Article IV, Section 7 of the Texas Constitution ("Governor Commander-in-Chief of Military Forces")
As amended November 2, 1999:
He shall be Commander-in-Chief of the military forces of the State, except when they are called into actual service of the United States. He shall have power to call forth the militia to execute the laws of the State, to suppress insurrections, and to repel invasions.
Editor Comments
The Texas Attorney General, in Tex. Att'y Gen. Op. GM-308 (1939), opined that: "We therefore answer that the Governor may invoke martial law for the purpose of executing the provisions of the law involved and for the purpose of suppressing or preventing any insurrection against such law; but that the power and the responsibility of suspending the operation of such law is vested exclusively in the Legislature of this State and may not be exercised by the Governor."
Recent Decisions
None.
Historic Decisions
None.
Library Resources
- Vernon's Annotated Constitution of the State of Texas (this multi-volume and up-to-date resource is available at all law libraries and many municipal libraries)
- The Texas State Constitution: A Reference Guide (this one-volume resource is available at most law libraries and some municipal libraries)
- The Constitution of the State of Texas: An Annotated and Comparative Analysis (this two-volume resource is available at most law libraries and some municipal libraries)
Online Resources
- Constitution of the State of Texas (1876) (this resource is published and maintained by the University of Texas School of Law)
- Amendments to the Texas Constitution Since 1876 (this resource is published and regularly updated by the Legislative Council)
- Reports Analyzing Proposed Amendments (this resource is published and regularly updated by the Legislative Reference Library)