By: Alonzo H.B. No. 1627
73R6049 RJA-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the election of justices of the supreme court from
1-3 single-member districts.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 22, Government Code, is
1-6 amended by adding Section 22.013 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 22.013. ELECTION OF JUSTICES. (a) The supreme court
1-8 is composed of nine justices. The justices, by majority vote,
1-9 shall select one justice to serve as chief justice.
1-10 (b) The justices are elected for six-year terms of office
1-11 and hold places numbered 1 through 9. The justice for each place
1-12 is elected from the area constituting that place. The places are
1-13 constituted as follows:
1-14 (1) Place 1 is composed of ____________________;
1-15 (2) Place 2 is composed of ____________________;
1-16 (3) Place 3 is composed of ____________________;
1-17 (4) Place 4 is composed of ____________________;
1-18 (5) Place 5 is composed of ____________________;
1-19 (6) Place 6 is composed of ____________________;
1-20 (7) Place 7 is composed of ____________________;
1-21 (8) Place 8 is composed of ____________________; and
1-22 (9) Place 9 is composed of ____________________.
1-23 (c) The designation of offices and places under this section
1-24 identifies the offices and places for all purposes, including
2-1 identification on official ballots for primary and general
2-2 elections.
2-3 SECTION 2. Sections 52.092(c), (d), and (h), Election Code,
2-4 are amended to read as follows:
2-5 (c) Statewide offices of the state government shall be
2-6 listed in the following order:
2-7 (1) governor;
2-8 (2) lieutenant governor;
2-9 (3) attorney general;
2-10 (4) comptroller of public accounts;
2-11 (5) state treasurer;
2-12 (6) commissioner of the General Land Office;
2-13 (7) commissioner of agriculture;
2-14 (8) railroad commissioner;
2-15 (9) <chief justice, supreme court;>
2-16 <(10) justice, supreme court;>
2-17 <(11)> presiding judge, court of criminal appeals;
2-18 (10) <(12)> judge, court of criminal appeals.
2-19 (d) District offices of the state government shall be listed
2-20 in the following order:
2-21 (1) justice, supreme court;
2-22 (2) <(1)> member, State Board of Education;
2-23 (3) <(2)> state senator;
2-24 (4) <(3)> state representative;
2-25 (5) <(4)> chief justice, court of appeals;
2-26 (6) <(5)> justice, court of appeals;
2-27 (7) <(6)> district judge;
3-1 (8) <(7)> criminal district judge;
3-2 (9) <(8)> family district judge;
3-3 (10) <(9)> district attorney;
3-4 (11) <(10)> criminal district attorney.
3-5 (h) The secretary of state shall assign a place number to
3-6 each position to be filled at the general election for state and
3-7 county officers for each full or unexpired term in the following
3-8 offices:
3-9 (1) <justice, supreme court;>
3-10 <(2)> judge, court of criminal appeals; and
3-11 (2) <(3)> justice, court of appeals in a court having
3-12 a membership in excess of three, if distinguishing the positions to
3-13 be filled is necessary.
3-14 SECTION 3. Section 172.024(a), Election Code, is amended to
3-15 read as follows:
3-16 (a) The filing fee for a candidate for nomination in the
3-17 general primary election is as follows:
3-18 (1) United States senator ..................... $4,000
3-19 (2) office elected statewide, except United States
3-20 senator .................................. 3,000
3-21 (3) United States representative ............... 2,500
3-22 (4) state senator .............................. 1,000
3-23 (5) state representative ......................... 600
3-24 (6) member, State Board of Education ............. 250
3-25 (7) justice, supreme court; or chief justice or
3-26 justice, court of appeals, other than a justice
3-27 specified by Subdivision (8) ............. 1,500
4-1 (8) chief justice or justice of a court of appeals
4-2 that serves a court of appeals district in which
4-3 a county with a population of more than 850,000
4-4 is wholly or partly situated ............. 2,000
4-5 (9) district judge or judge specified by Section
4-6 52.092(d) for which this schedule does not
4-7 otherwise prescribe a fee ................ 1,200
4-8 (10) district or criminal district judge of a
4-9 court in a judicial district wholly contained
4-10 in a county with a population of more
4-11 than 850,000 ............................ 2,000
4-12 (11) judge, statutory county court, other than a judge
4-13 specified by Subdivision (12) ........... 1,200
4-14 (12) judge of a statutory county court in a county
4-15 with a population of more than 850,000 .. 2,000
4-16 (13) district attorney, criminal district attorney, or
4-17 county attorney performing the duties of a
4-18 district attorney ....................... 1,000
4-19 (14) county commissioner or judge, constitutional
4-20 county court:
4-21 (A) county with a population of 200,000 or
4-22 more ............................... 1,000
4-23 (B) county with a population of under
4-24 200,000 .............................. 600
4-25 (15) justice of the peace or constable:
4-26 (A) county with a population of 200,000 or
4-27 more ................................. 800
5-1 (B) county with a population of under
5-2 200,000 .............................. 300
5-3 (16) county surveyor, inspector of hides and animals,
5-4 or public weigher .......................... 50
5-5 (17) office of the county government for which this
5-6 schedule does not otherwise prescribe a
5-7 fee ....................................... 600
5-8 SECTION 4. (a) This Act takes effect January 1, 1995, but
5-9 only if the constitutional amendment proposed by the 73rd
5-10 Legislature, Regular Session, 1993, providing for the election of
5-11 justices to the supreme court from single-member districts is
5-12 approved by the voters.
5-13 (b) This Act applies only to primary and general elections
5-14 held on or after January 1, 1995.
5-15 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
5-16 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
5-17 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
5-18 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
5-19 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.