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Transcript of Chapter 8
Chapter 8The TexasExecutive Branch
The Governor
• Texas governor position is weak by design– 1876 Constitution (currently in place) reaction to
overly powerful governor during Reconstruction
• Governor is one member of plural executive– Multiple elected offices independent of governor
•Unique to Texas, most state governors appoint and remove these executive positions (that Texans elect)
– Important functions outside governor’s authority•Budget most notably
The Governor
• To be successful, the governor must:– Use appointments well– Willing to veto, but also to negotiate
• Win support for policy agenda from legislators, interest groups, and other vested parties– Convince public to adopt vision for state– Since governors have limited power, it becomes
more important to be popular among voters.
The Governor
• Formal powers of Texas governor– Call special sessions of the legislature– Pardon criminals– Permit fugitives to be extradited– Appoint state board and commission
members– Veto acts of the legislature– Give the State of the State address– Declare martial law
The Governor
• Informal powers of Texas governor– Biggest power is the power to persuade– Address the legislature– Set the agenda for state government
•Cooperation/influence with legislature, agencies, boards/commissions
– Media covers governor statements and politics– By far, the most visible state government
official
The Governor
• Formal requirements to run– Thirty years of age– U.S. citizen– Resided in Texas for the prior five years
• Informal requirements (viable candidates)– Strong name recognition– Prior elected experience– Successful at fund-raising for campaign and
party– Support from national party
Governors of Texas and Their Terms of Office since 1874
Campaigns
• Campaigns usually start election year January
• Party primaries held in March• General elections in November
– Follow the national calendar
• Currently, GOP primaries more consequential than general election for statewide offices
• Candidates must fund-raise and make the rounds before then.
Campaigns
• State size makes governor campaigns expensive for two reasons:
• Travel distances to fund-raising and events– Rallies, editorial board meetings, debates
• Travel costs add up (air, gas, cars, hotel, meals, mobile tech)
• 20 different advertising media markets– Television and radio ads run by geographic
region•Even in online ad era, most money is spent on TV ads
Campaigns: Texas Media Markets
1. Abilene-Sweetwater2. Amarillo 3. Austin 4. Beaumont-Port Arthur 5. Corpus Christi 6. Dallas–Fort Worth 7. El Paso 8. Houston9. Laredo
10. Lubbock
11. Odessa-Midland 12. Rio Grande Valley13. San Angelo14. San Antonio15. Sherman-Ada16. Shreveport17. Tyler-Longview18. Victoria 19. Waco-Temple-Bryan20. Wichita Falls & Lawton
Governor Impeachment Process
• State constitution does not specify reasons for impeachment
• Majority of Texas House must vote to impeach
• Trial held by state Senate• Texas Supreme Court chief justice
presides• Two-thirds of state senators present must
vote to convict
Succession
• Lieutenant governor becomes governor if governor resigns, dies, or impeached– 1999 Gov. George W. Bush resigned to run
for the presidency, Lt. Governor Perry became governor
• Lt. governor becomes acting governor when governor is out of state or incapacitated
Compensation
• Annual salary $115,345
• Governor’s mansion• State limousine• Use state-owned
aircraft• Personal staff
Governor’s Staff
• About 250 staffers– Most are responsible for policy work.
•Topical experts, legislative lobbying– Some are on the political side.
•Schedulers, press secretaries–Not allowed to campaign; just like any
other office–State never pays for campaign events
or work
Executive Powers of the Governor
• Significant appointment power• In four-year term, governors make about
3,000 appointments• Approximately 200 boards,
commissions, and agencies oversee important state functions– Ex: University regents, Public Utility
Commission
Executive Powers of the Governor
• Appointees must be approved by the Senate.– Take office immediately after governor
appoints•Thus, in practice, Senate rejects more
than it ratifies.
• Senatorial courtesy– Senator from the appointee’s district must
approve of the appointment.
Budget Power
• The governor has a line-item veto.– Yet cannot impound or transfer funds– Once money has been appropriated by the
legislature, it must be spent.
• Governor has little authority over budgetary process other than the ability to veto.– Budgetary duties belong to others in the
plural executive and legislature.
Military Power
• Governor is commander in chief of Texas National Guard– Unless under the president’s command
•Wars and other crises, presidents call upon National Guard units
• Can declare martial law•Has been employed under extremely
devastating natural disasters (hurricanes) and riots
–Not used in over 70 years
Legislative Powers of the Governor
• Message power– State of the State address
•Outlines priorities for the next two years•Tries to set agenda and outline a budget
– Media attention to governor speeches and events
• Governors also lobby– International, national, and state policy makers
•Personally or via staffers•Advance policy agenda articulated during campaign
Legislative Powers of the Governor
• Veto power– Post-adjournment veto (“strong veto”)
•Veto after legislature ends session, preventing override
– Line-item veto•Gov. can veto specific elements of
appropriations bills.– Use depends on governor, legislature
partisanship• When governor and legislature majority are same
party, fewer policy disagreements, hence fewer vetoes.
Legislative Powers of the Governor
• Governor authority to call special sessions of the state legislature
• Legislature can be called to convene in special session at any time of the year– Sessions last 30 days
• Governor sets legislative policy agenda– Deal only with issues/policies governor identifies– Governor can recall unlimited number of
sessions
Judicial Powers of the Governor
• State judge vacancies filled by the governor– All state judges are elected, but many retire or
otherwise leave office during their tenure.– 95 percent of judges are re-elected, thus judges
appointed by governor likely to remain in office
• Governors can give 30-day stay of execution– Any other change to any sentence must first be
recommended by the Board of Pardons and Paroles
The Plural Executive
• 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
Elected Officials in Texas with Executive Responsibilities
Campaign Contributions in 2010and the Plural Executive
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
and 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
• Bureaucracy: complex structure of offices, tasks and rules employed by large-scale institutions to coordinate tasks and personnel
• At this point, Gov. Perry has appointed every single state bureaucratic appointee to every position the state constitution allows.– Over 10 years as governor, unprecedented
opportunities to appoint and influence state policy
Boards, Commissions, and Regulatory Agencies
• Multimember appointed boards– Appointed by governor and approved by
Senate– Examples: Dept. of Parks & Wildlife, Dept. of
Correction, Public Utilities Commission
• Single executive boards– Appointed by governor, approved by Senate
•Example: Dept. of Insurance has just one commissioner
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!
Boards, Commissions, and Regulatory Agencies
• State Board of Education (SBOE)– 15 members serving four-year terms– Elected in geographic districts representing
different state regions
• Recommend commissioner of education candidates to governor– Education commissioner oversees Texas
Education Agency (TEA)
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