<P> The Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of Texas . The legislature is a bicameral body composed of a 31 - member Senate and a 150 - member House of Representatives . The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin . It is a powerful arm of the Texas government not only because of its power of the purse to control and direct the activities of state government and the strong constitutional connections between it and the Lieutenant Governor of Texas, but also due to Texas's plural executive . </P> <P> The Legislature is the constitutional successor of the Congress of the Republic of Texas since Texas's 1845 entrance into the Union . The Legislature held its first regular session from February 16 to May 13, 1846 . </P> <P> The Texas Legislature meets in regular session on the second Tuesday in January of each odd - numbered year . The Texas Constitution limits the regular session to 140 calendar days . The lieutenant governor, elected statewide separately from the governor, presides over the Senate, while the Speaker of the House is elected from that body by its members . Both have wide latitude in choosing committee membership in their respective houses and have a large impact on lawmaking in the state . </P> <P> Only the governor may call the Legislature into special sessions, unlike other states where the legislature may call itself into session . The governor may call as many sessions as he or she desires . For example, Governor Rick Perry called three consecutive sessions to address the 2003 Texas congressional redistricting . The Texas Constitution limits the duration of each special session to 30 days; lawmakers may consider only those issues designated by the governor in his "call," or proclamation convening the special session (though other issues may be added by the Governor during a session). </P>

The president of the texas senate also functions as the state’s