The legislative process is cumbersome and frustrating, but almost everything happens in the light of day, all interest groups get to participate, and there are few secrets. JS: Also during this legislative session we've been hearing from listeners who want to know they have some questions about things going on at the Capitol, and we've got a really interesting question from somebody recently I want to read it to you. Governor Abbott has been consistently clear on his desire for a reliable grid and the 87th Texas Legislature laid out a detailed road map to that goal, PUC spokesperson Andrew Barlow said in response to questions about Abbotts letter. In contrast to his predecessor, Abbott, a jurist with no legislative experience, found other avenues to interpret and stretch the law. And the Department of Justice is investigating potential civil rights violations related to Abbotts directive to prosecute immigrants for trespassing. Mimi Swartz is a staff writer based in Houston. [Solved] Should the governor of Texas have more power | Course Hero 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. In Texas, The Governor Has Unchecked Veto Power. | TPR And thats why I think you can look at a whole variety of his actions as violating the constitution. The governors office operates out of public view, people do get shut out, and secrecy is demanded. He was able to do so by using his power under a disaster declaration that he first issued when Hurricane Harvey pummeled the state in 2017. Abbott completed his sixth year in office in January, which means he's the one who has given all of the state's top bureaucrats their jobs. It has the exact same effect as a letter or a phone call but shows the importance to the general public.. As a result, it is more difficult for the governor of Texas to govern and to lead the state, compared to governors in other states. He has consolidated power like no Texas governor in recent history, at times circumventing the GOP-controlled state Legislature and overriding local officials. When COVID-19 struck, some counties began releasing prisoners to try to reduce jail populations. The measure was mostly symbolic because only Abbott has the power to decide what topics will be addressed in a special session and Seligers bill was not among them. The legislative branch has more power than the executive branch has in Texas. That brings us to Greg Abbott, another Republican whose party controls state government. And because voters kept Perryin office for 14 years, every board member and commissioner in state government owed his or her appointment to him. JS: That's for a special legislative session. The LBB is lead jointly by the speaker of the . A more powerful governor might be able to better streamline and coordinate the processes of running the state. Additionally, the governor shares power with other people in the executive branch, including the Lieutenant Governor and the Attorney General. Texas governors appoint the boards that hire the agency heads who make the rules that describe which behaviors are lawful and which ones are not. Abbotts power consolidation came to a head last year as his administration embarked on the states most ambitious and costly border initiative to date. He began testing the limits of his executive power quickly after his election. So the questioner says Greg Abbott Texas Gov. For instance, state agencies must typically seek public comment before publishing final regulations in areas such as the environment and education.