Which of the following is not a step in the texas constitutional amendment process?

KEY QUESTION: 

How do you amend the Texas Constitution?

REFERENCE POINT: 

  • Texas Constitution
  • ARTICLE 17. MODE OF AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION OF THIS STATE
  • Sec. 1. PROPOSED AMENDMENTS; PUBLICATION; SUBMISSION TO VOTERS; ADOPTION

TALKING POINTS:

  1. The current Texas Constitution was adopted in 1876, and since that time Texas voters have approved 474 amendments. When Texans go to the polls on Nov. 5, 2013, they will consider nine proposed constitutional amendments (see page 17).
  2. Amendments to the Texas Constitution come in the form of joint resolutions instead of bills. These joint resolutions originate in either the House of Representatives or the Senate.
  3. Amendments may be proposed in regular sessions of the Texas Legislature or in special sessions.
  4. The amendments require a vote of two-thirds of the entire membership in each house for adoption.
  5. Joint resolutions are not sent to the governor for approval, but are filed directly with the secretary of state.
  6. A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Texas Constitution does not become effective until it is approved by Texas voters in a general election.
  7. The Legislature may call an election for consideration of proposed constitutional amendments on any date, as long as election authorities have enough time to provide notice to the voters and print the ballots. Most proposals have been submitted at the November general election held in odd-numbered years.
  8. The secretary of state conducts a random drawing to assign each proposition a ballot number if more than one proposition is being considered.
  9. Article 17, Sec. 1 of the Texas Constitution requires that a brief explanatory statement of the nature of each proposed amendment, along with the ballot wording for each, be published twice in each newspaper in the state that prints official notices. The first notice must be published 50 to 60 days before the election. The second notice must be published on the same day of the following week. Also, the secretary of state must send a complete copy of each amendment to each county clerk, who must post it in the courthouse at least 30 days before the election.
  10. The secretary of state prepares the explanatory statement, which must be approved by the attorney general, and arranges for the required newspaper publication.
  11. If voters reject an amendment proposal, the Legislature may resubmit the amendment proposal.
  12. Some constitutional amendments enact themselves and do not require additional legislation. Other amendments grant discretionary authority to the Legislature to enact legislation in a particular area or within certain guidelines. These amendments require “enabling” legislation to fill in the details of how the amendment would operate. The Legislature often adopts enabling legislation in advance, making the effective date of the legislation contingent on voter approval of a particular amendment. If voters reject the amendment, the legislation dependent on the constitutional change does not take effect.
  13. Constitutional amendments take effect when the official vote canvass confirms statewide majority approval, unless a later date is specified. Statewide election results are tabulated by the secretary of state and must be canvassed by the governor 15 to 30 days following the election. H

Multiple Choice Item: 1 point value

Question Overview:This question requires you to draw a contrast between the process of amending the U.S. Constitution and the process of creating federal laws. Using your own knowledge of how federal laws are made and a chart showing methods of amending the Constitution, you must analyze the major steps in each process and the governmental branch( es) involved. This question engages the reasoning skills needed to analyze both processes and identify the major difference between them.

Answer Rationale:

Option A is correct. If you selected this option, you likely noticed that the legislative branch is the only government branch mentioned on the chart. Of the three branches of the U.S. government, only the legislative is involved in the amendment process.

Option B is incorrect. When selecting this option you may have focused on the information in the right hand column of the chart which shows that legislative bodies can conclude the amendment process. However, it is also important to notice, at the bottom of the same column, that ratification conventions can end the process.

Option C is incorrect. If you selected this option, you likely noticed that both columns in the table show that state legislatures are involved in the amendment process. However, it is also important to note that state legislatures are not the only legislatures involved in the ratification process. The top two boxes of the left hand column show that the national legislative body (Congress) is also critical to the amendment process.

Option D is incorrect. If you selected option 0, you probably noticed that state governments may start the amendment process. This can occur when two-thirds of the states' legislatures agree to call a national constitutional convention. However, as shown in the top two boxes of the left hand column, an amendment may also be proposed to the American people by a two thirds vote of both houses of Congress.

What are the steps required to amend the Texas Constitution?

Amending the constitution The resolution must be adopted by a vote of at least two-thirds of the membership of each house of the legislature. That amounts to a minimum of 100 votes in the House of Representatives and 21 votes in the Senate. Amendments may be proposed in either regular or special sessions.

What is the amendment process of the Texas Constitution quizlet?

Amending the Texas Constitution requires two-thirds of the members of each chamber of the state legislature to adopt a proposed amendment, and only a simple majority of the voters to approve it in a constitutional amendment election.

What are the 4 ways the Constitution can be amended?

Four Methods of Amending the U.S. Constitution.
A two-thirds vote in both houses of the U.S. Congress. Ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures..
A two-thirds vote in both houses of U.S. Congress. ... .
A national constitutional convention called by two-thirds of the state legislatures..

What are the 3 basic principles of the Texas Constitution?

Today's Texas Constitution reflects six principles that are found in the U.S. Constitution – popular sovereignty, limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and protection of individual rights.