Jonah Patel
The Texas Constitution is the foundational legal document of the State of Texas, outlining the structure and functions of the state government, the rights of citizens, and the limits of state power. The process of amending this constitution was established in 1875 and has been amended 507 times between 1876 and 2019. Amendments can be proposed by a two-thirds vote of each chamber of the legislature and approved by a simple majority of voters in a general or special election. The Texas Constitution provides one mechanism for amending the state's constitution through legislatively referred constitutional amendments.
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What You'll Learn
The Texas Legislature passes a joint resolution
The Texas Constitution is the foundational legal document of the State of Texas. It outlines the structure and functions of the state government, the rights of citizens, and the limits of state power. Amending the Texas Constitution is a detailed process that requires substantial political and public support.
The Texas Legislature must first pass a joint resolution proposing the constitutional amendment. Any member in either chamber of the Texas Legislature may introduce a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment. This means that any of the 150 members of the Texas House or 31 members of the Texas Senate can initiate the process.
For the joint resolution to be adopted, it must be approved by a two-thirds majority in both chambers. This means that a minimum of 100 members of the Texas House and 21 members of the Texas Senate must vote in favour of the resolution. This is consistent with the process for amending the U.S. Constitution, which also requires a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The joint resolution process allows for amendments to be added to, removed from, or modified within the Texas Constitution. The proposed amendments are styled as HJR 1, HJR 2, and so on, with "HJR" standing for "House Joint Resolution." It is important to note that, unlike bills, these joint resolutions are not submitted to the governor for approval or veto. Instead, they are filed directly with the Texas Secretary of State.
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Voters approve the amendment
The Texas Constitution is the foundational legal document of the State of Texas. It outlines the structure and functions of the state government, the rights of citizens, and the limits of state power. It is not meant to be changed without substantial political and public support. The Texas Constitution can be amended with a legislatively referred constitutional amendment, which requires voter approval.
Any member in either chamber of the Texas Legislature may introduce a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment. Two-thirds of the members must then approve the joint resolution for it to be placed on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 100 members of the Texas House and 21 members of the Texas Senate. The amendment may add to, remove from, or modify the text of the constitution. Proposed amendments are styled as HJR 1, HJR 2, and so forth, short for House Joint Resolution or Senate Joint Resolution.
Constitutional amendment elections, also called ratification elections, normally take place in odd-numbered years after regular sessions of the legislature. If more than one constitutional amendment passes the legislature in a given year, the Texas secretary of state conducts a random drawing to determine the order in which the proposed amendments will appear on the ballot. On the ballot, voters are presented with one or more "propositions"—the proposed amendments—and given the choice to vote for or against each one. A simple majority (50% plus 1) of votes is required for an amendment to be approved.
After the votes are cast, the returning officer in each county submits the returns to the Secretary of State. If a majority of the votes cast were in favor of an amendment, it shall become a part of the Constitution, and the governor must issue a proclamation to that effect. From 1876 through 2019, the Texas Constitution was amended 507 times. Of the 687 amendments approved by the legislature and placed on the ballot, voters have approved 507 and rejected 180, a ratification rate of 74%.
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Amendments are filed with the secretary of state
The Texas Constitution is the foundational legal document of the State of Texas. It outlines the structure and functions of the state government, the rights of citizens, and the limits of state power. The process for amending the Texas Constitution is outlined in Article 17 of the constitution, which was established in 1876.
Amendments to the Texas Constitution are filed with the secretary of state. This is done through a joint resolution adopted by the legislature, which is not submitted to the governor for signing. Instead, it is filed directly with the secretary of state. The secretary of state plays a crucial role in the amendment process. They are responsible for receiving the returns from the returning officer in each county, who submits the number of legal votes cast at the election for and against each amendment.
If multiple constitutional amendments pass the legislature in a given year, the Texas secretary of state conducts a random drawing to determine the order in which the proposed amendments will appear on the ballot. This ensures that each amendment is given equal consideration and that the process is fair and transparent. The ballot is presented to the voters, who have the power to approve or reject the proposed amendments.
The Texas Constitution requires a simple majority vote (50% plus 1) for voters to approve constitutional amendments. This means that more than half of the votes cast must be in favor of an amendment for it to become part of the constitution. The returning officer in each county submits the vote returns to the secretary of state, who verifies the results. If a majority of the votes cast are in favor of an amendment, the governor must issue a proclamation to that effect, and the amendment becomes part of the Texas Constitution.
The process of amending the Texas Constitution is designed to be rigorous and thorough. It ensures that any changes made to the constitution reflect the will of the people and have the necessary political and public support. The secretary of state plays a vital role in facilitating this process, ensuring that the amendment process is fair, transparent, and in accordance with the law.
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Amendments must receive a majority vote
The Texas Constitution is the foundational legal document of the State of Texas. It outlines the structure and functions of the state government, the rights of citizens, and the limits of state power. It is not meant to be changed without substantial political and public support. The Texas Constitution can be amended with a legislatively referred constitutional amendment, which requires voter approval.
Any member in either chamber of the Texas Legislature may introduce a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment. A two-thirds majority of members must then approve the joint resolution for it to be placed on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 100 members of the Texas House and 21 members of the Texas Senate. The amendment may add to, remove from, or modify the text of the constitution. Proposed amendments are styled as HJR 1, HJR 2, and so on, short for House Joint Resolution or Senate Joint Resolution.
If more than one constitutional amendment passes the legislature in a given year, the Texas secretary of state conducts a random drawing to determine the order in which the proposed amendments will appear on the ballot. Constitutional amendment elections, also called ratification elections, typically take place in odd-numbered years after regular sessions of the legislature. Voters are presented with one or more "propositions" (the proposed amendments) and given the choice to vote for or against each one.
A majority of Texas voters must then approve the amendment in a special election for it to be adopted. This is in contrast to amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which are not submitted directly to voters for approval but must be ratified by the legislatures of the states. The Texas Constitution requires a simple majority vote (50% plus 1) for voters to approve constitutional amendments. If a majority of the votes cast were in favour of an amendment, it shall become a part of the Constitution, and the governor must issue a proclamation to that effect.
From 1876 through 2019, the Texas Constitution was amended 507 times. Voters approved 507 amendments and rejected 180, resulting in a ratification rate of 74%.
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The governor issues a proclamation
The process of amending the Texas Constitution is outlined in Article 17 of the constitution. It requires a majority vote in favour of an amendment for it to be passed. Once this majority is achieved, the governor must issue a proclamation to that effect.
The governor's proclamation is the final step in the process of amending the Texas Constitution. Before this, there are several other steps that must be taken. Firstly, a joint resolution proposing the constitutional amendment must be passed by the Texas Legislature. This requires a two-thirds majority vote in both the Texas House and Senate. The amendment may add to, remove from, or modify the text of the constitution.
Once the joint resolution has been passed, it is filed directly with the secretary of state. The amendment is then placed on the ballot for a special election, which typically takes place in November of an odd-numbered year. The voters of Texas then decide on the amendment, with a simple majority required for it to pass.
After the votes are cast, the returning officer in each county submits the returns to the secretary of state. If a majority of the votes are in favour of the amendment, the governor must issue a proclamation, declaring the amendment to be a part of the Texas Constitution.
The Texas Constitution is the foundational legal document of the state, outlining the structure and functions of the state government, the rights of citizens, and the limits of state power. The process of amending the constitution ensures that any changes made have substantial political and public support.
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Frequently asked questions
The Texas Constitution is the foundational legal document of the State of Texas, outlining the structure and functions of the state government, the rights of citizens, and the limits of state power.
The Texas Legislature first passes a joint resolution proposing the constitutional amendment. A two-thirds majority vote is required in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. A majority of Texas voters then approve the amendment in a general or special election.
The returning officer in each county submits the returns to the Secretary of State. If a majority of the votes were cast in favor of an amendment, it becomes part of the Constitution, and the governor must issue a proclamation.
Amendments to the U.S. Constitution are not submitted directly to the voters for approval. Instead, they must be ratified by the legislatures of the states, with three-fourths of the states approving the amendment.
