Last Part of Chapter 23 The Plural Executive

Last Part of Chapter 23

The Plural Executive Multiple independently elected positions Do not report to governor, may be of any party • Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Attorney General • Comptroller Public Accounts • Land Commissioner • Agriculture Commissioner • Secretary of State* • Railroad Commission (3) (governor appoints)

Elected Officials in Texas with Executive Responsibilities

The Plural Executive • Secretary of state • Chief election officer • In charge of registration • Collects election data from county judges and clerks • Maintains other state records, but largest role is with elections • Not comparable at all to U. S. secretary of state

The Plural Executive • Lieutenant governor • Powers in state constitution and state senate rules • Presides over Texas Senate • Performs as acting governor when governor is unable to perform duties • Chairs Legislative Budget Board • Breaks tie votes in Senate • Appoints Senate committees and chairs

The Plural Executive • Attorney general (AG) • State’s highest civil attorney • In charge of all civil cases where state is a party in the lawsuit • When state is sued, or when state sues • Can issue opinions for agencies that have the impact and force of law • Collects child support

The Plural Executive • Commissioner of General Land Office (GLO) • Texas owns or has mineral interests in 20. 3 million acres of land, plus all underwater lands 10 miles out from the coast. • Responsible for 18, 000+ producing oil wells • Responsible for awarding drilling exploration rights on state land • Protects environmental quality of state land water

The Plural Executive • Commissioner of agriculture • Enforces agricultural laws including quarantine laws, food inspection, disease and pest control programs, weights and measures

The Plural Executive • Comptroller of public accounts • Invests state money • Pension funds, debt, current accounts • Oversees taxation • Collection, current totals, projections • Estimates state revenues • Influences how much legislature can budget

Boards, Commissions, and Regulatory Agencies • Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) • Six-year terms, one member elected every other year • Regulate trucking, rail freight, oil and natural gas industries • Controlled production to maintain price stability • Today, the RRC no longer regulates railroads!

Sunset Advisory Commission • Sunset Advisory Commission (SAC) • Evaluates utility of state agencies • Once every 12 years, each agency can be abolished unless legislature votes to renew it. • Agencies must justify their existence. • Detail how they meet legislative mandates. • 58 agencies have expired under the SAC