TexasCHLforum.com

O6nop wrote:As I understand it, there is no "next year" correct? Legislative session is every two years?
Anything happen in between?

Correct. The Texas legislature meets in odd-numbered years.

The Governor can call a special session, but it can address only specific issues that the Governor determines. In the time I have lived here, that has happened only for budget issues.

- Jim

Velocity wrote:... I've got to imagine that federal government would operate so much more smoothly and less "crappy" legislation (pork-barrel politics) would occur if this were eliminated and the feds were required to stick to one subject per bill, ...

I've thought about this a lot. If I were king for a day, I would amend the Constitution to require it.

A lot of legislation would never pass if legislators were not "persuaded" by special provisions unrelated to the main subject of the bill, and a lot of dodgy things would not be sneaked in in the middle of the night.

- Jim

tornado wrote:I'm no expert, but can't something like this be added as an amendment to an existing bill?

No. In Texas (and most other states) a bill can cover only one subject. If no existing bill modifies section 46.03 of the penal code (and I'm not aware of one), the law can't be changed until 2009.

The feds have the ability to stuff unrelated amendments into bills, and they can introduce a new bill almost any time.

- Jim