The Railroad Commission of Texas has adopted a new Public Engagement and Participation Policy that moves general public comment out of open meetings and into a schedule of statewide listening sessions. Commissioner Wayne Christian defended the change on Wednesday, saying it broadens access to the agency.
In an Aug. 26 news release, Commissioner Christian said he wanted to counter what he called misinformation circulating about the policy, which he said modernizes an internal rule that had not been updated in more than two decades and builds on the work of the agency’s Office of Public Engagement.
“I want to take a moment to set the record straight,” Commissioner Christian said. “Public input at the RRC has not been canceled, banned, restricted or censored. This change is about expanding meaningful access to our agency for the people of Texas.”
Under the previous policy, the commission automatically placed a general public comment item on every open meeting agenda, a requirement that came from commission policy rather than state law, according to the release. Members of the public may still register to speak on specific items before the commission, and any commissioner may request that a general public comment item be added to an agenda.
“This approach closely mirrors how the Legislature operates,” Commissioner Christian said. “When the Legislature considers a bill, public testimony is tied directly to the specific matter posted before the committee.”
The release said the broader forum will run through the Office of Public Engagement, which will conduct at least 12 listening sessions each year. Texans may take part in person, virtually or by telephone and may raise any matter within the commission’s jurisdiction. They may also continue to reach commissioners, agency leadership and staff by phone, email and other direct channels.
“Under the old system, many Texans had to drive hundreds of miles to Austin for three minutes at a microphone during a meeting where commissioners may be legally limited in how much we can respond,” Commissioner Christian said.
Commission records cited in the release show 102 public comment registrations across 37 open meetings since 2022, representing about 20 individuals. Nearly 65 percent of those registrations came from two people, the release said, and 38 percent came from paid operatives affiliated with Commission Shift, which the release described as a special interest group. Three candidates for the commission also used the process to promote their campaigns, according to the release.
“State resources should never be used to advance political agendas. That is not the purpose of public input,” Commissioner Christian said, adding that public input should focus on tangible problems Texans face and get those concerns in front of the staff who can address them.