The Texas Senate ( es, Senado de Texas) is the
upper house
An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house.''Bicameralism'' (1997) by George Tsebelis The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smaller and often has more restric ...
of the
Texas State Legislature
The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a powerful ...
. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing single-member districts across the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, with populations of approximately 806,000 per constituency, based on the
2010 U.S. Census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...
. There are no
term limits, and each term is four years long. Elections are held in even-numbered years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. In elections in years ending in 2, all seats are up for election. Half of the senators will serve a two-year term, based on a drawing; the other half will fill regular four-year terms. In the case of the latter, they or their successors will be up for two-year terms in the next year that ends in 0. As such, in other elections, about half of the Texas Senate is on the ballot. The Senate meets at the
Texas State Capitol
The Texas State Capitol is the capitol and seat of government of the American state of Texas. Located in downtown Austin, Texas, the structure houses the offices and chambers of the Texas Legislature and of the Governor of Texas. Designed in 1881 ...
in
Austin. The
Republicans currently control the chamber, which is made up of 18 Republicans and 13 Democrats.
Leadership
The
Lieutenant Governor of Texas
The lieutenant governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the U.S. It is the second most powerful post in Texas government because its occupant controls the work of the Texas Senate and control ...
serves as the
President of the Senate. Unlike most lieutenant governors who are constitutionally designated as presiding officers of the upper house, the Lieutenant Governor regularly exercises this function. The Lieutenant Governor's duties include appointing chairs of committees, committee members, assigning and referring bills to specific committees, recognizing members during debate, and making procedural rulings. The Lieutenant Governor may also cast a vote should a Senate floor vote end in a tie. If the Senate votes to dissolve itself into the Committee of the Whole, in which all members are part of the Committee, the President Pro-Tempore presides over the proceedings, with the Lieutenant Governor acting as a regular voting member. Due to the various powers of committee selection and bill assignment, the Lieutenant Governor of Texas is considered one of the most powerful lieutenant governorships in the United States.
Unlike other
state legislatures, the Texas Senate does not include
majority or
minority leaders. Instead, the
President Pro Tempore is considered the second most powerful position, and can be reserved to any political party in the chamber regardless if the party is a majority or not. Presidents Pro Tempore are usually the most senior members of the Senate. The President Pro Tempore presides when the Lieutenant Governor is not present or when the legislature is not in regular session.
Leaders
History
Quorum-busting
There have been at least three cases of
quorum-busting in Texas Senate history. The first case was in 1870, with the
Rump Senate, followed by the 1979 Killer Bees and finally the "Texas Eleven" in August 2003 during the
controversial mid-decade redistricting plan at the time.
[Fikac, Peggy, August 21, 2003]
Senators' 1870 walkout also drew GOP's wrath Reconstruction-era tiff led to arrests and one expulsion
'' San Antonio Express-News''
Committee structure
The following represents the Senate committee structure for the 86th Legislature.
*Administration
*Agriculture
*Business & Commerce
*Criminal Justice
*Education
*Finance
*Health & Human Services
*Higher Education
*Intergovernmental Relations
*Natural Resources & Economic Development
*Nominations
*Property Tax
*State Affairs
*Transportation
*Veteran Affairs & Border Security
*Water & Rural Affairs
In addition, the House and Senate operate the permanent joint committee known as the
Legislative Budget Board (LBB).
Current composition
List of members
†Elected in a special election
Notable past members
*
Edward Clark,
Lieutenant Governor of Texas
The lieutenant governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the U.S. It is the second most powerful post in Texas government because its occupant controls the work of the Texas Senate and control ...
(1859–1861),
Governor of Texas (1861).
*
Wayne Connally
Wayne Wright Connally (March 19, 1923 – December 20, 2000) was an American politician. He served as a Democratic member for the 58th district of the Texas House of Representatives. He also served as a member for the 21st district of the Texa ...
, Senator from
Wilson County Wilson County is the name of four counties in the United States:
*Wilson County, Kansas
*Wilson County, North Carolina
*Wilson County, Tennessee
*Wilson County, Texas
Wilson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 202 ...
(1967–1973), brother of Governor John Connally.
*
Lloyd Doggett
Lloyd Alton Doggett II (born October 6, 1946) is an American attorney and politician who is a U.S. representative from Texas. A member of the Democratic Party, he has represented a district based in Austin since 1995, currently numbered as ...
,
Texas Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Texas (SCOTX) is the court of last resort for civil matters (including juvenile delinquency cases, which are categorized as civil under the Texas Family Code) in the U.S. state of Texas. A different court, the Texas Court of ...
Justice (1989–1994),
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
(1995–present).
*
Robert L. Duncan, State Senator from Lubbock, 1996–2014; Chancellor of the
Texas Tech University System
The Texas Tech University System is a state university system in Texas consisting of five universities in the state of Texas, of which three are general-academic universities, Texas Tech University, Angelo State University and Midwestern State U ...
since 2014
*
Chet Edwards,
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
(1991–2011).
*
James W. Flanagan,
U.S. Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
(1870–1875).
*
Glenn Hegar, current
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts is an executive branch position created by the Texas Constitution. The comptroller is popularly elected every four years, and is primarily tasked with collecting all state tax revenue and estimating the a ...
(2015–present).
*
John Ireland
John Benjamin Ireland (January 30, 1914 – March 21, 1992) was a Canadian actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in ''All the King's Men'' (1949), making him the first Vancouver-born actor to receive an Oscar nomin ...
,
Texas Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Texas (SCOTX) is the court of last resort for civil matters (including juvenile delinquency cases, which are categorized as civil under the Texas Family Code) in the U.S. state of Texas. A different court, the Texas Court of ...
Justice (1876),
Governor of Texas (1883–1887).
*
Eddie Bernice Johnson
Eddie Bernice Johnson (born December 3, 1935) is an American politician who represents Texas's in the United States House of Representatives. Johnson is a member of the Democratic Party.
Elected in 1992, Johnson was the first registered nurse ...
,
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
(1993–present).
*
Rienzi Melville Johnston,
U.S. Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
(1913).
*
Barbara Jordan
Barbara Charline Jordan (February 21, 1936 – January 17, 1996) was an American lawyer, educator, and politician. A Democrat, she was the first African American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction and the first Southern African-A ...
,
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
(1973–1979).
*
Earle Bradford Mayfield
Earle Bradford Mayfield (April 12, 1881June 23, 1964) was a Texas lawyer who, from 1907 to 1913, was a Texas State Senator. In 1922, he was elected to the U.S. Senate as a Democrat. He was the first U.S. Senator to be widely considered by the vo ...
,
U.S. Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
(1923–1929).
*
William Neff "Bill" Patman, Senator from
Jackson County (1961–1981),
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
(1981–1985).
*
Dan Patrick, current
Lieutenant Governor of Texas
The lieutenant governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the U.S. It is the second most powerful post in Texas government because its occupant controls the work of the Texas Senate and control ...
(2015–present).
*
Jerry E. Patterson, Commissioner of the
Texas General Land Office
The Texas General Land Office (GLO) is a state agency of the U.S. state of Texas, responsible for managing lands and mineral rights properties that are owned by the state. The GLO also manages and contributes to the state's Permanent School Fund ...
(2003–2015).
*
Lawrence Sullivan Ross
Lawrence Sullivan "Sul" Ross (September 27, 1838January 3, 1898) was the 19th governor of Texas, a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War, and the seventh president of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, now ...
,
Governor of Texas, (1887–1891).
*
Joseph D. Sayers,
Lieutenant Governor of Texas
The lieutenant governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the U.S. It is the second most powerful post in Texas government because its occupant controls the work of the Texas Senate and control ...
(1879–1881),
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
(1885–1899),
Governor of Texas (1899–1903).
*
Allan Shivers
Robert Allan Shivers (; October 5, 1907 – January 14, 1985) was an American politician who served as the 37th governor of Texas. Shivers was a leader of the Texas Democratic Party during the turbulent 1940s and 1950s and developed the lieutena ...
,
Lieutenant Governor of Texas
The lieutenant governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the U.S. It is the second most powerful post in Texas government because its occupant controls the work of the Texas Senate and control ...
(1946–1949),
Governor of Texas (1949–1957).
*
Preston Smith Preston Smith may refer to:
* Preston Smith (American football coach) (1871–1945), American football coach at Colgate University
* Preston Smith (linebacker) (born 1992), American football outside linebacker
* Preston Smith (governor) (1912–20 ...
,
Governor of Texas (1969–1973).
*
Frank Tejeda
Frank Mariano Tejeda (October 2, 1945 – January 30, 1997) was a decorated United States Marine and an American Democratic politician from Texas. He served in the Texas House of Representatives (1976–1987), the Texas Senate (1987–1993), and ...
,
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
(1993–1997).
*
James W. Throckmorton
James Webb Throckmorton (February 1, 1825April 21, 1894) was an American politician who served as the 12th governor of Texas from 1866 to 1867 during the early days of Reconstruction. He was a United States Congressman from Texas from 1875 to ...
,
Governor of Texas (1866–1867),
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
(1875–1879, 1883–1887).
*
Carlos Truan, Senator from
Corpus Christi (1977–2003); author of Texas Bilingual Education Act.
*
Jim Turner,
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
(1997–2005).
*
Matthias Ward
Matthias Ward (October 13, 1805 – October 5, 1861) was a lawyer and United States Senator from Texas.
Early life
Matthias Ward was born on October 13, 1805, in Elbert County, Georgia. Ward was raised in Madison County, Alabama. He attended an ...
,
U.S. Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
(1858–1859).
*
Ferdinand C. Weinert,
Texas House
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abou ...
and Texas Senate (1893–1935),
Texas Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of Texas is one of the six members of the executive department of the State of Texas in the United States. Under the Constitution of Texas, the appointment is made by the governor of Texas, with confirmation by the Texas ...
(1913).
*
Louis Wigfall
Louis Trezevant Wigfall (April 21, 1816 – February 18, 1874) was an American politician who served as a Confederate States Senator from Texas from 1862 to 1865. He was among a group of leading secessionists known as Fire-Eaters, advocati ...
,
U.S. Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
(1859–1861).
*
Charles Wilson,
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
(1973–1997).
Past composition of the Senate
The Senate was continuously held by Democrats from the end of the
Reconstruction era until the
Seventy-fifth Texas Legislature was seated in 1997, at which point Republicans took control. The Republican Party has maintained its control of the Senate since then.
See also
*
Texas Legislature
The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a powerful ar ...
*
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abo ...
*
List of Presidents pro tempore of the Texas Senate
President ''pro tempore'' (often shortened to ''pro tem'') of the Texas Senate is a largely honorary position, and is third in the line for the governorship of Texas. If the Governor of Texas, governor and Lieutenant Governor of Texas, lieutenant ...
*
Texas Government Newsletter Voting History of the Texas Legislature.
References
External links
Official Texas Senate website
{{Coord, 30.274537, -97.739906, format=dms, display=title
01
01
.
Government of Texas
State upper houses in the United States