Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, who resigned Friday, played his last ceremonial role as a politician Thursday, presiding over a Family Land Heritage event in the House chamber. (Robert T. Garrett)
The new top lobbyist for the Texas oil and gas industry, just-resigned state Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, says local referendums such as Denton’s ban on hydraulic fracturing this week are not the answer.
“That’s not the way to craft public policy,” Staples said in an interview Thursday, his fourth day on the job as president of the Texas Oil and Gas Association. The association has sued to block the ordinance from taking effect in 30 days.
“Our thought is that the Railroad Commission has the authority to govern oil and gas activities,” Staples said. He said the commission, whose Chairwoman Christi Craddick said Thursday should keep giving permits to companies that seek to drill in Denton, must balance local community concerns with the need for uniform policies, “where we can grow and have capital attracted to Texas.”
Staples, who resigned as agriculture commissioner on Friday, said he would register as a legislative lobbyist next year but play a mostly behind-the-scenes role as a strategist for the trade group’s existing lobbyists.
“I’ll obviously help coordinate those activities,” he said. Staples ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in this year’s GOP primary.
So who’s minding the store at the Texas Department of Agriculture? The answer is Drew DeBerry, Staples’ long-time deputy.
While Republican former state Rep. Sid Miller has been elected to the post, state law puts the deputy agriculture commissioner in charge if the commissioner has “a necessary and unavoidable absence” or an “inability to act.”
Miller will be sworn in a few minutes after midnight on Dec. 31, said Todd M. Smith, his campaign consultant. At a second event later on New Year’s Day, Miller will have a purely ceremonial oath-taking, Smith said.
Administering the oath will be Gov. Rick Perry, a former agriculture commissioner, he said.