Last Part of Chapter 23

The Plural Executive Multiple independently elected positions Governor Attorney General Land Commissioner Secretary of State* (governor appoints) Lieutenant Governor Comptroller Public Accounts Agriculture Commissioner Railroad Commission (3) Multiple independently elected positions Do not report to governor, may be of any party Consider the implications of having different partisans in these positions. It is very different than the federal government (and other states) where presidents will appoint those who agree with his policy agenda. Limitations: potential for conflict is greater due to independent elections, individual officeholder career ambitions, and potential partisan differences. Advantages: public accountability (via elections) higher for multiple functions; potentially stronger expertise in each department/function.

Elected Officials in Texas with Executive Responsibilities TABLE 24.2 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 Students may confuse the federal secretary of state with a state one, and the jobs, although they share the same name, are completely different. Elections require thousands of workers to do their jobs properly, and when things go wrong, rightly or not, the secretary of state is the person looked at to rectify the problem.

The Plural Executive Lieutenant governor Presides over Texas Senate 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 and water

The Plural Executive Commissioner of agriculture Enforces agricultural laws including quarantine laws, food inspection, disease and pest control programs, weights and measures This position may seem tedious, but in an era of salmonella and mad cow disease, overseeing the vast agribusiness of Texas is an enormous task and a high stakes one as well, since poor prevention can lead not only to an enormous outbreak but very costly responses and a huge public relations disaster.

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 1. This is the kind of position that could cause tremendous conflict with a governor who has a different view or approach to these tasks. 2. This is also the kind of job that most other states would vest in the governor’s office, or one of the governor’s appointees.

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