Governor Assignment
The governor of Texas is considered relatively weak by national standards. Texas has a plural executive, meaning voters elect a lot of the executive branch officials (comptroller, agriculture commissioner, land commissioner, lieutenant governor, attorney general, etc.) independently. The governor, therefore, has little control over the executive branch of state government, since the guys who run it mostly don’t report to him – they answer only to the voters.
One area where the governor holds real power, though, is in the legislative process. The Texas Constitution allows the governor to call the state legislature into special session and gives him the sole power to set the session’s agenda. Bills on subjects not included in the governor’s “call” cannot be considered. The Constitution also allows the governor the power to veto bills passed by the legislature. While the legislature technically has the power to override his veto with a 2/3 vote, he generally vetoes bills after the legislature has adjourned – making the threat of an override meaningless.
The Constitutional Deadline (https://law.justia.com/constitution/texas/sections/cn000400-001400.html) for Governor Greg Abbott to veto bills passed by the last regular session of the Texas Legislature was Sunday, June 18, 2017. He vetoed a total of 50 bills.
Your assignment:
Take a look at the bills vetoed by Governor Abbott in 2017:
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/Reports/Report.aspx?LegSess=85R&ID=vetoedbygov
Pick three. Write one essay explaining what each bill did, why Governor Abbott vetoed it, and whether or not you agree with the governor’s decision.
Submit this assignment in Microsoft Word. Cite your sources.
Additional Resources
Governor Abbott’s official veto proclamations can be found on his website: http://gov.texas.gov/news/bills
The Texas Tribune is always a good source of information: https://www.texastribune.org/2017/06/15/gov-greg-abbott-vetoes-50-bills-passed-texas-legislature
Texas’ Legislative Reference Library has a website that lets you look at governors’ vetoes all the way back to 1846: http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legis/vetoes
The Austin American-Statesman had a lot to say: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/state–regional-govt–politics/gov-greg-abbott-veto-choices-show-disdain-for-austin-lawmakers-say/5f9kPBHq5u6CesKJJWYXZO