Texas Constitution: Compliance with The Needs of The 21st Century

The state of Texas government is divided into three separate but equal branches of government which are the legislative branch, executive branch, and judicial branch under Texas Constitution adopted in 1876. I will be focusing on the Texas legislative branch of government. We will examine the history of the Texas legislature, how bills are passed, and how the legislature can take the Texas economy higher. The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of Texas they meet in the Texas State Capitol in Austin. When Texas entered the union in 1845 the legislature began meeting on February 16 to May 13, 1846. The legislative branch is headed by the Texas Legislature branch which has 150 members of the house of representatives and 31 members of the state senate. The legislatures meet every odd year to write new laws and also to find solutions to the problems the state is facing. The speaker appoints the chairs and vice-chairs of the committee who study legislation and then decide which representative will serve on these committees. The first important matter the speaker of the house and the lieutenant governor ask the house legislature to do is decide on the rules the legislators will follow during the session. Legislative procedures are in the state constitution however, new rules can be adopted by the house legislature and then approved by a majority vote. After rules have been adopted then the legislatures can start to consider bills.

Texas, like all US states, maintains its own state constitution that outlines the basic structures and principles of its government. The current constitution was adopted in 1876, but it's actually the 7th constitution Texas has drafted for itself. The first was back in 1827 when Texas was still part of Mexico but preparing to secede. They then drafted a new constitution as the Republic of Texas in 1836, and then their first state constitution upon joining the USA in 1845. Texas re-wrote the constitution again in 1861, when it seceded from the USA to join the Confederacy, and had to re-draft this document two more times in the post-Civil War era before finally arriving at their current version. Apart from this long history, the Texas constitution is also long. Currently, this document contains nearly 500 amendments, making it one of the longest state constitutions in the USA. By contrast, the United States Constitution only contains 27 amendments. So, why have Texans amended their constitution so many times? It's important to remember that Texas was always big on the notion of individual liberties, and thus fearful of giving any government too much power. As a result, it was decided that the state government only had the powers expressly granted by the constitution. If a power is not in the constitution, Texas' government can't just say that the power is implied. They have to amend the constitution.

The Constitution of the United States of America did not provide for local governments. Local governments are created by and regulated by the states which grant powers of municipal governments in charters. Local governments include city, town, and country governments. Other common forms of local government are townships, boroughs, and villages. While local governments can legislate local issues, they can pass no law that contradicts state law. Local governments have a wide range of elected officials from county executives and big-city mayors with staff and “cabinets” to small-town first selectmen. They range from part-time unpaid local officials to the officials of Washington D.C. where the mayor and the city council with some government oversight have the powers, respectively, of a governor and a state legislature.

Local governments

• Levy local taxes to fund their activities;
• Provide its citizens with services such as local police force and fire department and the commissions that regulate them;
• Provide sanitation services;
• Provide libraries and public schools and school boards;
• Regulate traffic;
• Maintain local streets;
• Regulate zoning.

Because local governments are at the grassroots level, your local legislator maybe your best friend, your grocer, or your next-door neighbor. They are usually more responsive to your inquiries or your request for assistance in solving local problems with trash collection, potholes, or zoning issues. I believe that state and local government agencies work just like chains of command in the military or organizational structures with corporations. The local government has specific responsibilities and authority to govern accordingly. This gives different cities and counties to reflect the needs of their specific communities. Meanwhile, on the state level, government officials oversee the local government agencies and have jurisdictions on a larger scale. They are also able to step in and assist local governments during times of emergencies and on a larger scale that they may be too overwhelming for local authorities.

Texas is facing many political issues due to the irregularities in the constitution. Some of the issues include budgeting, immigration, abortion, and transgender issues. The Government is spending nearly 1 billion dollars every year on immigration alone. For example, if the government did a better job of controlling entry into the country by effectively controlling illegal immigration the state could save millions of dollars. This portion of surplus alone affects the rainy-day funds which affect education, infrastructure, and other vital government expenses. Some of the other pressing issues the state of Texas is facing in its 21st Century Government is not having enough mental health hospitals to accommodate patients. Texas is one of the top U.S. states in medical education, research, and preventive medicine. Although Texas is known to have renowned healthcare facilities one fourth of the state population does not have healthcare insurance which is one of the highest amounts of any state in the U.S. Health care in rural areas is unfunded with a lack of providers and facilities. Another pressing issue Texas faces is in educational problems arising from social and economic problems. Minimum standards have been established by the state in accordance with local financial resources. There have been demands for equal education for all segments of the population. Two issues I addressed I believe the state is prepared to face these issues.

In conclusion to answer the question “does Texas have a 21st Century Government”? I believe Texas does have a 21st Century Government because as of 2021 Texas is considered the world’s 9th largest economy according to “Texas Economic Development Corporation”. Governor Greg Abbott stated, “While 2020 brought unique challenges, Texas continued to shine as a beacon of hope and opportunity, Texas ranking ninth-largest economy because of the hardworking men and women in the Lone Star State. Our commitment to economic freedom, our state-of-the-art infrastructure, and business climate”. People come to Texas because of our competitive tax climate, world-class infrastructure, workforce, economic policies, and quality of life.