the map in use for the 2022 elections, click here.

State House

The map below shows this district's current boundaries, not those enacted as part of the 2020 redistricting cycle. To compare this map to the map in use for the 2022 elections, click here.

Veto overrides

State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Texas are listed below.

How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members present in both chambers.

Two-thirds of members present in both chambers must vote to override a veto. If all members are in attendance, this is 100 of the 150 members in the Texas House of Representatives and 21 of the 31 members in the Texas State Senate. Texas is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

Authority: Article 4, Section 14 of the Texas Constitution.

"Every bill which shall have passed both houses of the Legislature shall be presented to the Governor for his approval. If he approve he shall sign it; but if he disapprove it, he shall return it, with his objections, to the House in which it originated, which House shall enter the objections at large upon its journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such reconsideration, two-thirds of the members present agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, with the objections, to the other House, by which likewise it shall be reconsidered; and, if approved by two-thirds of the members of that House, it shall become a law; but in such cases the votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and nays, and the names of the members voting for and against the bill shall be entered on the journal of each House respectively."

Redistricting

In Texas, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the Texas State Legislature. These lines are subject to veto by the governor.[44]

If the state legislature is unable to approve a state legislative redistricting plan, a backup commission must draw the lines (the backup commission is not involved in congressional redistricting). This backup commission, established in 1948, comprises the following members:[44]

1. Lieutenant governor
2. Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
3. Attorney general
4. State comptroller
5. Commissioner of the General Land Office

The Texas Constitution requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and "that they preserve whole counties when population mandates permit."[44]

2020

Texas enacted new state legislative districts on October 25, 2021. The Senate Redistricting Committee released a draft of a Senate legislative map on September 18, 2021, and a Senate panel advanced the proposal to the full Senate for debate on September 28, 2021. The Senate approved the plans in a 20-11 vote on October 4, 2021.[45] The House approved an amended version of a proposed House district map in an 83-63 vote split along party lines on October 13, 2021.[46] After both sets of legislative district maps passed their respective chambers, the House and Senate both approved maps for the other chamber's districts on October 15, 2021. The House approved the Senate map by an 81-60 vote, and the Senate approved the House map by an 18-13 vote.[47] Gov. Abbott signed both maps into law on October 25, 2021.[48]These maps take effect for Texas' 2022 legislative elections.

2010

Texas received its local census data on February 17, 2011. The state grew 20.6%, with Hispanics making up at least 2/3 of that growth. As far as the large cities, Houston grew by 7.5 percent, San Antonio grew by 16.0 percent, Dallas grew by 0.8 percent, Austin grew by 20.4 percent, and Fort Worth grew by 38.6 percent. However, Harris County -- of which Houston is the seat -- grew by 20%, suggesting suburban growth.[49]

In 2012, Texas held elections under interim maps drawn by a federal court after the Legislature's passed maps were thrown out by a panel of three federal judges on Voting Rights Act grounds. The panel drew up its own maps, but the federal court struck down those as well, substituting its own so that the elections could proceed.

Legislators

Salaries

Pension

When calculating a legislators pension, their normal salary is artificially inflated to $125,000. This goes back to 1981, when lawmakers linked their salaries to those of state judges. Since then, they raised judges' salaries while removing the caps on their own pensions, pushing the maximum benefit up to 100% of a judge's salary.

In 2011, this resulted in an average state employee pension of $17,526 annually. The maximum pension a legislator can earn is $125,000, of which Rep. Tom Craddick (R) will be the first to qualify for when he retires. [50]

When sworn in

Texas legislators assume office at the beginning of the legislative session, which starts at noon on the second Tuesday in January in the year after the election.[51]

Amending the constitution

The Texas legislature 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.

Joint Committees

In the Texas state government, Joint Committees are comprised of members of both the Texas State Senate and the Texas House of Representatives, and sometimes civilian members of executive agencies, commissions, and councils. Joint committees are created by the Lieutenant Governor Speaker of the House through special proclamation. Under normal circumstances, joint committees in Texas are created to operate in the interim of legislative sessions, and rarely during a session. All joint committees in Texas are classified as select committees, and do not carry over between legislative sessions.[52]

2011-2012

The Texas Legislature had one joint committee:

• Joint Committee on Oversight of HHS Eligibility System, Texas State Legislature

2009-2010

• Aging Committee, Texas Legislature
• Criminal Commitments of Indiv. w/ Mental Retardation Committee, Texas Legislature (Select)
• Dyslexia & Related Disorders Committee, Texas Legislature (Select)
• Environmental Flows Committee, Texas Legislature
• Oversight of Bexar Metropolitan Water District Committee, Texas Legislature
• Oversight of Criminal Justice Committee, Texas Legislature
• Oversight of Edwards Aquifer Committee, Texas Legislature
• Oversight of HHS Eligibility System Committee, Texas Legislature
• Oversight of Windstorm Insurance Committee, Texas Legislature
• School Finance Weights, Allotments & Adjustments Committee, Texas Legislature (Select)

History

Partisan balance 1992-2013

Partisan breakdown of the Texas legislature from 1992-2013

Texas Senate: From 1992-2013, the Democratic Party was the majority in the Texas State Senate for five years while the Republicans were the majority for 17 years. Texas was under Republican trifectas for the final 11 years of the study.

Across the country, there were 541 Democratic and 517 Republican state senates from 1992 to 2013.

Texas House: From 1992-2013, the Democratic Party was the majority in the Texas State House of Representatives for the first 11 years while the Republicans were the majority for the last 11 years. Texas was under Republican trifectas for the final 11 years of the study.

Across the country, there were 577 Democratic and 483 Republican State Houses of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.

Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.

The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Texas, the Texas State Senate and the Texas House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.

SQLI and partisanship

Texas was one of eight states to demonstrate a dramatic partisan shift in the 22 years studied. A dramatic shift was defined by a movement of 40 percent or more toward one party over the course of the study period. Texas started out with Democratic trifectas but shifted to Republican trifectas by the end of the study.

The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Texas state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. Prior to Republican trifectas, which started in 2003, the SQLI rating for Texas stayed consistently in the 30s, except for its lowest ranking of 40 in 1994 during a Democratic trifecta. Within a few years of the Republican trifectas that ranking moved up, and Texas finished 11th, its highest ranking, in 2012.

• SQLI average with Democratic trifecta: 36.67
• SQLI average with Republican trifecta: 18.00
• SQLI average with divided government: 33.63

Chart displaying the partisanship of Texas government from 1992-2013 and the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI).

Constitutional amendments

In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

The methods in which the Texas Constitution can be amended:

Texas Constitution
Preamble
Articles
1 • 2 3 (1-43) • 3 (44-49) • 3 (50-67) 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17

• As laid out in Article 17, in order for a proposed constitutional amendment to go before the people, the Texas State Legislature must propose the amendment in a joint resolution of both the Texas State Senate and the Texas House of Representatives.

• The joint resolution can originate in either branch of the legislature. 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.
• Joint resolutions endorsing a proposed amendment must include the text of the proposed constitutional amendment and specify an election date. These joint resolutions may include more than one proposed amendment.
• If more than one proposition is under consideration on a ballot, the Texas Secretary of State conducts a random drawing to assign each proposition a ballot number.
• If voters reject an amendment, the legislature can resubmit it. For example, after Proposition 2 was rejected in August 1991, the legislature re-adopted it and re-submitted it for that year's November ballot, where it was approved as Texas Proposition 13 (1991).
• The ballot wording of a proposition is specified in the joint resolution adopted by the Legislature, which has broad discretion in this matter. Texas courts have heard challenges to proposed ballot wording but have generally ruled that "ballot language is sufficient if it describes the proposed amendment with such definiteness and certainty that voters will not be misled."[53]
• The Legislature may call an election for voter consideration of proposed constitutional amendments on any date, as long as election authorities have sufficient time to provide notice to the voters and print the ballots.
• A brief explanatory statement of the nature of each proposed amendment, along with the ballot wording for each amendment, must be published twice in each newspaper in the state that prints official notices. The first notice must be published 50 to 60 days before the election. The second notice must be published on the same day of the subsequent week. The secretary of state must send a complete copy of each amendment to each county clerk, who must post it in the courthouse at least 30 days prior to the election.
• The secretary of state drafts the ballot explanation. This must be approved by the Attorney General of Texas.
• Constitutional amendments take effect when the official vote canvass confirms statewide majority approval, unless a later date is specified. Statewide election results are tabulated by the secretary of state and must be canvassed by the governor 15 to 30 days following the election.

2023 measures:

Certified:

No measures to list

2022 measures:

Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2022 ballot by the legislature.

Certified:

See also

Elections	Texas State Government	State Legislatures	State Politics
Texas House of Representatives elections, 2022 Texas House of Representatives elections, 2020 Texas House of Representatives elections, 2018	Texas State Legislature Texas State Senate Governor of Texas Texas Supreme Court	State legislative elections, 2022 State legislative elections, 2021 State legislative elections, 2020 State legislative elections, 2019 State legislative elections, 2018	State government trifectas State government triplexes State executives State courts Ballot measures

External links

• Texas Legislature Online
• Texas House of Representatives
• Texas State Senate
• Reference Library of Texas
• Project Vote Smart - State Senate of Texas
• Texas Politics - The Legislative Branch
• "Citizen Handbook."The Senate of Texas. Retrieved 13 April 2005.
• Stanley K. Young, Texas Legislative Handbook (1973).
• University of Texas, The Legislative Branch in Texas Politics, [1] (last accessed Oct. 8, 2006) (stating that "The Texas Legislature is the most powerful of the three main branches of government[,]" primarily because it is "less weak than the other branches").
• Wikipedia: Texas Legislature
• Billhop - Texas Legislative Wiki

Footnotes

1. ↑ TSHA, "Texas Legislature," accessed October 12, 2018
2. ↑ Texas Tribune, "Senate approves map cementing GOP dominance in upper chamber, dividing up Tarrant county’s voters of color," October 4, 2021
3. ↑ Texas Legislature Online, "HB 1," accessed October 15, 2021
4. ↑ Texas Tribune, "Lawmakers send to Gov. Greg Abbott new political maps that would further solidify the GOP’s grip on the Texas Legislature," October 15, 2021
5. ↑ Texas Tribune, "Gov. Greg Abbott signs off on Texas’ new political maps, which protect GOP majorities while diluting voices of voters of color," October 25, 2021
6. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Systems," accessed May 29, 2017
7. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2018 Election Dates," accessed September 11, 2017
8. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Systems," accessed May 29, 2017
9. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2018 Election Dates," accessed September 11, 2017
10. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2016 Election Dates," accessed December 14, 2015
11. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2016 Election Dates," accessed December 14, 2015
12. ↑ Texas State Legislature, "Texas Govt. Code 3.A.301.A001," accessed February 17, 2021
13. ↑ texas.gov, "Proclamation by the Governor of the State of Texas," July 10, 2017
14. ↑ texas.gov, "Supplemental Call," July 10, 2017
15. ↑ Texas Tribune, "Texas Senate moves to fast-track special session agenda," July 18, 2017
16. ↑ Texas Tribune, "Senate gives OK to must-pass "sunset" legislation in midnight vote," July 19, 2017
17. ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Texas House approves sending first two special session bills to governor," August 10, 2017
18. ↑ Texas Tribune, "Tears and shouting on Texas House floor as Freedom Caucus delays bills to death," May 11, 2017
19. ↑ Texas Freedom Caucus, "Abbott Must Call a Special Session," May 31, 2017
20. ↑ Aman Batheja, Texas Tribune, "Transportation Funding Likely to Be Big Issue in 2015" accessed January 29, 2015
21. ↑ kten.com, "Texas Lawmakers To Tackle Redistricting In Special Session," May 29, 2013
22. ↑ Star-Telegram, "As lawmakers return to Austin this week, a heap of work awaits," January 6, 2013
23. ↑ American Spectator, "Transparency for Thee," October 25, 2013
24. ↑ Daily Texas Online, "Facing impeachment, Regent Wallace Hall defends actions in debate with Sen. Kirk Watson," September 28, 2013
25. ↑ Daily Texas Online, "Former UT System vice chancellor alleges Regent Wallace Hall’s ‘clear intent to get rid of Bill Powers’," October 24, 2013
26. ↑ Dallas Morning News, "UT regent sought 800,000 documents, official says in impeachment hearing," October 22, 2013
27. ↑ Watchdog, "‘Witch hunt’ fallout: Speaker calls for narrower public records law," February 5, 2014
28. ↑ Texas Tribune, "UT System Responds to Transparency Committee Directives," February 3, 2014
29. ↑ Texas Tribune, "Cigarroa letter to the Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations," February 1, 2014
30. ↑ Texas Tribune, "UT Regent Wallace Hall Updates Lawsuit Disclosures," April 30, 2013
31. ↑ Real Clear Policy, "The Campaign Against Wallace Hall," August 15, 2013
32. ↑ Watchdog.org, "Case against UT regent Wallace Hall is a sham — here’s proof," September 6, 2013
33. ↑ News-Journal, "University of Texas regent not worried by impeachment inquiry," September 9, 2013
34. ↑ Texas Tribune, "Transparency Committee to Mull Impeachment of UT Regent," June 25, 2013
35. ↑ Texas Tribune, "Perry Blasts Impeachment Probe of Wallace Hall," October 30, 2013
36. ↑ Texas Public Radio, "UT Regent Wallace Hall Will Testify In Impeachment Hearing," November 13, 2013
37. ↑ Texas State House Committees, "Transparency in State Agency Operations Committee Members," accessed October 31, 2013
38. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2011 Legislative Sessions Calendar," accessed June 6, 2014(Archived)
39. ↑ The Texas Tribune, "The Official Agenda for a New Session," May 30, 2011
40. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 session dates for Texas legislature," December 8, 2010
41. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2009 Legislative Sessions Calendar," March 11, 2010
42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2015," accessed February 16, 2021
43. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Qualifications for All Public Offices," accessed February 16, 2021
44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 44.2 All About Redistricting, "Texas," accessed May 7, 2015
45. ↑ Texas Tribune, "Senate approves map cementing GOP dominance in upper chamber, dividing up Tarrant county’s voters of color," October 4, 2021
46. ↑ Texas Legislature Online, "HB 1," accessed October 15, 2021
47. ↑ Texas Tribune, "Lawmakers send to Gov. Greg Abbott new political maps that would further solidify the GOP’s grip on the Texas Legislature," October 15, 2021
48. ↑ Texas Tribune, "Gov. Greg Abbott signs off on Texas’ new political maps, which protect GOP majorities while diluting voices of voters of color," October 25, 2021
49. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "U.S. Census Bureau Delivers Texas' 2010 Census Population Totals, Including First Look at Race and Hispanic Origin Data for Legislative Redistricting," February 17, 2011
50. ↑ USA Today, "State lawmakers pump up pensions in ways you can't," September 23, 2011
51. ↑ Texas Government Code, "Title 3., Subtitle A., Sec. 301.001," accessed November 23, 2016
52. ↑ This information about joint legislative committees in Texas is from an email dated March 21, 2011, from the Applications Administrator of the Texas Legislature's website to Jimmy Ardis, a staff writer for Ballotpedia.
53. ↑ Texas Legislative Library, "Description of amendment procedure, p. 3," accessed July 13, 2015

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What is a regular session of the Texas Legislature?

How often the Texas Legislature meets for its regular sessions?

What is true of a special session of the Texas Legislature?

When can special sessions of the legislature be called in Texas?