Extra credit

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Across
  1. 7. a person who is represented by an elected official
  2. 8. occurs every two years
  3. 9. a tactic used by members of the Senate to prevent action on legislation they oppose by continuously holding the floor and speaking until the majority backs down.
  4. 10. a step in the legislative process during which a bill is killed by the chair of the standing committee to which it was referred, as a result of his or her setting the bill aside and not bringing it before the committee.
  5. 13. daily payment to a public official engaged in state business
  6. 14. having a legislative assembly composed of two chambers or houses
  7. 15. the first step in the legislative process, during which a member of the legislature drafts a bill and files a copy of it with the clerk of the House or secretary of the Senate.
  8. 16. the process of redrawing election districts and redistributing legislative representatives in the Texas House, Texas Senate, and U.S. House; this usually happens every 10 years to reflect shifts in population or in response to legal challenges in existing districts.
Down
  1. 1. according to the Texas Constitution, the formal charge by the House of Representatives that leads to a trial in the Senate and possibly to the removal of a state official.
  2. 2. an expression of opinion on an issue by a legislative body.
  3. 3. the power to control floor debate by recognizing who can speak before the House and Senate.
  4. 4. according to the Texas Constitution, the governor's power to turn down legislation; can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of both the House and Senate
  5. 5. the 140-day period, occurring only in odd-numbered years, during which the Texas legislature meets to consider and pass bills
  6. 6. the second step in the legislative process, during which a bill is assigned to the appropriate standing committee by the Speaker (for House bills) or the lieutenant governor (for Senate bills)
  7. 11. the chief presiding officer of the House of Representatives; the Speaker is the most important party and House leader, and can influence the legislative agenda, the fate of individual pieces of legislation, and members' positions within the House.
  8. 12. a proposed law that has been sponsored by a member of the legislature and submitted to the clerk of the House or Senate.