why is the texas attorney general such a powerful office

How are attorneys general of Texas appointed?

Feb 07, 2022 · About KEN PAXTON. Ken Paxton is the 51st Attorney General of Texas. He was elected on November 4, 2014, and sworn into office on January 5, 2015. As the state’s top law enforcement officer, Attorney General Paxton leads more than 4,000 employees in 38 divisions and 117 offices around Texas. That includes nearly 750 attorneys, who handle more than …

Why hire an attorney general attorney?

The Texas Constitution gives the attorney general no general law-enforcement powers; instead it limits the attorney general's authority in criminal cases to that dictated by statute. The Texas Legislature has not given the attorney general broad law-enforcement authority, but permits the attorney general to act in criminal cases "at the request of" prosecutors.

What did the Texas Attorney General do to fight human trafficking?

Oct 16, 2014 · Today, they talk about the office that some people say is the most powerful one in the state of Texas: the lieutenant governor. Ben: So here's what a lieutenant governor can do, and why those powers are considered so important. First up, the lieutenant governor gets to be governor if the governor dies and even if the governor just leaves the ...

Why is the Texas Attorney General important?

The main responsibilities of the Office of the Attorney General are defending the State of Texas and its duly elected laws by providing legal representation to the State, serving the children of Texas through the enforcement of the state's child support laws, securing justice for Texans, protecting Texans from waste, ...

What is the purpose of the attorney general's position in power?

The Attorney General's responsibilities include safeguarding Californians from harm and promoting community safety, preserving California's spectacular natural resources, enforcing civil rights laws, and helping victims of identity theft, mortgage-related fraud, illegal business practices, and other consumer crimes.

What powers does the US attorney general have?

Attorney General Powers and ResponsibilitiesIssuing formal opinions to state agencies.Acting as public advocates in areas such as child support enforcement, consumer protections, antitrust and utility regulation.Proposing legislation.Enforcing federal and state environmental laws.More items...

Who does the Texas attorney general represent?

Attorney General Ken Paxton is the lawyer for the State of Texas and is charged by the Texas Constitution to: defend the laws and the Constitution of the State of Texas. represent the State in litigation. approve public bond issues.

What is the role of the Attorney General Brainly?

He is the lawyer who attends the case from side of government in the supreme court.Nov 14, 2018

How many attorney generals are there in the US?

Of the 50 Attorneys General, 25 do not have a formal provision specifying the number of terms allowed. Of the 44 elected attorneys general, all serve four-year terms with the exception of Vermont, who serves a two-year term. 11 face a two term limit, otherwise unspecified.

Who appoints the US attorney general?

the president of the United StatesThe attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States. Under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution, the officeholder is nominated by the president of the United States, then appointed with the advice and consent of the United States Senate.

How many attorney generals are there in Texas?

OfficeholdersNo.NameTerm of service47Dan Morales1991–199948John Cornyn1999–200249Greg Abbott2002–201550Ken Paxton2015–present46 more rows

Who is the Texas Attorney General where did they earn their law degree?

Sutarwalla comes to the Office of the Attorney General of Texas with more than 14 years of experience in the private sector. He received his law degree from the University of Chicago and graduated with two undergraduate degrees from the University of Texas.

What does an attorney do?

An attorney, also called a lawyer, advises clients and represents them and their legal rights in both criminal and civil cases. This can begin with imparting advice, then proceed with preparing documents and pleadings and sometimes, ultimately, appearing in court to advocate on behalf of clients.Nov 19, 2019

What is Attorney General Paxton's approach to protecting the health and safety of Texasans?

Attorney General Paxton has also been aggressive in his approach to protecting the health and safety of Texans from illegal synthetic drugs. His office has filed more than a dozen lawsuits to block the sale of synthetic cannabinoids (known as Kush and Spice) in Texas.

What did Attorney General Paxton do to the Obama Clean Power Plan?

Attorney General Paxton led a successful multistate coalition against the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, which would have increased consumer prices for electricity and weakened the power grid in Texas. Most recently, a U.S. District Court agreed with his 20-state coalition lawsuit holding Obamacare unconstitutional.

How many employees does Attorney General Paxton have?

He was re-elected to a second term in 2018. As the state’s top law enforcement officer, Attorney General Paxton leads more than 4,000 employees in 38 divisions and 117 offices around Texas.

How much money did the Texas Department of Revenue collect in 2020?

In fiscal year 2020, the division collected more than $4.8 billion for Texas families – an unprecedented amount in one year by any state. This success helped Texas taxpayers avoid over $1 billion in additional public assistance costs. Attorney General Paxton is focused on protecting Texans and upholding Texas laws and the Constitution.

How many lawsuits did Obama file against the government?

Fighting federal overreach, he filed 27 lawsuits against the Obama administration during a two-year stretch, of which six were heard in the U.S. Supreme Court. He's obtained an injunction or other winning ruling in more than 75 percent of the cases he's brought against the federal government.

What did stopping the EPA's water rule preserve?

Stopping the EPA's “Waters of the United States” rule preserved Texans' ability to regulate their own natural resources, including ponds, puddles and streams on private property. Businesses were protected and jobs preserved in Texas when Attorney General Paxton prevailed against the Department of Labor’s “Overtime” rule.

Where is Senator John Paulson's wife?

In 2012, he was elected to the Texas state Senate, representing Senate District 8 in Collin and Dallas counties. He met his wife Angela while they were students at Baylor. She is the state Senator for District 8 and a former teacher and guidance counselor at Legacy Christian Academy in Frisco.

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Attorney General Ken Paxton’s position is clear that the governor’s orders and state law apply to all Texans and protect their right to make

Liberty and Justice for Texas

We regularly identify unique threats to Texas—and we take action to defeat them.

About KEN PAXTON

Ken Paxton is the 51st Attorney General of Texas. He was elected on November 4, 2014, and sworn into office on January 5, 2015.

How long is the term of the Texas Attorney General?

The attorney general is elected to a four-year term. In 2013, former Attorney General Greg Abbott announced he would not seek reelection and would run for governor. In November 2014, he was elected as the governor of Texas. Ken Paxton defeated former House Representative Dan Branch in the Republican primary by a 26% margin ...

What building houses the Attorney General's office?

The William P. Clements State Office Building houses the Attorney General offices. The Office of the Attorney General was first established by executive ordinance of the Republic of Texas government in 1836.

What is the role of the Attorney General?

The attorney general is charged by the state constitution to represent the state in civil litigation and approve public bond issues. There are nearly 2,000 references to the Office of the Attorney General in state laws.

What is the law enforcement division in Texas?

In addition, the Law Enforcement Division is the state of Texas liaison to Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The office is also charged with proceedings to secure child support through its Child Support Division.

When was Paxton sworn in?

Paxton was sworn in on January 5, 2015, in the Senate Chamber in the Texas Capitol. Governor Rick Perry, Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, United States Senator Ted Cruz, and Lieutenant Governor-Elect Dan Patrick all participated in the swearing-in ceremony.

Who is the 50th attorney general of Texas?

Ken Paxton defeated former House Representative Dan Branch in the Republican primary by a 26% margin and was elected easily in the general election as the 50th attorney general of Texas, (there is a historical dispute whether he is the 50th or 51st attorney general). Paxton was sworn in on January 5, 2015, in the Senate Chamber in the Texas Capitol.

Does the Texas Constitution give the Attorney General powers?

The Texas Constitution gives the attorney general no general law-enforcement powers; instead it limits the attorney general's authority in criminal cases to that dictated by statute. The Texas Legislature has not given the attorney general broad law-enforcement authority, but permits the attorney general to act in criminal cases "at ...

Who is the political reporter for KUT?

And to help you head to the polls with as much information as possible, KUT's Nathan Bernier and political reporter Ben Philpott have been giving you a rundown of some of the state's key races, along with telling you just what the offices in question actually do. Today, they talk about the office that some people say is the most powerful one in ...

Who appoints all committee chairs of the Senate committees?

So that's nice, but according to the LBJ School's Sherri Greenberg, it's not where the power of the office lies. "The lieutenant governor appoints all the committee chairs of the committees in the Senate, determines where the bills are going to be sent and to what committees and the timing.

Can you be the governor of Texas if you are not physically in the state?

Cookie policy. The Texas Constitution says you can't be the governor of Texas when you're not physically in the state. So when Governor Rick Perry was on the road hitting several national news programs last week, current Lt. Governor David Dewhurst was acting governor.

What is the role of the Attorney General of Texas?

The main responsibilities of the Office of the Attorney General are defending the State of Texas and its duly elected laws by providing legal representation to the State, serving the children of Texas through the enforcement of the state’s child support laws, securing justice for Texans, protecting Texans from waste, fraud, and abuse, and safeguarding the freedoms of Texans as guaranteed by the United States and Texas constitutions.

What is the OAG in Texas?

To fulfill the agency’s constitutional and statutory responsibilities, the OAG provides legal representation, counsel, and assistance to fulfill the needs of the State of Texas and its authorized entities and employees, including state officers, state agencies, and institutions of higher education. The OAG responds to the litigation needs ...

What is the state of Texas for child support?

Child Support. As the statutorily-designated child support enforcement agency for the State of Texas, the Office of the Attorney General Child Support Division (CSD) is responsible for the establishment and enforcement of child support. All states that receive federal funding for Temporary Assistance.

How many divisions are there in the Attorney General's Office?

There are thirteen civil and defense litigation divisions at the Office of the Attorney General. They perform a wide variety of functions ranging from prosecuting antitrust violations to providing representation to other state agencies.

What are the administrative functions of the Attorney General?

The Office of the Attorney General operates Administrative Divisions that maintain the core agency functions such as accounting and budgeting, contract management and procurement, information technology and management, and internal audit.

What is a colonia in Texas?

Colonias are substandard housing developments, often found along the Texas-Mexico border, where residents lack basic services such as drinking water, sewage treatment, and paved roads. The State of Texas has undertaken a number of programs to remedy the conditions in existing colonias and to prevent new colonias, ...

Who is the former El Paso state representative?

State legislators also know that getting on the wrong side of either can spell political doom. Just ask former El Paso state Rep. Pat Haggerty, a Republican.

Who is the Speaker of the House?

Current Speaker of the House Joe Straus oversees the House of Representatives. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is in charge of the Senate. Both control a number of important powers unavailable to the governor, like controlling the flow of legislation and the appointments of House and Senate members to legislative committees.

Is Rick Perry the second most powerful governor in Texas?

Although Gov. Rick Perry 's title and presence in the media might suggest he's on top of the power heap, whoever is serving as governor might not even be the second most powerful figure in Texas politic s, according to state officials and political observers. Two positions speaker of the Texas House and the state's lieutenant governor are arguably ...

Is the governor elected separately in Texas?

But in Texas, the lieutenant governor and the governor are elected separately, and they can even come from different political parties. Here's another key difference: The Texas Constitution also gives the Senate the authority to write its own rules and that's where the lieutenant governor derives most of his power.

When did Bill Hobby become a lieutenant governor?

The cultivating of lieutenant governor power actually began back in 1973, when Bill Hobby won the office and stayed nearly 20 years. Hobby came into the office already knowing how to move and manipulate the different levers of government. He built up a lot of power over two decades.

Was Bob Bullock a lieutenant governor?

Brady correctly notes that Bob Bullock was no ordinary lieutenant governor. Bullock could move mountains out of that office. But his ability to do so didn’t come from any constitutional powers. “Not at all, it’s derived from powers that basically either the senators themselves or the Legislature has given the lieutenant governor,” he says. ...

Who is the Bullock Texas State History Museum named after?

The Bullock Texas State History Museum, named for Bob Bullock, who helped build the office of lieutenant governor into a political powerhouse. When I moved to Austin in 2002, one of the first things I did to acclimate myself to Texas was visit the Bullock Texas State History Museum.

Who was the acting governor of Texas in 2011?

So, when Gov. Rick Perry was on the road running for president, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (2011-12) was acting governor.

Can the Texas Lieutenant Governor be taken away?

But it’s power that, since it’s not dictated by the Te xas Constitution or even state law, can be taken away easily. Almost all the lieutenant governor’s powers derive from the rules passed by the Senate at the beginning of each legislative session.

The Philosophy of The Office of The Attorney General

• The principles of individual liberty, limited government, economic freedom, and personal responsibility guide the work of the Office of Attorney General.

See more on texasattorneygeneral.gov

The Values of The Office of The Attorney General

The Work of The Office of The Attorney General