Chapter 7 InQuizitive The Legislature

Committee chairs will pigeonhole a bill by never putting it on the committee agenda to be considered. @ True | |@ False Correct! Youeamed100points. * This is a potential step in the legislative E L process in which a bill is killed by the chair of the standing committee to which it was referred. Pigeonholing is often used to kill bills that are unpopular with the leadership of the legislature. Committee chairs will pigeonhole a bill by never putting it on the committee agenda to be considered. @ True | |@ False Correct! ~ Youeamed100points * This is a potential step in the legislative E L process in which a bill is killed by the chair of the standing committee to which it was referred. Pigeonhol s often used to kill bills that are unpopula the leadership of the legislature. Which of the following is the power of the executive to veto specific provisions of an appropriations bill passed by the legislature? veto pocket veto * post-adjournment veto ‘ @ line-item veto Using the line-item veto, the governoris el able to sign a bill and draw line through <l specific terms, thereby deleting them from the bill.

Place in order the following steps a bill must take before it becomes law. [ el | 1] I | Goodwork! Youearned back50 points. * This s the final step; the governor must sign a bill before it becomes law. If the bill is vetoed, it returns to the House and Senate where the veto can, with a two-thirds majority, be overridden. Study the following chart, and click on the year in which ideological polarization in the Texas House of Representatives was widest. FIGURE 7.2 Ideological Differences in the Texas House of Representatives More conservf [l § Nice job! You eamned 20 points. * The ideological divide was widerin 2018 than in any previous year, largely because Texas Republicans have become more conservative with Tea Party nce, and Texas DEOLOGY Democrats have become som: t more liberal. SCORE | If current trends persist, the partisan divide in the o Texas House of Representatives will only increase. Republicans While a veto threat is not a formal power of the governor, it is an important negotiating tool between the governor and the legislature for which reason? Correct! ~ Youeamed20, Overriding a veto risks a potentially costly political showdown with the governor. The fact that only two vetoes have been j ) overridden in the last seventy years @ Vetoes are notoriously difficult forthe | makes legislators more willing to legislature to overcome when in session and ‘ negotiate to include aspects that are important . . the governor in legislation. impossible to overcome when out of e gl ion. SE5l0 J

If a review of a legislator’s record shows that they sponsor over 400 bills during any given legislative session, it may be a sign that the legislator is engaged in what activity to help their chances for re-election? job! You earned 100 points. legislative oversight Legislators may add their names as u I sponsors to many different bills during a R:Vcfllaimin credi; - 7 legislative session in order to show their g constituents they were very busy during the session working for them. Why would a veto threat from the governor be a very effective tool in getting the Texas legislature to compromise on a bill with the executive branch? That’s it! You earned 100 points. * M [ (\ An actual veto from the governor is suff thasbeenmore than seventy years since H‘ nearly impossible to overcome by the the Texas legislature has overridden a govemorsvete, (legistature. Go - - pull The governor has very little real influence in the Texas governors are part of the Legislative legislative process, but the threat of a veto may Budget Board that controls the state’s cause legislators to compromise because of the A spending. inability of the legislature to override a veto during the legislative session. Select all of the following ways in which legislators can attempt to force negotiation on a bill by slowing down the legislative process. Correct Answer(s) chubbing filibuster objecting to a local and consent bill vetoing legislation amending legislation Incorrect Answer(s)

What best explains why the filibuster in the Texas Senate is such a useful tool? @® it forces people to listen to the arguments of people in opposition to the legislation. @ it creates greater pressure on the legislature to compromise because of time. The| 181 job! Youearnedback10 points. * With a very limited time to pass legislation, delay tactics like chubbing or h filibustering can be very effective tools to force compromise. Tools that can create delays give minority parties some influence to force compromise during the legislative process that they lack in committee representation and overall votes in the chambers. members of the Texas legislature meet in regular session for {140 calendar days| each odd-numbered year. In the 2021 legislative session, they successfully passed | less than 20 percent | of all proposed legislation. Why are members of the Texas legislature hesitant to exercise their power to remove a member of the legislature even if that member is overwhelmingly controversial or associated with scandal? Aunanimous decision is required to remove amember of the legislature. © Legislators do not want to be seen as overriding the will of the voters. Nice job! You earned 100 points. *+ Even though a member of the legislature E may be involved in scandals and controversies, both the Texas and U.S. constitutions all he voters to determine who holds office, making legislators unlikely to intervene.

cannot be overridden by the legislature fpost—adjoumment veto rejection of legislation that can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the legislature veto used on select portions of omnibus spending bills line-item veto White| Texans are overrepresented in both the Texas House and the Texas Senate. |Black| Texans are somewhat underrepresented in the Texas Senate but more proportionately represented in the Texas House. |Latino | Texans are deeply underrepresented in both the Texas House and the Texas Senate. In what way has Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick most significantly differed from his predecessors in the office of lieutenant governor? | diverse representation on committees Dan Patrick unseated the incumbent H Republican lieutenant governor by promising to stop appointing Democrats as committee chairs and to promote a much more aggressive conservative social agenda in the legislature. [C party polarization With the election of Dan Patrick s lisutenant governor, the number of Democratic state senators appointed to serve as committee chairs decreased from an average of about 35 percent to an average of 11 percent, a direct reflection of his more partisan focus.

Because saving time during the legislative session is critical, it is common practice to file what kind of bill, which allows for simultaneous consideration of legislation in both chambers of the legislature? Good work! You earned 100, * ‘ A companion bill, or a nearly identical bill, filed in the alternate chamber allows both chambers to consider legislation at the local bill same time instead of waiting for a bill to pass the other chamber before considering it. f C companion bill The 140-calendar-day limitation on the regular session of the legislature means that legislators need to work strategically to save as much time as possible in consideration and passage of legislation. Imagine that you are a member of the minority party in the state senate, with the opposition party controlling majorities in both chambers. You have limited abilities to stop legislation with which you disagree. As you approach the end of the legislative session, you hope to at least kill some of the worst bills. Which of the following strategies can you use to try to change or kill bills? Correct Answer(s) chubbing filibuster filing an ethics complaint redistricting Incorrect Answer(s) What is the first step a person can take if they want to begin to have an impact on what state legislators do? Nice job You earned 100 points. *+ (\ identify who represents them and what they believe Before anyone can have an impact on legislators, they need to know who their -& representative and senztor are and what they believe. vote in the next election Even in an age when so much information is readily available, many people do not know who represents them in the state legislature.