Save the Date:
Saturday, October 14
to discuss the Constitutional Amendments aka Ballot Measures
Michelle Lowe Solis, Co-Chair of the Bexar County Democratic Party Communications Committee, will share the analysis and recommendations of the communications committee at the NEBCD October membership meeting. We strongly encourage you to do your own analysis and offer counter opinions during the meeting: The Constitutional Amendments are often complicated, not only by the language chosen to describe but also layers of politics that are not immediately apparent.
The Texas Constitution is the second most amended state constitution in the U.S.
About the Texas Constitution and Its Amendments
History and Analysis
Analyses of the amendments they will be added to this page and accessible to the public. Meanwhile, other information about the Texas Constitution and the forthcoming proposed amendments may be added here.
Two Constitutions: A Comparison
The U.S. and Texas Constitutions have some similarities:
-
Both include the principles of representative democratic government, in which authority comes from the people.
-
Both contain a bill of rights that protects civil liberties from the government.
-
Both establish a two-house legislature with a House of Representatives and a Senate.
-
Both have a system of checks and balances and separation of powers between legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government.
-
Both divide government power between upper and lower levels of government.
The The two constitutions are also very different. The U.S. Constitution increases government power, because the earlier government was too decentralized and not powerful enough. The Texas Constitution limits government action.
-
Length and Language
-
The U.S. Constitution is brief and vague, which allows a broad interpretation. Specific civil liberties in the U.S. Constitution are listed in amendments known as the Bill of Rights.
-
The Texas Constitution is long, detailed, and lists what the government is allowed to do. When public policy challenges arise, Texas officials cannot interpret the constitution. Instead, they must amend it. The very first article of the Texas Constitution is a Bill of Rights.
-
The Executive Branch
-
The U.S. Constitution concentrates executive power in the president. The Texas Constitution creates a plural executive that shares executive power across multiple elected offices.
-
The Texas Constitution allows the governor to veto specific items contained within budget appropriations bills passed by the legislature. The U.S. Supreme Court argues that the line-item veto is unconstitutional because it violates the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches.
-
The Legislative Branch
-
The U.S. Constitution does not limit tax and spending policies. The Texas Constitution lists detailed restrictions that limit what state legislators are actually allowed to write into law.
-
The Judicial Branch
-
The federal judiciary is simple and orderly, with three levels of courts – district courts, appeals courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court. All federal judges are appointed, not elected, and Supreme Court justices serve for life. In contrast, the Texas judiciary is complicated, with six types of courts, some of which overlap. Texas judges are elected to their seats.
-
Amendment Process
-
The U.S. Constitution is difficult to amend, but the document’s structure makes frequent amendments unnecessary. In contrast, the Texas Constitution is relatively easy to amend. While it is difficult to propose a constitutional amendment, once a proposal is approved by the legislature, it passes relatively simply. Amendments are frequent.
​​
Source: Two Constitutions: A Comparison, Courtesy Dallas Learning Cloud