The 78th Texas Legislature met from January 14 to June 2, 2003 in regular session, and in three called sessions in 2003, and a fourth called session in 2004. All members of the House of Representatives and all members of the Senate (15 to two-year terms, 16 to four-year terms) were elected in the 2002 general election, with seats apportioned among the 2000 United States census.

Sessions

  • 78th Regular session: January 14, 2003 – June 2, 2003
  • 78th First called session: June 30, 2003 – July 28, 2003
To consider legislation relating to congressional redistricting.
  • 78th Second called session: July 28, 2003 – August 26, 2003
To consider legislation relating to congressional redistricting.
  • 78th Third called session: September 15, 2003 – October 12, 2003
To consider legislation relating to congressional redistricting.
To consider legislation relating to state fiscal management, including adjustments to certain school district fiscal matters made necessary by recent changes in state fiscal management; making related appropriations.
To consider legislation relating to the dates of certain elections, the procedures for canvassing the ballots for an election, and the counting of certain ballots voted by mail.
To consider legislation modifying the filing period and related election dates for the primary elections in Texas.
To consider legislation relating to the financing, construction, improvement, maintenance, and operation of toll facilities by the Texas Department of Transportation and the disposition of money generated by the driver responsibility program, fines imposed for certain traffic offenses, and certain fees collected by the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas; making an appropriation.
To consider legislation relating to the reorganization of, efficiency in, and other reform measures applying to state government.
To consider legislation appropriating fees established by legislation from the 78th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature that remain unappropriated. This matter shall be strictly construed to only include fees that were established during that session of the legislature.
Legislation relating to making an appropriation for the purpose of returning to a fund outside of the state treasury cash that was transferred from the fund to the general revenue fund.
  • 78th Fourth called session: April 20, 2004 – May 17, 2004
To consider legislation that provides for performance based incentives to schools that attain higher levels of achievement.
To consider legislation that provides a cap on the growth in the appraisal values of homesteads for property tax purposes.
To consider legislation that provides a cap that is indexed to population and inflation on all property tax revenues received by local governments.
To consider legislation that provides reform of the property tax appraisal process, including having elected officials approve certification rolls, and requiring mandatory sales price disclosure of real property.
To consider legislation that provides for modifications to the recapture provisions of the school finance system, including but not limited to a constitutional amendment that links residential and non-residential tax rates at a lower level than provided by current law, providing for local enrichment.
To consider legislation that creates an Educational Excellence Fund to provide incentive funding, funding to maintain and enhance equity, and greater funding to address the needs of students with limited English proficiency.
To consider legislation on education reforms and property tax reduction proposals that benefit the school children and property tax payers of Texas.
To consider legislation that provides for an increase in cigarette and tobacco product taxes and fees and dedicating the revenue derived from the increase to the Educational Excellence Fund and for school property tax relief for taxpayers.
To consider legislation and amendments to the constitution that authorize and allow the placement and licensing of video lottery terminals at licensed racetracks and certain Indian reservations, providing that the revenue derived from such activity is dedicated to the Educational Excellence Fund, providing that the racetracks and tribes sign a contract with the state.
To consider legislation that privatizes the collection of delinquent taxes.
To consider legislation that provides for a reasonable tax and fees on certain adult entertainment venues.
To consider legislation that provides for an acceleration in the collection of tax revenues.
To consider legislation that reduces fraud in the sale of automobiles.
To consider legislation that closes loopholes in the franchise tax and dedicates the revenue from closing the loopholes to the Educational Excellence Fund and for school property tax relief for taxpayers.

Party summary

Senate

Affiliation Members Note
  Republican Party 19
  Democratic Party 12
Total 31

House of Representatives

Affiliation Members Note
  Republican Party 88
  Democratic Party 62
Total 150

Officers

Senate

House of Representatives

Members

Members of the Seventy-eighth Texas Legislature at the beginning of the regular session, January 14, 2003:

Senate

DistrictSenatorPartyTook office
1 Bill Ratliff Republican 1989
2 Bob Deuell Republican 2003
3 Todd Staples Republican 2000
4 Tommy Williams Republican 2003
5 Steve Ogden Republican 1997
6 Mario Gallegos, Jr. Democrat 1995
7 Jon Lindsay Republican 1997
8 Florence Shapiro Republican 1993
9 Chris Harris Republican 1991
10 Kim Brimer Republican 2003
11 Mike Jackson Republican 1999
12 Jane Nelson Republican 1993
13 Rodney Ellis Democrat 1990
14 Gonzalo Barrientos Democrat 1985
15 John Whitmire Democrat 1983
16 John J. Carona Republican June 1996
17 Kyle Janek Republican November 2002
18 Kenneth L. Armbrister Democrat 1987
19 Frank L. Madla Democrat 1993
20 Chuy Hinojosa Democrat 2003
21 Judith Zaffirini Democrat 1987
22 Kip Averitt Republican April 2002
23 Royce West Democrat 1993
24 Troy Fraser Republican 1997
25 Jeff Wentworth Republican 1993
26 Leticia R. Van de Putte Democrat 1999
27 Eddie Lucio, Jr. Democrat 1991
28 Robert L. Duncan Republican December 1996
29 Eliot Shapleigh Democrat 1997
30 Craig Estes Republican December 2001
31 Teel Bivins Republican 1989

House of Representatives

DistrictRepresentativePartyTook office
1 Barry B. Telford Democrat 1986
2 Dan Flynn Republican 2003
3 Mark Homer Democrat 1999
4 Betty Brown Republican 1999
5 Bryan Hughes Republican 2003
6 Leo Berman Republican 1999
7 Tommy Merritt Republican 1997
8 Byron Cook Republican 2003
9 Wayne Christian Republican 1996
10 Jim Pitts Republican 1993
11 Chuck Hopson Democrat 2001
12 Jim McReynolds Democrat 1997
13 Lois Kolkhorst Republican 2001
14 Fred Brown Republican 1999
15 Rob Eissler Republican 2003
16 Ruben Hope, Jr. Republican 1999
17 Robby Cook Democrat 1997
18 Dan Ellis Democrat 1998
19 Tuffy Hamilton Republican 2003
20 Dan Gattis Republican 2003
21 Allan Ritter Democrat 1999
22 Joe Deshotel Democrat 1999
23 Craig Eiland Democrat 1995
24 Larry Taylor Republican 2003
25 Dennis Bonnen Republican 1997
26 Charles F. "Charlie" Howard Republican 1995
27 Dora Olivo Democrat 1997
28 Glenn Hegar Republican 2003
29 Glenda Dawson Republican 2003
30 Geanie Morrison Republican 1999
31 Ryan Guillen Democrat 2003
32 Gene Seaman Republican 1997
33 Vilma Luna Democrat 1993
34 Jaime Capelo Democrat 1998
35 Gabi Canales Democrat 2003
36 Kino Flores Democrat 1997
37 Rene O. Oliveira Democrat 1991 (first time: 1981–1987)
38 Jim Solis Democrat 1993
39 Miguel Wise Democrat 1996
40 Aaron Pena Democrat 2003
41 Roberto Gutierrez Democrat 1992
42 Richard Raymond Democrat 2001 (first time: 1993–1999)
43 Irma Rangel Democrat 1976
44 Edmund Kuempel Republican 1983
45 Patrick Rose Democrat 2003
46 Dawnna Dukes Democrat 1995
47 Terry Keel Republican 1997
48 Todd Baxter Republican 2003
49 Elliott Naishtat Democrat 1991
50 Jack Stick Republican 2003
51 Eddie Rodriguez Democrat 2003
52 Mike Krusee Republican 1993
53 Harvey Hilderbran Republican 1989
54 Suzanna Gratia Hupp Republican 1996
55 Dianne Delisi Republican 1991
56 John Mabry Democrat 2003
57 Jim Dunnam Democrat 1997
58 Arlene Wohlgemuth Republican 1994
59 Sid Miller Republican 2001
60 Jim Keffer Republican 1997
61 Phil King Republican 1999
62 Larry Phillips Republican 2003
63 Mary Denny Republican 1993
64 Myra Crownover Republican 2000
65 Burt Solomons Republican 1995
66 Brian McCall Republican 1991
67 Jerry Madden Republican 1993
68 Rick Hardcastle Republican 1999
69 David Farabee Democrat 1999
70 Ken Paxton Republican 2003
71 Robert Dean Hunter Republican 1986
72 Scott Campbell Republican 2003
73 Carter Casteel Republican 2003
74 Pete P. Gallego Democrat 1991
75 Chente Quintanilla Democrat 2003
76 Norma Chavez Democrat 1997
77 Paul C. Moreno Democrat 1975 (first time: 1967–1973)
78 Pat Haggerty Republican 1989
79 Joe C. Pickett Democrat 1995
80 Timo Garza Democrat 2003
81 Buddy West Republican 1993
82 Tom Craddick Republican 1969
83 Delwin Jones Republican 1989 (first time: 1965–1981)
84 Carl H. Isett Republican 1997
85 Pete Laney Democrat 1973
86 John Smithee Republican 1985
87 David Swinford Republican 1991
88 Warren Chisum Republican 1989
89 Jodie Anne Laubenberg Republican 2003
90 Lon Burnam Democrat 1997
91 Bob E. Griggs Republican 2003
92 Todd Smith Republican 1997
93 Toby Goodman Republican 1991
94 Kent Grusendorf Republican 1987
95 Glenn Lewis Democrat 1994
96 Bill Zedler Republican 2003
97 Anna Mowery Republican 1988
98 Vicki Truitt Republican 1999
99 Charlie Geren Republican 2001
100 Terri Hodge Democrat 1997
101 Elvira Reyna Republican 1993
102 Tony Goolsby Republican 1989
103 Steven D. Wolens Democrat 1996
104 Roberto R. Alonzo Democrat 2003 (first time: 1993–1997)
105 Linda Harper-Brown Republican 2003
106 Ray Allen Republican 1993
107 Bill Keffer Republican 2002
108 Dan Branch Republican 2003
109 Helen Giddings Democrat 1993
110 Jesse W. Jones Democrat 1993
111 Yvonne Davis Democrat 1993
112 Fred Hill Republican 1989
113 Joe Driver Republican 1993
114 Will Ford Hartnett Republican 1991
115 Kenny Marchant Republican 1986
116 Trey Martinez Fischer Democrat 2001
117 Ken Mercer Republican 2003
118 Carlos Uresti Democrat 1997
119 Robert R. Puente Democrat 1991
120 Ruth McClendon Democrat 1996
121 Elizabeth Ames Jones Republican 2000
122 Frank Corte, Jr. Republican 1993
123 Mike Villarreal Democrat 2000
124 Jose Menendez Democrat 2001
125 Joaquin Castro Democrat 2003
126 Peggy Hamric Republican 1991
127 Joe Crabb Republican 1993
128 Wayne Smith Republican 2003
129 John E. Davis Republican 1999
130 Corbin Van Arsdale Republican 2003
131 Ron Wilson Democrat 1976
132 Bill Callegari Republican 2001
133 Joe Nixon Republican 1995
134 Martha Wong Republican 2003
135 Gary Elkins Republican 1995
136 Beverly Woolley Republican 1995
137 Scott Hochberg Democrat 1993
138 Dwayne Bohac Republican 2003
139 Sylvester Turner Democrat 1989
140 Kevin Bailey Democrat 1991
141 Senfronia Thompson Democrat 1973
142 Harold V. Dutton, Jr. Democrat 1985
143 Joe E. Moreno Democrat 1998
144 Robert Talton Republican 1993
145 Rick Noriega Democrat 1999
146 Al Edwards Democrat 1979
147 Garnet Coleman Democrat 1991
148 Jessica Farrar Democrat 1995
149 Talmadge L. Heflin Republican 1992
150 Debbie Riddle Republican 2002

^ : In the 2002 General Election, Ron Clark won the District 62 seat but declined it, having received an appointment as a United States federal judge. Phillips was elected prior to the start of the regular session.

Membership Changes

Senate

District Outgoing
Senator		 Reason for Vacancy Successor Date of Successor's Installation
District 1 Bill Ratliff Retirement.
Senator Ratliff resigned effective January 10, 2004 for personal reasons.		 Kevin Eltife March 5, 2004
District 31 Teel Bivins Resignation.
Senator Bivins resigned effective January 12, 2004 after being appointed
U.S. Ambassador to Sweden by President George W. Bush.		 Kel Seliger March 2, 2003
  • ^ District 1: A special election was held on January 20, 2004. No candidate received a majority of the votes on that date, so the top two candidates faced each other in a runoff on February 17, 2004. Kevin Eltife received a majority of the vote and was sworn in on March 5, 2004.
  • ^ District 31: A special election was held on January 20, 2004. No candidate received a majority of the votes on that date, so the top two candidates faced each other in a runoff on February 17, 2004. Kel Seliger received a majority of the vote and was sworn in on March 2, 2004.

House of Representatives

District Outgoing
Representative		 Reason for Vacancy Successor Date of Successor's Installation
District 43 Irma Rangel Representative Rangel died on March 18, 2003. Juan Manuel Escobar May 9, 2003
District 62 Ron Clark Representative Clark declined his seat after accepting appointment as
United States federal judge.		 Larry Phillips January 14, 2003
  • ^ District 43: A special election was held on April 15, 2003. No candidate received a majority of the votes on that date, so the top two candidates faced each other in a runoff on May 6, 2003. Juan Manuel Escobar won the runoff and was sworn in 3 days later, on May 9, 2003.
  • ^ District 62: Representative Clark was elected in the 2002 General Election, but resigned before re-taking the oath of office for the Seventy-eighth Legislature. A special election was held on December 14, 2002. No candidate received a majority of the votes on that date, so the top two candidates faced each other in a runoff on January 7, 2002. Larry Phillips won the runoff and was sworn in at the opening of the regular session.
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