This course will be taught entirely online via Zoom.
Taught by former Texas legislator, Senator J.E. "Buster" Brown, and supplemented by guest lecturers, this two-credit course focuses on the ways in which the Texas Legislature functions - both officially and otherwise. A wide range of procedural and substantive topics will be discussed to enable law students to gain an understanding of the process of legislation, the procedural requirements, and the forces at work which all contribute to the criteria for enactment or rejection of a bill. In this regard, the formal structure of the legislature will be analyzed in depth, including the Legislative Council (drafting bills), the Budget Board, the leadership and committee structure, scheduling votes on proposals, etc. The informal structure will not be ignored, with an eye to the role of special interest groups, lobbyists, and House-Senate interaction behind the scenes. Emphasis centers on the way ideas work their way through the Legislature and become policy for the State of Texas, including Constitution, statutes, rules of the House and Senate, and political realities that influence the process.
Brown, James E. 