County and City Government Dallas County In Dallas County, I represent the city of Lewisville. Denton County In Denton County, I represent the cities of Argyle, Aubrey, Bartonville, Copper Canyon, Corinth, Corral City, Cross Roads, Denton, DISH, Double Oak, Flower Mound, Frisco, Hackberry, Haslet, Hickory Creek, Highland Village, Justin, Krugerville, Krum, Lake Dallas, Lakewood Village, Lewisville, Lincoln Park, Little Elm, Northlake, Oak Point, Pilot Point, Ponder, Roanoke, Sanger, Shady Shores, Southlake, The Colony, and Trophy Club. Tarrant County In Tarrant County, I represent the cities of Fort Worth, Haltom City, Haslet, Keller, North Richland Hills, Watauga, and Westlake. Texas State Government The Texas State government, just like the Federal government, is divided into 3 branches - Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. Each branch has its own responsibilities, and checks and balances are in place to ensure that each branch is working together for the common good of the people. Please use the links below to learn more about each branch, their officials, and what they do to better serve the citizens of the great state of Texas.Executive Branch The Governor of Texas is the chief executive of the state and is elected by the citizens every four years. The Governor must be at least 30 years old and a resident of Texas for the five years immediately before the election.Lieutenant Governor Comptroller of Public Accounts The Comptroller is the chief steward of the state’s finances, acting as tax collector, chief accountant, chief revenue estimator, and chief treasurer for all of state government.General Land Office The Texas General Land Office serves the schoolchildren, veterans, and all people of Texas by preserving their history, protecting their environment, expanding economic opportunity, and maximizing state revenue through innovative administration and prudent stewardship of state lands and resources.Attorney General The Attorney General is the lawyer for the State of Texas and is charged by the Texas Constitution to: defend the laws and Constitution of the State of Texas, represent the State in litigation, and approve public bond issues. Legislative Branch The Texas State Legislature The Texas State Legislature is a bicameral body made up of the upper Texas Senate and the lower House of Representatives. The Texas State Legislature meets every two years for 140 days of Regular Session. This website provides legislative information including bill information, committee information, journals and more. Texas State House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is composed of 150 members, each elected for a two-year term. The Texas Legislature meets in Regular Session for about five months every other year. Regular Sessions begin at noon on the second Tuesday in January of odd numbered years and can last no more than 140 days, ending during the last week of May or the first week of June. Special Sessions may be called by the Governor and can last up to 30 days.Speaker of the House The speaker is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives. The Texas Constitution requires the House of Representatives, each time a new legislature convenes, to choose one of its own members to serve as speaker. Legislative Reference Library The primary purpose of the Legislative Reference Library is to satisfy the reference and research needs of the Legislature, its staff, and its committees. Whenever possible within this framework, the library will assist the public and other state agencies with legislative research. State Preservation Board The State Preservation Board preserves and maintains the Texas Capitol, the Capitol Extension, the 1857 General Land Office Building, other designated buildings, their contents and their grounds and operates the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. We provide educational programs centered on Texas history. These services benefit the citizens of Texas and its visitors.Sunset Advisory Commission The Sunset Advisory Commission was established by the Texas Legislature to identify and eliminate waste, duplication, and inefficiency in government agencies. The 12-member Commission is a legislative body that reviews the policies and programs of more than 150 government agencies every 12 years.Texas Legislative Council The Texas Legislative Council provides bill drafting, computing, research, publishing, and document distribution services to the Texas Legislature and legislative agencies. The council also serves as an information resource for state agencies, the citizens of Texas, and others as time and resources allow.Judicial Branch Supreme Court of Texas Composed of the Chief Justice and eight Justices, the Supreme Court of Texas is the court of last resort for civil matters in the State of Texas. The Supreme Court is located in Austin, next to the State Capitol. Texas Court of Criminal Appeals The Court of Criminal Appeals is Texas' highest court for criminal cases. The Court consists of a Presiding Judge and eight Judges. They are elected by the voters of the entire state, and they hold their offices for terms of six years.Texas Judiciary Online The Texas Judiciary Online is a comprehensive site that provides information about the Texas Supreme Court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, and the appellate and district courts.
Texas state government is divided into executive, legislative, and judicial branches under the Texas Constitution adopted in 1876. The chief executive is the Governor, whose term is for four years. Other elected state officials with executive responsibilities include the Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller of Public Accounts, Commissioner of the General Land Office, and Commissioner of Agriculture. The terms of those officials are also four years. The Secretary of State and the Commissioner of Education are appointed by the Governor. Except for making numerous appointments and calling special sessions of the Legislature, the Governor’s powers are limited in comparison with those in most states. The Governor’s office welcomes comments and concerns, which are relayed to government officials who may offer assistance. Send a message through the webform at: https://gov.texas.gov/contact Or call the Citizen’s Opinion Hotline: 1 (800) 252-9600 Texas LegislatureThe Texas Legislature is made up of both a house and a senate, and meets every two years. The Texas Legislature has 181 members: 31 in the Senate, who are elected to four-year overlapping terms, and 150 in the House of Representatives, who are elected to two-year terms. Regular sessions convene on the second Tuesday of January in odd-numbered years, but the governor may call special sessions. Article III of the Texas Constitution deals with the legislative branch. The judiciary of the state consists of nine members of the State Supreme Court; nine members of the Court of Criminal Appeals; 80 of the courts of appeals; 443 of the state district courts, including 13 criminal district courts; 494 county court judges; 821 justices of the peace; and more than 1,400 municipal court judges. Judges of the Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals and courts of appeals are elected to 6-year, overlapping terms. District court judges are elected to 4-year terms. In addition to its system of formal courts, the State of Texas has established 17 Alternative Dispute Resolution Centers. The centers help ease the caseload of Texas courts by using mediation, arbitration, negotiation and moderated settlement conferences to handle disputes without resorting to more costly, time-consuming court actions. Centers are located in Amarillo, Austin, Beaumont, Bryan, Conroe, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Kerrville, Lubbock, Paris, Richmond, San Antonio and Waco. |