Texas Government: Executive & governor

Plural/split Executive

A form of state government in which many or most top executive branch officials win office through popular election, creating officeholders with significant independence from the governor

The Constitution of 1876 used this to place limitations on executive power

Article IV of the Texas Constitution

Plural executives in Texas.

Lieutenant Governor

Elected executive official who is first in line to succeed the governor and is the President of the Senate.

Greatest powers are legislative (this is relatively unique to Texas)

Elected every four years by the people of Texas (2018; 2022; 2026)

Next in line

Duties of the Lieutenant Governor

Appointing the committees of the Senate

Assigning bills to specific Senate committees

Casting the deciding vote in a tie in the Senate

Chair and vice-chairs of many legislative committees (i.e., the Legislative Budget Board and the Legislative Education Committee)

Member of the Legislative Redistricting Board

Notable Former Lieutenant Governors

Bob Bullock (1991-1999)

Democratic Lt. Governor for George W. Bush

Rick Perry (1999-2000)

First Republican LG since 1873

David Dewhurst (2003-2015)

Attorney General

State’s elected chief lawyer, who is responsible for defending the state in lawsuits and advising other state officials

Primarily concerned with civil matters and deals very little with criminal law at the state level

Provides opinions on the legality of a government action and laws; these opinions have the force of law

In charge of the state’s collection of child support

Elected every four years by the people of Texas (2018; 2022; 2016)

Attorney General oversees

Consumer Protection Division

Environmental Protection Division

Tort Litigation Division

Bankruptcy and Collections Divisions

TF: Attorney General can sue the federal government on behalf of the state

True

Former Attorney Generals

John Cornyn (1999-2002)

Greg Abbott (2002-2015)

Comptroller of Public Accounts

State’s elected chief tax collector, accountant, estimator of revenues, and treasurer (CFO).

Comptroller duties include:

Collecting taxes imposed by the state

Facilitating payment of those taxes by providing forms, schedule, and other taxpayer assistance

Returning abandoned money and property

Deliver revenue forecast and certify legislative budget

Elected every 4 years by the people of Texas (2018; 2022; 2026)

Balanced Budget Requirement

Constitutional requirement that the state’s spending in each fiscal year cannot exceed its revenues or income

Overriding the Comptroller’s BRE

Requires a 4/5ths majority in both chambers of the Texas Legislature

TF: The Comptroller’s BRE has been overridden a few times

False

Commissioner of the Land Office

Elected official in charge of administering use of all state-owned lands and the resources (i.e., energy) found in them

Head of the General Land Office

Land Commissioner duties include:

Monitoring environmental quality of public lands and water

Leasing public lands for mining, grazing, and oil and gas production

Operates the veterans’ land program

Elected every four years by the people of Texas (2018; 2022; 2026)

Authorizes exploration and exploitation of public lands

Must balance the use of natural resources to generate revenue with the sometimes competing goal of protecting and conserving the environment

Revenue from state lands important because

Texas collects no state income tax

Key portion of oil and gas royalties fund public education

Commissioner of Agriculture

Elected official who implements and enforces the state’s agricultural laws.

Position NOT enshrined in Texas Constitution, but created by legislative statute in 1907

Elected every four years by the people of Texas (2018; 2022; 2026)

Leads the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA)

The Texas Department of Agriculture:

Oversees administration of animal quarantine laws, inspection of food, and enforcement of disease- and pest-control programs

Checks weights and measures

Decisions have a major impact on large agribusiness