Focus Report, Volume 75, Number 4, January 1997 Page: 10
This periodical is part of the collection entitled: Texas State Publications and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.
- Highlighting
- Highlighting On/Off
- Color:
- Adjust Image
- Rotate Left
- Rotate Right
- Brightness, Contrast, etc. (Experimental)
- Cropping Tool
- Download Sizes
- Preview all sizes/dimensions or...
- Download Thumbnail
- Download Small
- Download Medium
- Download Large
- High Resolution Files
- IIIF Image JSON
- IIIF Image URL
- Accessibility
- View Extracted Text
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
House Research Organization
traditionally recognizes the votes of most members who
are in the chamber but away from their desks when the
vote bell sounds ("Show Rep. voting 'aye."'),
unless a vote appears close or "strict enforcement of
the rules" has been demanded and granted.
Members may change their vote any time before the
chair announces the result (Rule 5, sec. 53).
Members absent for a vote may have a statement
printed in the House Journal saying how they would
have voted had they been present. Members may also
have their reasons for voting a certain way published in
the journal by submitting a statement to the journal
clerk. If timely received, the statement or explanation
is printed immediately following the vote; otherwise, it
is printed at the end of the journal for the day on which
it was submitted to the clerk (Rule 5, sec. 49).
The presiding officer (usually the speaker) may vote
on any bill or resolution but customarily does not vote
(Rule 1, sec. 8). The presiding officer most often
votes in cases when the vote would affect the outcome,
such as to break a tie vote or to create a tie vote. A
tie means that the motion fails (Rule 5, sec. 54). The
presiding officer generally votes last.
Verification of a vote may be taken at a member's
request or at the presiding officer's discretion. A
motion calling for verification must be made
immediately after the vote is announced. A vote is
verified by asking members on both sides of a question
to confirm their votes individually. Members may not
change their votes unless they were incorrectly
recorded. A member who failed to vote originally may
not vote on verification. If the correction of an
incorrectly recorded vote creates a situation in which
the presiding officer's vote would be decisive, the
presiding officer may then elect to vote (Rule 1, sec. 8;
Rule 5, sec. 55).
Reconsideration
After a question has been voted on, the House may
reconsider it. Any member who voted on the
prevailing side may move to reconsider a vote, either
on the legislative day of the original vote or on the next
day. (Sometimes members who favor the side that
appears to be losing will cast a vote for the winning
side in order to be able to move to reconsider the
vote.) If the original vote was a voice vote, any
member who voted on the question may move to
reconsider (Rule 7, sec. 38). A motion to reconsidermade on the day after a vote must be made before any
other business is taken up (Rule 7, sec. 37).
Motions to reconsider are decided by majority vote,
regardless of the vote required for the original question.
Tabling a motion to reconsider disposes of the matter
(Rule 7, secs. 40, 42).
If no vote is taken on a motion to reconsider
immediately after the motion is made, the motion is
entered in the House Journal. It can be called up and
voted on only if one legislative day's advance notice is
given. All motions still pending 72 hours before the
session ends are considered lost. All motions to
reconsider made in the last 72 hours of the session
must be disposed of immediately (Rule 7, sec. 44).
A member who wishes to prevent reconsideration of
a measure may make a double motion to reconsider and
table. The motion is not debatable and requires a
majority vote for approval. If approved, the motion
blocks any later motion to reconsider the vote in
question. If the motion to reconsider and table fails,
the motion to reconsider is "spread on the journal" and
may be called up later by any member, after advance
notice of one legislative day (Rule 7, sec. 43).
Any member on the prevailing side of a question may
move to "reconsider and spread on the journal." Such
motions do not require a vote; once made they are
entered in the journal and may be called up for a vote at
the request of any member. Any member who wants an
immediate vote on reconsideration may move to call the
motion to reconsider from the journal and may either
demand a vote on it or move to table it. If the motion
to table fails, the motion to reconsider remains spread
on the journal awaiting further action. Any member,
regardless of whether on the prevailing side, may then
call the motion from the journal for action by the
House. Once the motion is disposed of, no other
motion to reconsider can be made (Rule 7, sec. 45).
Second and third reading
The Constitution requires that a bill be read before
the House on three different days in order to be passed.
This rule may be suspended only by a recorded vote of
four-fifths of the members present (Constitution Art. 3,
sec. 32; Rule 8, sec. 15). First reading occurs when
the bill caption is read and the bill is referred to
committee. Second reading gives the House its first
chance to debate and vote on the bill. A simple
majority can amend a bill on second reading. On third
reading amendments require a two-thirds vote (Rule 11,
sec. 5).Page 10
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Matching Search Results
View one page within this issue that match your search.Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas. Legislature. House of Representatives. Research Organization. Focus Report, Volume 75, Number 4, January 1997, periodical, January 30, 1997; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth640680/m1/10/?q=%22~1~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.