Barbecue Patriot asked a direct question that gets to the heart of post-independence governance: “What changes would occur in the Texas House and Senate after independence?”
The short answer: The Texas House and Senate would continue operating as an independent Texas Republic’s bicameral legislature, but with constitutional amendments to reflect national sovereignty rather than statehood.
The Bottom Line Up Front
According to Texas Nationalist Movement President Daniel Miller, Texas doesn’t need to start from scratch. The current 31-member Senate and 150-member House would remain the foundation of an independent Texas Congress, but constitutional changes would address the transition from state to national government.
Miller outlined four categories of post-independence changes during recent TNM discussions: constitutional amendments, statutory changes, international agreements, and negotiated issues with the federal government. The legislative structure falls squarely in the constitutional amendment category.
What Would Change
The most fundamental change would be renaming. The “Texas Legislature” would likely become the “Texas Congress,” following the precedent of the Republic of Texas Congress (1836-1845), which operated as a bicameral legislature modeled on the U.S. Congress.
Constitutional amendments would remove all references to federal authority and add powers currently handled by Washington. This includes authorizing foreign relations, defense agreements, and international trade negotiations. The legislature would gain authority over immigration policy, monetary policy, and regulatory frameworks currently controlled by federal agencies.
Office terminology would shift to reflect national status. While the Governor might become President, legislative titles could remain unchanged or evolve to reflect Texas’s unique constitutional tradition.
Potential Structural Reforms
Independence would create the ideal opportunity for structural improvements that are politically impossible under current conditions. Miller has discussed several possibilities, though he emphasizes these would be decided democratically by Texans after independence.
One significant change could affect the Speaker of the House, currently chosen by House members rather than voters. Making this position directly elected would increase accountability and reduce insider dealing.
Some have proposed expanding the House from 150 to 254 seats—one representative per county—to ensure rural areas maintain proportional voice in an independent Texas. Others suggest reforming how statewide officials are elected, potentially using Senate districts rather than statewide popular vote to balance urban and rural influence.
Miller notes that Texas doesn’t have a “true Senate” since both chambers represent population rather than political entities. An independent Texas could restructure the Senate to represent counties or regions, similar to how the U.S. Senate represents states.
Historical Precedent
Newly independent countries commonly establish legislative structures through constitutional conventions or amendments. Countries like New Zealand converted from bicameral to unicameral systems, while others like South Africa restructured their upper chamber to represent territorial units rather than populations.
The original Republic of Texas operated a bicameral Congress with 45-90 House members and 19-33 Senators, scaled appropriately for the population. An independent Texas with nearly 30 million people would likely maintain larger chambers than the original Republic.
The Constitutional Amendment Process
These changes would follow Texas’s established constitutional amendment procedures: a two-thirds vote in both chambers, followed by ratification through a majority vote of Texas citizens. The process ensures democratic approval while providing clear legal mechanisms for transition.
Miller emphasizes that the current Texas Constitution provides the foundation for independence rather than requiring complete replacement. Article III already establishes the bicameral structure that would continue under independence.
Democratic Decisions, Not Mandates
The key point Miller stresses: these structural changes would be decided by Texans through democratic processes, not imposed by independence itself. The appetite for major reforms remains uncertain, but independence would create the political space for conversations currently impossible under federal constraints.
What’s certain is that the Texas House and Senate would continue serving as the legislative branch of an independent Texas Republic. The question isn’t whether they would exist, but how they might be improved to better serve a free and independent Texas nation.
The transition from state legislature to national Congress represents evolution, not revolution—building on Texas’s proven governmental foundation while adapting to the responsibilities of national sovereignty.
