Bill Would Require Governor’s Homeland Security Director To Be Confirmed By Senate
Vince Leibowitz | Mar 14, 2009 | Comments 1
Likely in response to numerous controversies surrounding the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security in the last two years, a bill filed in the Texas House of Representatives on Friday would require gubernatorial appointees to the position to be confirmed by the Texas Senate.
House Bill 4093 by State Rep. Jessica Farrar (D-Houston) adds provisions to Texas law which would require the Senate’s “advice and consent” to any gubernatorial nominee to head the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and would set a two-year term for the post.
Such a bill is no surprise, given the controversy that has swirled around current state homeland security chief Steve McCraw.
In 2006, McCraw and Governor Perry came under heavy criticism for a “homeland security briefing” Perry’s re-election campaign scheduled for McCraw at the Republican Party of Texas’s biannual nominating convention.
Last year, McCraw and his department were under fire for his role in creating and maintaining a database containing tens of millions of records on average Texans.
Two years ago, McCraw and the governor’s office had more egg on their face after a letter the homeland security chief penned to former State Rep. Rick Noriega (D-Houston) became public. The letter, which dealt in part with using Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers on the Texas-Mexico Border, was widely criticized because Noriega, as an officer in the Texas National Guard, had actually served in border protection operations.
![[Post to Twitter]](/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png){kind=icon}
![[Post to Ping.fm]](/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-ping.png){kind=icon}
Filed Under: 81st Texas Legislature
Comments (1)
-
[...] Bill Would Require Governor’s Homeland Security Director To Be Confirmed By Senate Capitol Annex Mar 14th 11:30 am … numerous controversies surrounding the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security in the last two years, a bill filed in the Texas House of … gubernatorial nominee to head the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and would set a two-year term for the post. Such a bill is … and Governor Perry came under heavy criticism for a “homeland security briefing” Perry’s re-election campaign scheduled for … [...]
