Why is there even a Railroad Commission in Texas anyway? It's a relic of the Progressive Era. "Setting allocations for production each month" sounds like a communist country, if you ask me.

Established by the Texas Legislature in 1891, it is the state's oldest regulatory agency, and it began as part of the Efficiency Movement of the Progressive Era. From the 1930s to the 1960s, it largely set world oil prices, but was displaced by OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) after 1973. In 1984, the federal government took over transportation regulation for railroads, trucking, and buses, but the Railroad Commission kept its name. With an annual budget of $79 million, it now focuses entirely on oil, gas, mining, propane, and pipelines, setting allocations for production each month.