Who’s running for Texas comptroller, and why is that job so important?

Texas voters on Tuesday will determine whether or not to re-elect incumbent Comptroller Glenn Hegar or select his Democratic challenger, Janet Dudding.

The comptroller’s race might not be probably the most talked about this election cycle, however the workplace oversees a variety of essential areas in Texas.

For instance, the state comptroller oversees the state’s belongings, corresponding to property it owns and tax collections.

The comptroller may also use the workplace to immerse himself in social affairs. For instance, individuals who oppose drag reveals have argued that the comptroller can examine them because the workplace collects taxes from companies that assist such reveals. The comptroller additionally oversees the state Office of Energy Conservation, so she or he can play a job in local weather change mitigation.

Glenn Hegar

Hegar is running for the third time period.

He informed The Texas Newsroom just lately that he want to transfer ahead on some unfinished enterprise — together with main the state legislature in crafting the Texas funds subsequent yr. The state is more likely to have a surplus over 27 billion {dollars}.

“A big part of that is because the economy has grown in Texas, and significantly so in the last 18 months,” Hegar mentioned. “But a large part of it, unfortunately, is because you and I, ordinary citizens, businesses, are paying more today for the same items than just a year ago.”

Hegar mentioned his workplace has collected $330 million in gross sales tax and he desires that surplus to be put to the very best use.

Hegar mentioned the state Legislature may transfer him towards reducing property taxes.

“Because people … continue to pay more taxes and it’s been a continuing burden,” he mentioned.

Hegar mentioned he additionally desires to proceed working with the Legislature to develop broadband entry throughout the state, by way of the Office of Broadband Development.

In addition to dealing straight with the financial system throughout his tenure, Hegar has additionally addressed a number of social points.

For instance, he created a listing of monetary establishments he claimed they have been anti-fossil fuels and banned state and native governments from doing enterprise with them.

Lastly, Hegar vowed to research any grievance obtained by his workplace towards procrastination.

“If we get some information that some kind of performance is a sexually oriented performance, I have a responsibility to investigate it because we have that responsibility and duty,” he mentioned. “The level is that each drag present is not a sexually oriented enterprise – there are some who can cross that threshold. So we’ll examine in the event that they do, and if they do not, we’ll transfer on to the subsequent one.”

Janet Dudding

Dudding informed The Texas Newsroom that Hegar’s resolution to research drag reveals is a political stunt.

“All elected representatives throughout the country report to the people. “None of them are associated,” Dudding said. “So you simply do not comply with orders from whoever gave you the orders about it … but when he would not just like the theater, then do not go to the theater.”

Dudding is an authorized public accountant. One of the primary causes she determined to run is to combat local weather change due to her expertise as a survivor of Hurricane Katrina.

“You go through one of these things, and it becomes really personal to you — climate change becomes really personal to you,” she mentioned.

Dudding added that the comptroller’s workplace has “some real superpowers” over the combat towards local weather change State Office of Energy Conservation.

During marketing campaign speeches and in interviews, Dudding has emphasised that Texas has by no means had a CPA as comptroller, and her expertise could possibly be a recreation changer.

She has vowed that, if elected, she would push for the legalization of marijuana.

“I can be in El Paso, cross the line in New Mexico … buy a gum thing for less than $25 and … come back to Texas with that gum thing, and that’s a crime,” Dudding mentioned. “All, this is not fair.”

She mentioned legalizing marijuana may carry Texas as a lot as $2 billion in income.

Dudding mentioned she would additionally push the Legislature to make use of the excess to waive the gross sales tax on merchandise like tampons and diapers.

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