Bill Text: TX HCR178 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Requesting the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of representatives to create a joint interim committee to study a non-substantive reorganization of the Texas Constitution.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-05-30 - Filed [HCR178 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HCR178-Introduced.html
| By: Anderson of McLennan | H.C.R. No. 178 | |
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| WHEREAS, The current Texas Constitution is this state's fifth | ||
| charter document since statehood, having been formed on the basis | ||
| of previous documents dating back to the days when Texas was an | ||
| independent republic; and, | ||
| WHEREAS, The proud independence of Texas has carried forth | ||
| inimitably through each of its constitutions, in both the Republic | ||
| of Texas and State of Texas constitutions, granting the government | ||
| limited powers and giving broad control to voters, thereby | ||
| embodying the principle of "consent of the governed"; and, | ||
| WHEREAS, First enacted in 1876, the Texas Constitution was | ||
| organized into 289 sections contained within 17 articles outlining | ||
| the scope, role, and limitations of governance in this state; and, | ||
| WHEREAS, Through proposed changes sent to Texas voters by the | ||
| legislature, sections within those same 17 articles have been added | ||
| and deleted, bringing our current document to 383 sections; and, | ||
| WHEREAS, The Texas Constitution of 1876 has expanded through | ||
| the ratification of proposed amendments, with 467 amendments being | ||
| approved, while 176 have been defeated; and, | ||
| WHEREAS, By far, the Texas Constitution is the nation's | ||
| lengthiest document; sections have been placed in the constitution | ||
| with apparent disregard for the appropriate article with which it | ||
| belongs; outdated bonding authority and other archaic references | ||
| remain bound in the document, despite previous attempts to address | ||
| non-substantive revisions to the Texas Constitution, the most | ||
| recent of which occurred in 1999; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The Texas Constitution of 1876 remains the Supreme | ||
| Law of the State of Texas, and a strong, independent statement | ||
| asserting the right of Texans to shape their government to their | ||
| view and their capacity to support it; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
| hereby request the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house | ||
| of representatives to create a joint interim committee to study a | ||
| non-substantive reorganization of the Texas Constitution; and, be | ||
| it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That the committee submit a full report, including | ||
| findings and recommendations, to the 83rd Texas Legislature in | ||
| January 2013. | ||
