• Cartoon: "TASP Picante Sauce" by Jason Knittle (149)
  
  
• A Preliminary View (150)
  
  
• Legislative Framework (151)
  • Composition (151)
  • Election and Terms of Office (151)
  • Sessions (151)
    • Photo: Visitors watch Senate proceedings from the gallery (152)
  • Districting (152)
    • Photo: Visitors have a gallery view of House proceedings (153)
  
  
• Compensation (154)
  • Pay and Per Diem Allowance (155)
  • Contingency Expense Allowances (155)
  • Retirement Pension (156)
  
  
• Membership (156)
  • Qualifications of Members (156)
  • Characteristics of Members (156)
    • Table 6.1 Constitutional Qualifications for Membership in the Texas Legislature (157)
    • Gender classification (157)
    • Racial/ethnic classification (157)
    • Political party affiliation (157)
    • Age (158)
    • Occupation (158)
    • Education 158)
    • Religious affiliation (159)
    • Legislative experience (159)
  
  
• Powers and Immunities (159)
  • Legislative Powers (160)
    • Simple resolution (160)
    • Concurrent resolution (160)
    • Joint resolution (160)
    • Bill (160)
  • Other Powers (161)
    • Constitutional amendment power (161)
    • Control over administration (161)
    • Investigative power (162)
    • Impeachment power (162)
  • Immunities (162)
  
  
• Presiding Officers (163)
  • President of the Senate: The Lieutenant Governor (163)
  • Speaker of the House (164)
  
  
• Committee System (165)
  • Table 6.2 Committees and Numbers of Members, 75^th Legislature: 1997-1999 (166)
  • House Committees (167)
  • Senate Committees (167)
  
  
• Legislative Caucus System (168)
  • Party Caucuses (168)
  • Racial/Ethnic Caucuses (168)
  • Ideological Caucuses (169)
  
  
• Procedure (169)
  • Rules (169)
  • A Bill Becomes a Law (170)
    1. Introduction in the House (171)
    2. First reading (House) and referral to committee (171)
    3. House committee consideration and report (171)
       • Figure 6.1 Route Followed by a House Bill from Texas Legislature to Governor (172)
    4. Second reading (House) (173)
    5. Third reading (House) (173)
    6. First reading (Senate) (173)
    7. Senate committee consideration and report (173)
    8. Second reading (Senate) (174)
    9. Third reading (Senate) (174)
    10. Return to the House (174)
    11. Conference committee (174)
    12. Conference committee report (174)
    13. Enrollment (175)
    14. Signatures of the chief clerk and the speaker (175)
    15. Signatures of the secretary of the Senate and the lieutenant governor (175)
    16. Action by the governor (175)

• Influences Within the Legislative Environment (175)
  • Governor (176)
  • Judges, Attorney General, and Comptroller of Public Accounts (176)
  • Lobbyists (177)
  • Legislative Research Organizations (177)
    • Legislative Council (177)
    • House Research Organization (178)
    • Senate Research Center (178)
  • Media (178)
  
  
• Slow Progress Toward Legislative Reform (179)
  
  
• Looking Ahead (180)
  
  
• Notes (180)
  
  
• Key Terms and Concepts (182)
  
  
• Selected Reading: "Young Staffers Work in Power's Shadow" by Steve Scheibal (183)
  • Sink or Swim (184)
  • Scent of Power (184)
  • Putting Ideas into Action (185)