Texas SenateFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaNot to be confused with the two United States Senators from Texas.Texas State SenateTexas State LegislatureCoat of arms or logoTypeTypeUpper house of the Texas LegislatureTerm limitsNoneHistoryNew session startedJanuary 13, 2015LeadershipPresident of the SenateDan Patrick (R)Since January 20, 2015President Pro TemporeJuan Hinojosa (D)Since January 13, 2015StructureSeats31Political groupsGoverning party

Republican (20)Opposition party

Democratic (11)Texas Senate Seating Diagram.svgLength of term4 yearsAuthorityArticle 3, Texas ConstitutionSalary$7,200/year + per diemElectionsLast electionNovember 4, 2014(15 seats)Next electionNovember 1, 2016(15 seats)RedistrictingLegislative ControlMeeting placeTexasSenateChamberAustinTX.JPGState Senate ChamberTexas State CapitolAustin, TexasWebsiteTexas State Senate

Another view of the Texas Senate (2013)The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas State Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing single-member districts across the U.S. state of Texas, with populations of approximately 806,000 per constituency, based on the 2010 U.S. Census. Texas Senate elections are held every four years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November on the same date as gubernatorial elections. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. However, in elections ending in years ending in 2, half of the senators will serve a two-year term, based on a drawing; the other half will fill regular four-year terms. Those who drew the 2-year terms will run in the year ending in 4 for a four-year term. The Senate meets at the Texas State Capitol in Austin. The Republicans currently control the chamber, which is made up of 20 Republicans and 11 Democrats, as of January 13, 2015.

Contents [hide] 1 Leadership1.1 Leaders2 History2.1 Quorum-busting3 Committee Structure4 Current composition4.1 List of members4.2 Notable past members5 See also6 References7 External linksLeadership[edit]The Lieutenant Governor of Texas serves as the President of the Senate. The Lieutenant Governor's duties include presiding over the Senate, 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 is arguably considered more powerful than the Governor of Texas[citation needed], and 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.

For the 82nd Legislative Session, which began in 2011, there were only two new, or freshman, senators, Brian Birdwell, a Republican from Granbury, and Jos R. Rodrguez, a Democrat from El Paso.

For the 83rd Legislative Session, which began in 2013, there were six new senators, including Sylvia Garcia, who succeeded the late senator Mario Gallego through a special election. The five other new senators were Charles Schwertner, a Republican from Georgetown, Ken Paxton, a Republican from McKinney, Kelly Hancock, a Republican from Fort Worth, Larry Taylor, a Republican from Friendswood, and Donna Campbell, a Republican from New Braunfels. For this term of the Legislature the President of the Senate is Texas Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst. The President Pro Tempore is Republican Craig Estes of District 30 (Wichita Falls). Senator John Whitmire, a Democrat from Houston, is the Dean of the Senate, meaning he is the most senior member, having served since 1987. Senator Chris Harris, a Republican from Arlington, is the most senior member of his party, and the fourth most-senior overall member.

New senators elected in 2014 are Bob Hall, Paul Bettencourt, Van Taylor, Don Huffines, and Konni Burton, all Republicans.

Leaders[edit]PositionNamePartyResidenceDistrictLieutenant Governor/President of the SenateDan PatrickRepublicanHoustonPresident Pro TemporeJuan HinojosaDemocraticMcAllen20History[edit]Quorum-busting[edit]Further information: Texas Eleven, Rump SenateThere 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 the summer of 2003, who were following the example of the Texas house Killer Ds.[1]

Committee Structure[edit]The following represents the Senate committee structure for the 83rd Legislature.

AdministrationAgriculture, Rural Affairs & Homeland SecurityBusiness & CommerceCriminal JusticeEconomic DevelopmentSubcommittee on Public-Private PartnershipsEducationFinanceSubcommittee on Fiscal MattersGovernment OrganizationHealth & Human ServicesHigher EducationIntergovernmental RelationsJurisprudenceNatural ResourcesNominationsOpen GovernmentState AffairsTransportationVeteran Affairs & Military InstallationsIn addition, the House and Senate operate the permanent joint committee known as the Legislative Budget Board (LBB).

Current composition[edit]AffiliationParty(Shading indicates majority caucus)TotalRepublicanDemocraticVacantEnd of previous legislature1911301Begin 2013[2]1911301March 3, 2013[3]12310Begin 20152011300Latest voting share64.5%35.5%List of members[edit]DistrictSenatorPartyResidenceFirstelectedNextelectionCounty(ies) represented1Kevin EltifeRepublicanTyler20042016Bowie, Camp, Cass, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Panola, Red River, Rusk, Smith, Titus, Wood, Upshur2Bob HallRepublicanEdgewood in Van Zandt County20142018Dallas (part), Delta, Fannin, Hopkins, Hunt, Kaufman, Rains, Rockwall, Van Zandt3Robert NicholsRepublicanJacksonville20062018Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Hardin, Henderson, Houston, Jasper, Liberty, Montgomery (part), Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler4Brandon CreightonRepublicanThe Woodlands20142016Chambers, Galveston (part), Harris (part), Jefferson, Montgomery (part)5Charles SchwertnerRepublicanGeorgetown20122018Brazos, Freestone, Grimes, Leon, Limestone, Madison, Milam, Robertson, Walker, Williamson6Sylvia GarciaDemocraticHouston20132016Harris (part)7Paul BettencourtRepublicanHouston20142018Harris (part)8Van TaylorRepublicanPlano20142018Collin (part), Dallas (part)9Kelly HancockRepublicanFort Worth20122018Dallas (part), Tarrant (part)10Konni BurtonRepublicanColleyville20142018Tarrant (part)11Larry TaylorRepublicanFriendswood20122016Brazoria (part), Galveston (part), Harris (part)12Jane NelsonRepublicanFlower Mound19922016Denton (part), Tarrant (part)13Rodney EllisDemocraticHouston19902016Fort Bend (part), Harris (part)14Kirk WatsonDemocraticAustin20062018Bastrop, Travis (part)15John WhitmireDemocraticHouston19822018Harris (part)16Don HuffinesRepublicanDallas20142018Dallas (part)17Joan HuffmanRepublicanSouthside Place20082018Brazoria (part), Fort Bend (part), Harris (part)18Lois KolkhorstRepublicanKaty20142018Aransas, Austin, Burleson, Calhoun, Colorado, DeWitt, Fayette, Fort Bend (part), Goliad, Gonzales, Harris (part), Jackson, Lee, Matagorda, Nueces (part), Re fugio, Victoria, Waller, Washington19Carlos I. UrestiDemocraticSan Antonio20062016Atascosa (part), Bexar (part), Brewster, Crockett, Dimmit, Edwards, Frio, Kinney, Maverick, Medina, Pecos, Real, Reeves, Terrell, Uvalde, Val Verde, Zavala20Juan HinojosaDemocraticMcAllen20022016Brooks, Hidalgo (part), Jim Wells, Nueces (part)21Judith ZaffiriniDemocraticLaredo19862016Atascosa (part), Bexar (part), Bee, Caldwell, Duval, Guadalupe (part), Live Oak, Frio, Jim Hogg, Karnes, La Salle, McMullen, San Patricio, Starr, Travis (part), Uvalde, Webb, Wilson, Zapata22Brian BirdwellRepublicanGranbury20102016Bosque, Ellis, Falls, Hill, Hood (part), Frio, Johnson, McLennan, Navarro, Somervell, Tarrant (part)23Royce WestDemocraticDallas19922018Dallas (part)24Troy FraserRepublicanHorseshoe Bay19962016Bandera, Bell, Blanco, Brown, Burnet, Callahan, Comanche, Coryell, Gillespie, Hamilton, Kerr, Lampasas, Llano, Mills, San Saba, Taylor (part), Travis(part)25Donna CampbellRepublicanNew Braunfels20122018Bexar (part), Travis (part), Comal, Hays, Kendall26Jose MenendezDemocraticSan Antonio20152016Bexar (part)27Eddie Lucio, Jr.DemocraticBrownsville19902016Cameron, Hidalgo (part), Kenedy, Kleberg, Willacy28Charles PerryRepublicanLubbock20142016Baylor, Borden, Childress, Coke, Coleman, Concho, Cottle, Crane, Crosby, Dawson, Dickens, Eastland, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Hale, Hardeman, Haskell, Hockley, Irion, Jones, Kent, Kimble, King, Knox, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn, Mason, McColluch, Menard, Mitchell, Montague, Motley, Nolan, Reagan, Runnels, Sleicher, Scurry, Shackelford, Stephens, Sterling, Stonewall, Sutton, Terry, Throckmorton, Tom Green, Upton, Ward, Wheeler, Wilbarger, Young29Jos R. RodrguezDemocraticEl Paso20102016Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Presidio30Craig EstesRepublicanWichita Falls20002018Archer, Clay, Collin (part), Cooke, Denton (part), Erath, Grayson, Jack, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Wichita, Wise, Young31Kel SeligerRepublicanAmarillo20042018Andrews, Armstrong, Bailey, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Cochran, Collingsworth, Coke, Coleman, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Donley, Ector, Gaines, Glasscock, Gray, Hall, Hartley, Hemphill, Hansford, Howard, Hutchinson, Jones, Lipscomb, Loving, Lynn, Martin, Midland, Moore, Motley, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman, Swisher, Wheeler, Winkler, YoakumElected in a special election

Notable past members[edit]Edward Clark, Lieutenant Governor of Texas (18591861), Governor of Texas (1861).Wayne Connally, Senator from Wilson County (19671973), brother of Governor John Connally.Lloyd Doggett, Texas Supreme Court Justice (19891994), U.S. House of Representatives (1995present).Robert L. Duncan, State Senator from Lubbock, 1996-2014; Chancellor of the Texas Tech University System since 2014Chet Edwards, U.S. House of Representatives (19912011).James W. Flanagan, U.S. Senate (18701875).Glenn Hegar, current Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.John Ireland, Texas Supreme Court Justice (1876), Governor of Texas (18831887).Eddie Bernice Johnson, U.S. House of Representatives (1993present).Rienzi Melville Johnston, U.S. Senate (1913).Barbara Jordan, U.S. House of Representatives (19731979).Earle Bradford Mayfield, U.S. Senate (19231929).William Neff "Bill" Patman, Senator from Jackson County (19611981), U.S. House of Representatives (19811985).Dan Patrick, current Lieutenant Governor of Texas.Jerry E. Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office (2003-2015).Ken Paxton, current Attorney General of Texas.Lawrence Sullivan Ross, Governor of Texas, (18871891).Joseph D. Sayers, Lieutenant Governor of Texas (18791881), U.S. House of Representatives (18851898), Governor of Texas 18991903).Allan Shivers, Lieutenant Governor of Texas (19461949), Governor of Texas (19491957).Preston Smith, Governor of Texas (19691973).Frank Tejeda, U.S. House of Representatives (19931997).James W. Throckmorton, Governor of Texas (18661867), U.S. House of Representatives (18741888).Carlos Truan, Senator from Corpus Christi from 1977 to 2003; author of Texas Bilingual Education Act.Jim Turner, U.S. House of Representatives (19972005).Matthias Ward, U.S. Senate (18581859).Ferdinand C. Weinert, Texas House and Texas Senate (18931935), Texas Secretary of State (1913).Louis Wigfall, U.S. Senate (18591861).Charles Wilson, U.S. House of Representatives (19731996).See also[edit]Portal iconTexas portalPortal iconPolitics portalTexas LegislatureTexas House of RepresentativesList of Presidents pro tempore of the Texas SenateTexas Government Newsletter Voting History of the Texas Legislature.References[edit]Jump up ^ 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-NewsJump up ^ Democrat Mario Gallegos, Jr. (District 6) died October 16 and was reelected posthumously.Jump up ^ Democrat Sylvia Garcia elected to succeed Gallegos