{"id":31603,"date":"2013-10-03T09:38:40","date_gmt":"2013-10-03T14:38:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/?p=31603"},"modified":"2013-10-03T09:38:40","modified_gmt":"2013-10-03T14:38:40","slug":"railroad-commission-candidates-promise-to-stick-around-awhile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/10\/03\/railroad-commission-candidates-promise-to-stick-around-awhile\/","title":{"rendered":"Railroad Commission Candidates Promise to Stick Around Awhile"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"RRC-Docs-2_jpg_800x1000_q100\"From the Texas Tribune:\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

At a meeting of the Conservative Political Action Conference last week in St. Louis, Charlie Kirk, executive director of the free-market group Turning Point USA, introduced state Rep.\u00a0<\/a>Stefani Carter<\/a>\u00a0as a leader who will one day prompt folks to muse, \u201cAh, I remember when I saw her.\u201d<\/p>\n

For most public office-seekers, being known as a rising star would boost their chances. But the seat Carter seeks is different. She\u2019s campaigning \u2014 against a wide field of candidates \u2014 to replace attorney general candidate Barry Smitherman<\/a> on the Texas Railroad Commission, the powerful oil and gas regulatory agency that\u2019s widely known \u2014 and sometimes derided \u2014 as a launching pad for higher office.<\/a>\u00a0Leaders in the oil and gas industry, who are largely responsible for bankrolling the candidates\u2019 campaigns, say they are frustrated by the seemingly constant turnover at the agency, and they are looking for candidates who plan to serve their full terms.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe industry and the state deserves someone who’s going to stay a full six years,\u201d\u00a0said Bill Stevens, a consultant with the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.<\/p>\n

For ambitious young candidates like the 35-year-old Carter and two of her opponents \u2014 Malachi Boyuls, 34, and Ryan Sitton<\/a>,\u00a038 \u2014 six years might seem like an eternity, and assuring voters they plan to stick around could prove challenging. In interviews with The Texas Tribune, those candidates and their four other opponents in the Republican primary each promised to serve at least one full term. (No Democrat has entered the race.)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carter, who said she entered the race \u201cto spread the conservative message,\u201d said, \u201cI don\u2019t see the commission as a stepping stone whatsoever.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not unusual for commissioners to campaign for higher office while still at the agency. It’s a statewide office that gives its holders a chance to meet deep-pocketed leaders of an industry that makes up some 25 percent of the state economy. In recent decades, the Railroad Commission has churned out comptrollers, university chancellors, a U.S. ambassador to Mexico, an education commissioner and failed candidates for Congress and the Texas Legislature.<\/p>\n

None of the three current commissioners has yet served three years. Smitherman, whom Gov.\u00a0Rick Perry<\/a> appointed in July 2011 to succeed Texas Education Commissioner Michael L. Williams<\/a>, is already set to leave.\u00a0
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

That speedy turnover rate has rankled industry members and some lawmakers. Last year, it was a subject of discussion for the Sunset Advisory Commission, which periodically evaluates the operations of state agencies. The group<\/a> recommended<\/a>\u00a0legislation that would require commissioners\u00a0to resign before campaigning for another office, while\u00a0restricting how they could collect campaign donations. The proposals ulitimately failed, drawing criticism that they unfairly singled out commissioners with stricter ethics rules than any other officeholders must meet.<\/p>\n

Stevens said stability at the Railroad Commission is important, because the agency deals with such technical issues \u2014 inspecting well and pipeline integrity, for instance \u2014 that have a steep learning curve.<\/p>\n

Observers also say the long-underfunded agency has finally turned the corner in securing resources to help it upgrade antiquated technology that has hampered its ability to keep up with a booming industry. Continued turnover, they worry, could slow progress.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t blame [candidates] for having ambition,\u201d said David Blackmon, managing director at FTI Consulting, but \u201cyou want to be able to keep that momentum.\u201d<\/p>\n

All of the candidates said they understand the concerns and plan to stay for the long haul if elected. \u201c[Voters] don\u2019t want someone who is immediately going to leave,\u201d said Boyuls, a Dallas businessman and former regulatory attorney.<\/p>\n

Becky Berger, a cowboy hat-wearing oil and gas geologist who is making her second attempt for a seat, said she is \u201cseriously upset\u201d by the revolving door. \u201cWe need someone who is willing to stay and mind the store,\u201d she said, promising she would do so \u201cuntil they vote me out of office or drag me out dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe Pool Jr.<\/a>, who lost a Texas Supreme Court bid in 2012, said he \u201chates\u201d the recent trends. \u201cIf you want a snappy quote, here\u2019s one,\u201d he said. \u201cI will affirm a six-year term.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sitton, an oil and gas engineer who lost a Texas House bid in 2012, said he would stay at least six years because dealing with the industry is something he\u00a0\u201cloves doing.\u201d Should those plans change, he promised to return his salary.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Ray Keller and Wayne Christian<\/a>, former legislators who are both in their 60s, said service on the commission would cap their careers. \u201cMy life plan doesn\u2019t include moving up,\u201d\u00a0Christian said.<\/p>\n

Texas Tribune donors or members may be quoted or mentioned in their stories, or may be the subject of them. For a complete list of contributors, click here<\/a>.<\/em><\/h5>\n
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune<\/a> at http:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2013\/10\/03\/railroad-commission-candidates-promise-full-terms\/<\/a>.<\/em><\/h5>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From the Texas Tribune:\u00a0 At a meeting of the Conservative Political Action Conference last week in St. Louis, Charlie Kirk, executive director of the free-market group Turning Point USA, introduced state Rep.\u00a0Stefani Carter\u00a0as a leader who will one day prompt folks to muse, \u201cAh, I remember when I saw her.\u201d For most public office-seekers, being […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[60],"tags":[50],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31603"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/50"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31603"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31603\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31707,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31603\/revisions\/31707"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}