Subject files contain correspondence, memos, reports, printed material, photographs, videotapes, and other attachments, 1994-1999, from the Executive Assistant's Office in the Texas Governor's Office. Joe Allbaugh served as executive assistant to Governor George W. Bush. Records concern issues such as appointments, criminal justice, emergency management, the environment, transportation, child support enforcement by the Texas Attorney General, the LaSalle shipwreck, gambling, the tobacco settlement, and computer glitches based on the two digits allocated to expressing a four-digit year (Y2K). Files also exist for functions of and divisions within the Governor's Office such as emergency management and the Criminal Justice Division, state and federal agencies, corporations, and organizations. Correspondents include Governor's Office staff such as the general counsel, state and federal agencies' staff, executives of corporations, and others. A file list is located in the Administrative files series. See the Central correspondence file for related correspondence.

Records are correspondence with attachments including clippings, printed material, a photograph, and a videotape, 1995-1998, from the Executive Assistant's Office in the Texas Governor's Office. Subjects in the correspondence file include requests and thanks for meetings, recommendations for appointments, legislation, emergency management, the Union Pacific/Southern Pacific railroad merger, criminal justice issues, redistricting, electric industry, economic development, problems with agencies, Republican caucus, Four County Task Force, and offerings of products and services. Correspondents include corporate executives, state legislators, governors and officials from other states, federal officials, and constituents. Joe Allbaugh served as executive assistant to Governor George W. Bush.

Records are correspondence, resumes, employment and appointment applications, biographical information, printed material, and clippings, 1987-1989, 1992-1999, sent to or from Joe Allbaugh, Executive Assistant to Texas Governor George W. Bush. Letters request or recommend employment for individuals: within the Governor's Office, with other state agencies (including the Lottery Commission, General Services Commission, and Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs executive director positions), with the potential presidential campaign, or other positions. There are occasional offers of resignation or assistance and requests for appointments. Materials are included both for individuals who were hired and those who were not hired. Biographical information and employment history for some of Governor Bush's staff is contained in the files. Recommendations are authored by Joe Allbaugh, Karl Rove, Governor Bush's family and friends, members of the Texas Legislature and U.S. Congress, and others. The requests forwarded to the presidential exploratory committee were originally in a folder titled Responses from Julie.

Records are memos, travel vouchers, time sheets, resumes, emergency management correspondence, staff directories, file inventory, and meeting material for various governors associations, 1995-2000, from Joe Allbaugh's Office in the Texas Governor's Office. Allbaugh served as executive assistant to Governor George W. Bush. Memos are mainly routine concerning senior staff meeting times or receptions for artists, but a few although seemingly routine, shed light on procedures such as the routing of political mail to the campaign office and the suggestion for Governor Bush to personally call big donors. The materials postdating Joe Allbaugh's time at the Governor's Office concern routine letters declaring disaster areas or other emergency management issues. Also included are Joe Allbaugh's calendars.

Records are reports, guides, directories, publications, books, meeting material, presentation material, videos, etc. received from corporations, organizations, and state and federal agencies, 1995-1997, housed in Executive Assistant Joe Allbaugh's Office in the Texas Governor's Office. Some items were entered in the Correspondence database and assigned a tracking number.

Records are three calendars, 1998-1999, providing information on Joe Allbaugh's schedule. Joe Allbaugh served as Executive Assistant to Texas Governor George W. Bush. Two calendars for 1998 provide mostly duplicate information. The smaller volume was annotated by Allbaugh; the larger calendar was maintained by his office staff, and usually contains additional contact information for individuals meeting with Allbaugh. The 1999 calendar was maintained by Allbaugh's office staff. Entries covering his work as Executive Assistant date only to June 18, 1999. Allbaugh left the Governor's Office to join Bush's presidential campaign staff in July 1999. Individuals listed in the calendars include Governor Bush and Governor's Office staff, state agency officials and employees, legislators, Karl Rove, and representatives of organizations.

These records include correspondence, legislative documents, notes, reports, press releases, news clippings, speeches, and briefings. They comprise the files of Dale Laine, who was Deputy Executive Assistant to Governor George W. Bush. They date 1996-1997 (mostly early 1997). Correspondence includes letters, memoranda, faxes and e-mail; correspondents include The Coalition for Property Tax Reform, the Houston Works Board, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Texas Department of Commerce, Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission, Texas Workforce Commission, Karl Rove, etc. Dale Laine was sometimes the recipient or the sender of the communication, but he was frequently simply copied in. Legislative documents include copies of bills, Legislative Budget Board tax/fee equity notes, fiscal notes, a daily floor report, and lists indicating how each member of the legislature voted on a given issue. The subjects of these files include (most prominently) property tax reduction, but also economic/workforce development, and effects of military base closures. Of particular interest is a notebook labeled Property Tax, that has been foldered into the following sections, each representing a separate tab: surrogate speakers list, invitations to Governor Bush to speak concerning his proposed property tax cut, materials from (or concerning) supporters, materials from (or concerning) opposition, the texts of House Joint Resolution 4 and House Bill 4 (75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997), Governor Bush's report to the Legislature entitled Cutting Texas Taxes, handouts (including Bush's State of the State address for 1997 and an opinion editorial by the Governor), Tax Cut Talk-Back (February 19, 1997), analyses of two surveys, and printouts from several related websites.

These records include correspondence, e-mails, faxes, and memos; notes; newsletters, brochures and other publications; newspaper and magazine clippings; copies of bills and other legislative records; attorney general opinions/advice and litigation documents; press releases and speeches; reports (both narrative and statistical); policy development files; agenda and minutes; resumes; executive orders; conference packets; videotapes; and audiotapes. Records date 1978, 1980-1983, 1986-1999, undated (bulk 1995-1998). They comprise subject files for the office of Senior Advisor to Texas Governor George W. Bush relating to education (with many of the files created by the Public Education/Special Projects Counsel, Michelle Tobias, later Jennifer Piskun and Debbie Esterak). Most of the incoming correspondence is addressed to Margaret LaMontagne but then was assigned to her education policy staff to work on; some items are addressed to Governor George W. Bush. Correspondents include organizations dedicated to educational issues, state and federal agency officials and employees (especially the Texas Education Agency's Commissioner Mike Moses), professional educators, corporations, consultants (such as Darv Winick and Sandy Kress), and private citizens interested in education. E-mails tend to be between Margaret LaMontagne and the Public Education/Special Projects Counsel. Notes are in the handwriting of both the counsel and Margaret LaMontagne. Many of the incoming letters are copies of logged correspondence, and some of the letters are the originals of logged correspondence. In either case, file numbers assigned by Bush staff have been included in the folder listing. Some letters do not appear to have been logged at all. The first file in the series contains copies of item-level inventories of some of these records, prepared by staff of the Governor's Office.

Among the numerous topics covered by these files, the following are especially well-represented: advanced placement, character education, charter schools, ECS [Education Commission of the States], Hopwood, literacy (including adult literacy), military tuition, property tax, reading (including the Governor's Reading Initiative), school finance, School-to-Work, special education, standards, SBEC [State Board for Educator Certification], teacher preparation, and TAAS [Texas Assessment of Academic Skills].

These records are the first of two groups of similar files. Except for correcting some obvious misfiles, the State Archives has maintained the original order of these records. The second group is the larger of the two (more than twice the size), and there is some overlap in dates. The difference (if any) between the two groups of records is not readily apparent. The researcher should be cautioned to search both groups, as well as any related records.

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go to the full finding aid . If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found at at separate divider within the binder ( Texas Governor George W. Bush, Senior Advisor's Office records, Education issues files I).

These records include correspondence, e-mails, faxes, and memos; notes; newsletters, brochures and other publications; newspaper and magazine clippings; copies of bills and other legislative records; attorney general opinions/advice and litigation documents; press releases and speeches; reports (both narrative and statistical); policy development files; agenda and minutes; resumes; executive orders; conference packets; videotapes; and audiotapes. Records date 1986, 1988-2000, undated (bulk 1995-2000). They comprise subject files for the office of Senior Advisor to Texas Governor George W. Bush relating to education, covering the first half of the alphabet (Academics 2000 - Lyceum). Many of the files were created by the Public Education/Special Projects Counsel, Michelle Tobias, later Jennifer Piskun and Debbie Esterak. Most of the incoming correspondence is addressed to Margaret LaMontagne but then was assigned to her education policy staff to work on; some items are addressed to Governor George W. Bush. Correspondents include organizations dedicated to educational issues, state and federal agency officials and employees (especially the Texas Education Agency's Commissioner Mike Moses), professional educators, corporations, consultants (such as Darv Winick and Sandy Kress), and private citizens interested in education. E-mails tend to be between Margaret LaMontagne and the counsel. Notes are in the handwriting of both the counsel and Margaret LaMontagne. Many of the incoming letters are copies of logged correspondence, and some of the letters are the originals of logged correspondence. In either case, file numbers assigned by Bush staff have been included in the folder listing. Some letters do not appear to have been logged at all.

Among the numerous topics covered by these files, the following are especially well-represented: accountability, advanced placement, bilingual education, character education, charter schools, early childhood development, Head Start, reading (including Reading Initiative), school safety, school finance, School-to-Work, social promotion, special education, TAAS [Texas Assessment of Academic Skills], TEKS [Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills], and vouchers/school choice. Organizations and agencies well represented include the Association of Texas Professional Educators [ATPE], Education Commission of the States [ECS], Educational Testing Service [ETS], Fordham Foundation, the Governor's Business Council [GBC], Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, National Education Goals Panel, Southwest Educational Development Laboratory [SEDL], Southern Regional Education Board [SREB], State Board of Education [SBOE], State Board for Educator Certification [SBEC], Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board [TIF], Texas Association of School Administrators [TASA], Texas Association of School Boards [TASB], Texas Business and Education Coalition [TBEC], Texas Education Agency [TEA], United States Department of Education, and the University of Texas System.

This finding aid has been split into two parts due to electronic file size limitations imposed by TARO. If you are reading this electronically, click on the links to go to the full finding aids. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aids are found at separate dividers within the binder. (Texas Governor George W. Bush, Senior Advisor's Office records, Education issues files II (Academics 2000 - Lyceum) and (M.A.D.D. - Zero Tolerance))

These records include correspondence, e-mails, faxes, and memos; notes; newsletters, brochures and other publications; newspaper and magazine clippings; copies of bills and other legislative records; attorney general opinions/advice and litigation documents; press releases and speeches; reports (both narrative and statistical); policy development files; agenda and minutes; resumes; conference packets; videocassettes; and audiocassettes. Records date 1988, 1990-2000, undated (bulk 1995-1997). They comprise reference files for the office of Senior Advisor to Texas Governor George W. Bush relating to education. The difference is unclear between these files and the Education issues files (I and II) previously described in this finding aid, except that these reference files are less organized; they often were not originally in file folders. At any rate, they supplement, and may often duplicate, the Education issues files. Correspondents include organizations dedicated to educational issues, state and federal agency officials and employees, professional educators, corporations, consultants, and private citizens interested in education. Topics include Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), Home Rule school districts, the Education Commission of the States, Chapter 37 (school discipline), charter schools, Senate Bill 1, accountability, Goals 2000, the Governor's Business Council, higher education, school finance, school reform, School-to-Work, the State Board of Education, the State Board for Educator Certification, technology, the Telecommunications Infrastructure Board (TIF), and textbooks.

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go to the full finding aid. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found at a separate divider within the binder. (Texas Governor George W. Bush, Senior Advisor's Office records, Education reference materials)

These records include correspondence, e-mails to and from the Public Education/Special Projects Counsel, memos, notes (in the counsel's and Margaret LaMontagne's handwriting), printed materials, publications, clippings, legislative records, press releases, minutes, agenda, and policy development files, dating 1986-1987, 1995-2000, undated (bulk 1999-2000). They comprise education issues files from the office of Senior Advisor Margaret LaMontagne in the Texas Governor's Office, created during Debbie Esterak's tenure as Public Education Counsel. Many of the documents have Debbie written in LaMontagne's handwriting. Subjects of these files include assessment (including testing), accountability (including teacher report cards), character education, charter schools, home schools, school safety, special education, master reading teachers, teacher shortages, teacher quality, dropouts, pay for performance, etc.

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go to the full finding aid. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found at at separate divider within the binder ( Texas Governor George W. Bush, Senior Advisor's Office records).

These records include correspondence, e-mails, faxes, and memos; notes; newsletters, brochures and other publications; newspaper and magazine clippings; online articles; copies of bills and other legislative records; press releases and speeches; reports (both narrative and statistical); drafts and other policy development files; resumes; agenda; mailing lists; conference packets; travel documentation; purchase documentation; and forms. The records date 1964, 1982, 1987, 1995-2000, undated (bulk 1995-2000). They comprise files for staff of the office of Senior Advisor relating to education.

The exact provenance of these miscellaneous education files is uncertain. They appear to have been separated from the other series in the records of the Senior Advisor's Office and transferred at a later date. They may fit into one or more of the existing series ( Education issues files I, Education issues files II (Academics 2000 - Lyceum) and (M.A.D.D. - Zero Tolerance), or Education reference materials), but this is uncertain. Therefore they have been kept distinct.

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go to the full finding aid. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found at at separate divider within the binder ( Texas Governor George W. Bush, Senior Advisor's Office records ).

These records include copies of proposed legislation, some floor amendments, a few copies of engrossed bills, plus a small amount of related records (memoranda, correspondence, a Legislative Budget Board working paper, a press release), dating 1998-1999, mostly 1999. They comprise Senate bill files relating to education for the 76th Texas Legislature, Regular Session (1999). The occasional piece of correspondence is addressed to Margaret LaMontagne. The bills (most marked filed) are sometimes annotated, although not heavily; often the only annotation indicates the corresponding House Bill number. Twenty-five of the original file folders were labeled with Jennifer Piskun's name, and a couple more were labeled with Susan Jones'. The rest were simply coded EDU/ (for education). Quite a few folders are empty and have been removed, but the bill number, sponsor, and caption of all bills are listed below in the container listing; notations indicate which were empty.

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go to the full finding aid. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found at at separate divider within the binder ( Texas Governor George W. Bush, Senior Advisor's Office records).

These records include correspondence, drafts of correspondence, resumes, applications for employment, memoranda, faxes, newsclippings, publications, etc., dating 1995-2000 and undated (bulk 1998-2000). They comprise correspondence to and from Margaret LaMontagne, with occasional items addressed to others (including Governor George W. Bush, and members of Margaret LaMontagne's staff) and forwarded to Margaret LaMontagne. Correspondents include state and local officials, educators, prospective job applicants, prospective appointees, and private citizens. The subject of most (but not all) of the files in the first group in this series is education. The subject of most (but not all) of the files in the second group is future employment of job applicants. Resumes, recommendations, and inquiries about potential employment are especially numerous in this second group. Also numerous throughout are thank-you letters for gifts, meetings, and information.

Researchers should be aware that additional correspondence to and from Margaret LaMontagne is located in most of the other series in the Senior Advisor's Office records, described in this finding aid.

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go to the full finding aid. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found at at separate divider within the binder ( Texas Governor George W. Bush, Senior Advisor's Office records).

These records include lists of appointees, resumes, correspondence (especially letters of recommendation), memoranda, e-mails, mailing lists, legislation, press releases, newspaper clippings, copies from the Guide to Texas State Agencies, reports, executive orders, Attorney General opinions, maps, forms, procedure manuals, notes, etc. The records date 1948, 1965, 1987, 1990-2000, undated (bulk 1995-2000). They comprise appointment files of the Office of the Senior Advisor, including general files as well as files specific to agencies, boards, and commissions. Many, but not all, of the appointments are to educational-related boards and commissions. The correspondence is usually to and from Governor Bush regarding appointments, although some of it is to and from Senior Advisor Margaret LaMontagne. Most of the memoranda and e-mails are to and from Margaret LaMontagne, her assistant Shannon Smith, or Appointments Director Clay Johnson. These records deal with all issues regarding appointments, both generally (including policies and procedure, and legal aspects) and specifically (individuals seeking and receiving particular appointments).

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go to the full finding aid. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found at at separate divider within the binder ( Texas Governor George W. Bush, Senior Advisor's Office records).

This series consists of correspondence and memoranda of the Office of the General Counsel in the Texas Office of the Governor during the terms of George W. Bush, dating 1892, 1918, 1921, 1925, 1932, 1942-1944, 1948, 1954, 1956, 1963, 1965, 1968-1969, 1972-2000, the bulk dating 1995-2000. The majority of the items are memoranda from the General Counsel or Deputy General Counsel to the Governor, his executive assistants, including Joe Allbaugh, or staff in other divisions of the office, such as Grants, Office of the First Lady, etc. There are also memos between Deputy General Counsels and/or Assistant General Counsels and the General Counsel. The General Counsel during this period was Alberto (Al) Gonzales, succeeded by Margaret Wilson. Other staff names appearing frequently in these records include Deputy General Counsels Pete Wassdorf and Stuart Bowden, and Assistant General Counsel Donna G. Davidson. The memos contain analysis, opinions or advice on a variety of issues handled by the governor's office, including executions, appointments, policy matters, settlements, contracts, grants, deeds, easements, litigation, bond issuance, ethics, legislation, child support, gambling, intern research, cession of state land to the federal government and retrocession of such land back to the state, certification of local workforce development boards, functions attended by the first lady, and education, including school education vouchers and an investigation of the state's higher education system by the U.S. Office of Civil Rights.

Some memos have attachments, including correspondence (usually with state or other governmental bodies), copies of laws and statutes, printouts of the results of on-line legal research, legal documents (largely deeds, easements, land patents, and some contracts), bonds, certifications, and resolutions.

Some memos to the governor require his approval or denial and his signature, such as those concerning settlements, deeds, grants, and the certification of local workforce development boards. The vast majority of the grants memos concern grants handled by the Criminal Justice Division of the Governor's Office. See also the series of Grants Team files in the records of the Governor's Budget and Planning office. Memos with more detail on settlement offers as well as supporting documentation can be found in the series Settlements, in the General Counsel files.

Of special note are the execution summaries prepared by the general counsel for the governor to review. The summaries are found in two series. The ones in the Legal opinions and advice (LOA) files are mostly the originals, with a space for the governor to note his executive clemency decision - deny or grant - and with his signature. Some originals are present in the Execution case files, though most are copies.

The Legal opinions and advice files were housed generally in large wallets that were broken into smaller files during processing. The titles of the wallets are retained as group headers. Folder titles and dates in the inventory listed under each header were added by processing archivists. Notes are present in the folder inventory for most groups of files in this series that provide additional information about the subjects, records types, and other highlights of files in the groups.

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go to the full finding aid. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found at at separate divider within the binder ( Texas Governor George W. Bush, General Counsel's legal opinions and advice ).

Records are execution case files, death penalty protest letters, and death penalty notebooks, 1886, 1892, 1903, 1912-1921, 1925, 1932, 1939-2000 (bulk 1986-2000), of the General Counsel to the Governor of Texas.

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go to the full finding aid. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found at at separate divider within the binder ( Texas Governor George W. Bush, General Counsel's Execution Files ).

These are clemency applications presented to Texas Governor George W. Bush by his General Counsel's office for prisoners or convicted felons out on parole wishing a pardon, asking to have their sentence commuted, asking for an emergency medical reprieve, or asking for a pardon/commutation under Senate Concurrent Resolution 26 (passed by the 72nd Legislature in 1991), which requires the Governor to focus special consideration upon pardon applicants whose crime arguably was a response to severe spousal abuse. The files contain a pardon application tracking form; an executive summary from the General Counsel (GC) to Bush stating a summary of the facts, evidence, proceedings, the Board of Pardons and Paroles recommendation, the GC recommendation, and the Governor's decision - deny or grant (these are initialed by the Governor); or memos with facts about the applicant, not including voting information. Dates covered are 1961, 1965, 1968, 1974, 1983-2000, the bulk dating 1995-2000. There are voting memos present for most cases, some that list multiple cases. These memos were sent to the governor and contain a minimum of facts about the case with the GC's recommendation (deny/grant). Also present may be notes about the case, pardon proclamations, correspondence of trial officials and attorneys with the governor and/or the Board of Pardons and Paroles (BPP), court records, BPP voting summaries, BPP case file materials, Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) inmate records, criminal histories, law enforcement records, press releases, clippings, and petitions for pardons based on innocence, such as DNA testing in old rape cases that exonerates the inmate. The petitions often include medical reports, crime summaries (which may include the name of a rape victim), victim impact statements, etc.; most of those materials are confidential, as well as TDCJ inmate files, letters to the BPP, BPP case file material, law enforcement records, and criminal histories. See the Restrictions statement for further information about confidential records.

Files of prisoners denied pardons usually just have the pardon application tracking form, a voting memo, notes, and/or the executive summary from the GC to the governor. Usually multiple cases are filed together under the date the pardon was denied with all such cases being listed on the governor's voting memo.

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go to the full finding aid. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found at at separate divider within the binder ( Texas Governor George W. Bush, General Counsel's Executive Clemency Files ).

Types of records include correspondence, court filings (briefs, orders, etc.), proposed/final settlement agreements, press releases, news clippings, attorney's notes, affidavits, deposition transcripts, research materials, exhibits, videocassettes and audiocassettes, 1995-2000. These are litigation files maintained by the General Counsel for the Texas Office of the Governor. The largest number of records involves the tobacco lawsuit. There are also 12-15 other cases covered in these files. Topics of cases include redistricting, creation of new federal judgeship districts, school prayer, equality of financing between black state universities and other state universities, firing of employees, a whistleblower case, and a case involving the federal Department of Health and Human Services and the return of funds to the federal government after the addition of several thousand education employees to the Uniform Group Insurance Program (UGIP).

Two of the cases are mislabeled on the boxes and in the box and folder inventory. Curbo vs. Fundderburger is actually Curbo and Fundderburger vs. the State of Texas. A related case, listed as McDaniel vs. Curbo, is actually McDaniel vs. the State of Texas. Two employees in the Criminal Justice Division were fired (Curbo and Fundderburger), they felt unfairly. They asked the head of the Texas Crime Stoppers Program, Ms. McDaniel to look into the case. She did and filed a complaint about the way they were fired and the reasons for the firing. A few months later she was fired. She filed a suit claiming she was fired because she was a whistle blower. Because these were personnel cases, there is much documentation from the personnel files of all three employees present, most of it containing their Social Security numbers.

Tobacco litigation spans 11 cubic ft. It includes information about the tobacco litigation case that the State of Texas filed against several tobacco companies and about the national lawsuit the federal government was attempting to file. The federal government wanted some of the money gained by various successful state's lawsuits to pay for Medicaid costs. But, the records largely pertain to the intervention of Governor Bush and several legislators in the state's tobacco lawsuit to reduce the attorney fees the state was to pay to private legal counsel used during the lawsuit. It contains court filings (briefs, orders, etc.), separating out in some cases filings by the Attorney General's office (documents filed by Morales, the former Attorney General), documents filed by Bush, documents filed by Legislators; outside legal counsel agreements/contracts; items used in arbitration of the case; and the proposed settlement.

This finding aid is a work in progress. Some series have been processed, others are still undergoing processing. All series yet to be processed are included in the framework of the finding aid. As these series are processed, this finding aid will be updated.

These records are court filings (motions, briefs, requests for writ of mandamus, affidavits, bills of review, complaints, petitions, interrogatories, depositions, orders, and judgements), press releases, notes, reports (to/from court generally), memos from General Counsel's Office (GC) to Governor or between GC staff about the case, memos or letters from the Attorney General to the GC or the Governor about the case, and correspondence between the GC or Attorney General and plaintiff's attorney's or parties in the claim, dating 1990-2000, the bulk dating 1995-2000. Many of the letters are a notification to the governor's office that a claim has been filed against the state, often with no further documentation about the claim. The files comprise records of claims filed against the state of Texas handled by the General Counsel's office of Texas Governor George W. Bush. Claims were filed in district, state or federal court against the state, state agencies, state agency heads or other state personnel by individuals, businesses, organizations, local or federal government agencies, and in some cases the state petitioned the court for intervenor status. In a few instances files concern claims filed by the state against the federal government.

Claim topics include tort claims, injuries, medical treatment for prisoners, wrongful termination, care of patients in state hospitals, local jail conditions, backlog of state prisoners in county jails, abortion, treatment of prisoners, gambling on Texas Indian reservations, removal of the executive director of the Texas Lottery Commission, and the school finance system. Correspondents include the Attorney General's office, other state agencies, federal or local government agencies, and plaintiffs and/or their attorneys.

Settlement offers are generally not present in the files. Some settlement offers for 1995-1996 can be found in the series General Counsel's settlements. Settlement offers also present in the series General Counsel's legal opinions and advice for the years 1995-2000.

The settlement offers may concern some of the claims in this series. An item level index to portions of the General Counsel's records, created by the Governor's Office, is available on CD ROM. Contact Texas State Archives staff for assistance.

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go to the full finding aid. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found at at separate divider within the binder ( Texas Governor George W. Bush, General Counsel's Claims against the state ).

This series consists of memos detailing settlement offers prepared by the General Counsel of the Texas Governor's office for the Governor's review, including a summary of the case with the General Counsel's recommendation to accept or decline. Other items include correspondence from the Attorney General and the General Counsel or Governor (usually the General Counsel) regarding claims, judgements from court, and letters from the General Counsel to the Attorney General listing settlements approved by the governor. Dates of the records are 1995-1996. Claims were submitted by either individuals or companies. Types of claims include property damage, physical impairment, violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, denial of unemployment benefits, wrongful arrest, alleged sexual assault by coworker, and wrongful termination. The governor's decision to approve or not approve the settlement is not noted in these records. In the Legal opinions and advice, Settlement files are the memos where the governor checks accept or deny and signs the offer.

This series contains the bill files, dating 1999, of James Hines, the Public Information Officer, in the Texas Governor's General Counsel office. The folder labels contain the bill number, the sponsor, and topic of the bill. The files contain a copy of the bill. Most also contain a bill analysis, a fiscal note, and perhaps a committee report.

This series consists of general correspondence of the Texas Governor's General Counsel's office, dating 1963-1964, 1975, 1985-2000 (bulk 1995-2000). There is correspondence with constituents and topical files - consular matters, inmate correspondence, executive clemency requests, Texas Department of Criminal Justice correspondence, ethics, Attorney General correspondence (includes files on claims and child support), and personnel correspondence (generally letters of resignation of appointees from committees and boards). Most of the files consist of incoming letters, there is not much outgoing except for constituent correspondence, which is incoming and outgoing. Correspondents include state and federal officials, legislators, local officials, law firms, citizens, inmates, companies, board and commission members, and the General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel or other General Counsel staff. Also present are cover letters for executive orders that were issued and some correspondence between the Attorney General and the General Counsel or Governor Bush. The orders are not present. Most of the outgoing letters are signed by the Deputy or Assistant General Counsel - a few are signed by Al Gonzalez. The constituent correspondence covers a wide variety of issues, usually involving legal issues or a request handled by the General Counsel's office, like requests for pardons or paroles. Topics covered in other types of requests include disciplinary proceedings, Internet privacy, complaints against the textbook adoption process, medical malpractice claims, interstate child custody court jurisdiction, gambling indictments, and development of the Texas Legal Service Plan Special Committee.

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go to the full finding aid. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found at at separate divider within the binder ( Texas Governor George W. Bush, General Counsel's general correspondence ).

This series consists of public information requests from individuals or companies and the responses of the Public Information Officer in the Texas Governor's General Counsel's Office, James Hines (at least for most of the period covered). Dates covered are 1995-2000, with the bulk dating 1998-2000. The vast majority of the records are filed by the name of the requestor. Most files contain the initial request, the response of the public information officer or other general counsel staff, and copies of the documents requested. Not all documents sent out to the requestor are present in the files. In a few cases there are memos from the General Counsel to Bush as to whether requested items should be released. Also included are internal, summary memos of requests, listing the date received, type of request, and who it was assigned to and a copy of the ethics advisory log, 1995-1998, containing the date of the question, date of response, what the question was, what the response was, and initial of the staff member handling the request.

Records are agency rules, policies, and procedures, 1995-2000, from the General Counsel in the Texas Governor's Office. Files are labeled Records retention schedule, Extradition information, Ethics, Lawsuit notification, and General. These files contain memos, handbook/manual excerpts and publications relevant to the folder titles. Most of these topics concern issues handled by the General Counsel, some are general in nature. The memos are addressed to either Al Gonzales or Margaret Wilson.

Records are four calendars, 1998-2000, for Margaret Wilson and other unidentified general counsel staff in the Texas Governor's Office.

These records include correspondence, resumes, press releases, and news clippings. They comprise correspondence of Dan Shelley, Director of the Legislative Office during the first year of Texas Governor George W. Bush's first term, dated 1994-1995 (some from December 1994, but mostly January-March 1995). Most of the correspondence is from private citizens and state elected and appointed officials, addressed to Dan Shelley (with a few items to Governor or Governor-elect Bush). The majority are requests for appointments, either by third parties recommending another, or by the job-seeker him/herself (hence the large number of resumes). A smaller number of items involve support for, or opposition to, proposed legislation, on a variety of issues: sexual misconduct by clergy, psychotherapists, and health care professionals; prison overcrowding; tort reform; hazardous waste disposal; regulation of mortgage lenders; concealed handguns; initiative/referendum; etc.

These records include correspondence (especially memoranda, e-mail, and faxes), notes, articles, newspaper clippings, press releases, reports, tables, issue papers, briefing documents, talking points, conference papers, procedure drafts, brochures, agenda, legislation, litigation, etc. They comprise the records (mainly resource/research files) of Lizzette Gonzales, Deputy Director of the Legislative Office, dating 1988, 1990, 1992-2000, and undated (bulk 1998-2000). Topics of these subject files include education above all else (including literacy, school-to-work, school finance, and charter schools), but also child support enforcement, border trade and transportation, unmarried teen parents, a statewide gang database, illegal gambling, and welfare reform.

Less than one-third of the material is labeled legislative agenda issues and contains notes, memos, correspondence, email, tables, articles, issue papers, reports, press releases, legislation, executive summaries, newspaper clippings, brochures, agenda, etc. These files date 1988, 1993, 1995-2000, and undated. Many of these files deal with education issues, which is also the overall label of the rest of the files, containing correspondence, e-mail, notes, articles, newspaper clippings, press releases, reports, briefing documents, conference papers, procedure drafts, legislation, litigation, etc., dating 1990, 1992, 1994-2000, and undated.

Correspondents include Texas Education Agency (especially Mike Moses, Commissioner of Education), U.S. Department of Education, Texas Workforce Commission (especially Commissioner Diane Rath and Mark Butler, State Coordinator, School-to-Careers), Texas state legislators and legislative committees, staff of the Texas Governor's Office (especially Margaret LaMontagne, Ara Marjanian, Jennifer Piskun, Jim Underwood, Debra Esterak, Alberto Gonzales, Ashley Copeland, and Terral Smith), Governor Bush himself, the Adult Education Accountability Task Force, and education-related vendors and organizations. Deputy Director Lizzette Gonzales is either the sender or the recipient of most of the e-mail, and a few of the letters; the rest of the communications seem to have been either referred to her for response or copied to her for her information. Much of it went through Margaret LaMontagne.

Records are bill files for the 74th, 75th, and 76th Legislature, 1995-1999, maintained by Governor Bush's Legislative Office. Bill files for the 74th Legislature, 1995, usually consist of two folders per bill. It appears only the bills actually signed by the Governor are included in the files documenting the 74th Legislature. The first file can contain the following types of materials (though few files contain all of these items): correspondence between the Governor's Office and the bill author re: bill signing; copy of the Governor's signature sheet (with his signature as well as the Lieutenant Governor's, the Speaker's, and the Clerk's); Governor's action report; Governor's Legislative Steering Group (LSG) bill analysis; Legislative Information System (LIS) bill history; a copy of the enrolled bill; and memoranda. The second file can contain the following types of materials (though few files contain all of these items): a red delivery sheet (bill has been delivered to Governor's office) with a timeline for the Governor's signing process; LGS bill analysis; copy of the bill as passed and sent to the Governor; House Research Organization (HRO) bill analysis; bill amendments; LIS House Committee bill analysis report; copy of the initial bill; copy of engrossed bill; and enrolled bill memorandum checklists. Very rarely, some files contain a subject file on the topic of the bill, as, for example, the Clean Air Act. Such files can contain notes, press releases, clippings, memoranda, correspondence.

For the 75th Legislature, 1997, it appears as though all (or at least the vast majority) of the bills introduced during the 75th Legislature are represented in bill files documenting that session. Bills that were not signed contain far less, often minimal, documentation. The legislative process in the Governor's Office is best documented by the bill files created during this Session. The most minimal bill files can contain only a single copy of a filed bill. Other, more complete files can contain some combination of the following: Enrolled bill memorandum checklist; Legislation delivery and timeline sheet; LIS bill history; LIS House Committee bill analysis report; LIS Senate committee witness list report; LIS House committee witness list report; Legislative Budget Board (LBB) fiscal note; LSG - bill progress tracking chart, bill survey form, Senate committee report analysis form, Senate passed analysis form, House committee report analysis form, House passes analysis form, conference committee analysis form, final bill analysis form with signing recommendation (all the LSG documents were created by the Governor's Office to analyze the bill); HRO bill analysis; copies of the various stages and evolutions of the bill and attachments; correspondence (some copies of letters); memoranda (from agencies, others); bill signing ceremony request form, and the Governor's signature sheet.

For the 76th Legislature, 1999, it appears as though all (or at least the vast majority) of the bills introduced during the 76th Legislature are represented in bill files documenting that session. Bills that were not signed contain far less, often minimal, documentation. Materials typically found in these files are LBB criminal justice policy impact statements, fiscal notes, actuarial and funding impact statements; copies of bills at various stages; and copies of correspondence. Some files contain only a single copy of the bill in question, some contain the majority of the documents listed, but the average file contains simply several bill copies, the legislation delivery and timeline sheet, and a copy of the Governor's signature sheet. Bill analyses from any of the bodies involved in the legislative process appear to be missing. The information documenting the decision making in the Governor's Office seems to be largely absent.

Records are correspondence, March to May 1999, between the Governor's Office and the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) concerning proposed legislation that required TNRCC review under a constitutional amendment.

Records comprise correspondence, memoranda, and tracking slips, with a few attached printed materials, reports, and publications, dating 1995-2000, of the Texas Office of the Governor's Budget and Planning Office during the terms of George W. Bush. Albert Hawkins was the Director of the Office during this time. The records comprise the Budget and Planning Office central files and contain predominantly incoming and outgoing letters and memoranda that passed between some members of the Budget and Planning staff and various other staff members in the Governor's Office, state agencies, federal agencies, corporations and consultants, state legislators and members of Congress, and various state officials. The subjects of the correspondence concern the development of the state budget and the financial needs and plans of Texas agencies and other state funded institutions, including appropriations, exempt salary issues, consultant contracts persuant to Wagner-Peyser 7(b) allocations (a program providing employment related services to veterans), emergency grants, applications for federal funds, allocation of additional full-time, part-time, and temporary employees, receipt of grant funds and other payments from federal bodies, Year 2000 transition costs, and disaster funding. General subjects include welfare to work, tax reform, the funding of public education and distressed communities, and managed care. A few memoranda concern internal Budget and Planning Office policies.

Many of the incoming letters are copies of logged correspondence, some of the letters are original logged correspondence, a few letters do not appear to have been logged at all. The copies of logged letters frequently have attached data entry and logging/tracking forms. Note that some of the correspondence was copied with post-it notes obscuring the text of the letter, for the full text the researcher may need to try and locate the letter in the Central correspondence file series. [See the series Central correspondence file for further infomation on logged correspondence.] Letters sent to the Governor's Office by state agencies and other bodies include attachments, though the amount of such material is not large. Such attachments include required agency financial reports and statements, and instructional materials from the federal government.

Albert Hawkins' files differ from the staff files in that they contain a higher percentage of policy and personnel issues, provide greater evidence of contact and discussion with other sections of the Governor's Office, and include a cross-section of material found in the individual staff member's files, particularly items that passed through or came from him. The records of the staff members show somewhat more evidence of direct involvement with state agencies and the files contain a higher percentage of original, as opposed to copies of, correspondence. The researcher should be aware that a number of Budget and Planning Office staff members are not represented in the following correspondence.

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go to the full finding aid. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found at at separate divider within the binder ( Texas Governor George W. Bush, Budget and Planning Office Records ).

The records consist of correspondence with attachments of plans, statements, reports, position classifications, and exceptional item funding information, dating 1978, 1988-1999, undated, (bulk 1995-1999), maintained in the Texas Office of the Governor's Budget and Planning Office during the terms of George W. Bush. The materials aid in documenting the development of the Texas state budget and most were submitted by various state agencies to fulfill the reporting requirements of the General Appropriations Acts (House Bills 1) of the 74th and 75th Legislatures. The letters specifically concern, and can include copies of, rules review plans, biennial operating plans, capital acquisition statements and requests, salary level information, fee and tax collection income reports, cost containment reports, position classification statements, exceptional item funding requests, employee bonuses in return for Year 2000 conversion activities, service and population category information, contract approval requests, versions of agency exempt salary plans, emergency deficiency grants, operating budget instructions, grants, foreign travel, and the Wagner-Peyser contract program that provides employment related services to veterans.

Correspondence is frequently addressed to the Director of the Governor's Office of Budget and Planning (Albert Hawkins), but was logged and handled by the office staff, as indicated by the logging/tracking forms attached to the letters. Some files have attached tracking charts that record the Budget and Planning analyst assigned to the agency, the date on which materials were routed, and other general information. The role of the Legislative Budget Board in the budget development process can be discerned in some of the materials. A few documents concerning agency exempt salary plans date from the term of Texas Governor Ann Richards and were written by Dale Craymer, her Director of the Budget and Planning Office.

These letters include both copies of logged correspondence and original logged correspondence, though other items do not appear to have been logged in the correspondence database. [See the series Central correspondence file for further information on logged correspondence.] On occasion, outgoing responses are attached to an agency's incoming letter.

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go to the full finding aid. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found at at separate divider within the binder ( Texas Governor George W. Bush, Budget and Planning Office Records ).

Records comprise cost allocation plans, correspondence, proposals, manuals, reports, opinions, printed material, memoranda, legal documents, questionnaires, contracts, organization charts, and notes, dating 1971, 1989-1999 (bulk 1990-1998), maintained in the Texas Office of the Governor's Budget and Planning Office during the terms of George W. Bush. The records concern the creation of cost allocation plans that track the state's indirect costs and the recovery of those costs for the purpose of satisfying federal grant guidelines. The materials are divided into three general sections: the actual cost allocations plans; reports, manuals, and proposals concerning the plans; and related correspondence.

Cost allocation plans were prepared by David M. Griffith & Associates, LTD and by KPMG Peat Marwick at the request of the Office of Budget and Planning. The plans are divided into the following sections, with descriptive introductions: certification by the responsible state official; organization chart; summary of fiscal year fixed costs; and the actual cost allocation plan, a detailed analysis and allocation of agency costs based on actual allocations from the prior fiscal year. A slightly different report, the full cost allocation plan also reports statements of direct and indirect costs and has a format that simply includes an introduction and the detailed plan. The majority of each year's report concerns Section I costs, namely non-billed costs of certain eligible services provided to state entities by the central service agencies, particularly the Texas General Services Commission, the Texas Department of Information Resources, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission's records storage program, and others. The records also include Section II plans for a number of fiscal years. These plans include central service costs that are directly charged/billed to agencies and universities.

The second section includes copies of the proposals submitted by David M. Griffith & Associates, LTD in response to the Office of Budget and Planning's search for contractors to prepare the cost allocation plans. Only the proposals submitted in 1990, 1992-1994, and 1996 are present. Additionally the section includes training materials and manuals.

The final section contains correspondence and attachments regarding the cost allocation plans. Much of the material involves communications with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the agency designated by OMB (U.S. Office of Management and Budget) as the cognizant agency responsible for negotiating indirect, fringe benefit (and other specialty) rates and issuing related rate agreements for a significant number of organizations receiving federal awards. Budget and Planning Office Grants Team staff member Tom Adams figures prominently in the majority of the correspondence. In 1990, Adams was selected to be the Texas Statewide Allocation Plan Project Officer, serving under then Director of Budget and Planning, Sheila W. Beckett and, later, Dale Craymer and Albert Hawkins, who also appear in the correspondence. The files include requests for proposals, rejected proposals and bids, consultant and interagency contracts and agreements, and related proposal correspondence.

The correspondence centers around costs the federal government disallowed, particularly charges regarding the Capitol Complex Telephone System and the Uniform Group Insurance Program (UGIP). In the case of the telephone system, the OMB concluded that the billing rate included equipment and interest costs and provided for a reserve fund for growth and construction, all of which were unallowable. In addition, the fund balance exceeded the two months' operating expenses that the federal government considered reasonable. The Governor's office worked to resolve the problem by restructuring its billing rates and repaying the disallowed charges.

Two major issues were involved in the matter of the UGIP. First, the federal government demanded reimbursement of $4.4 million for the unmatched contribution it made to UGIP (the state had failed to make a $22.2 million payment to UGIP in July 1993). The state conceded liability in this matter. The second issue concerned the assimilation of 50,000 higher education employees into UGIP in 1992. DHHS demanded the repayment of over $14 million, perceiving the assimilation to be a merger which not only required DHHS permission before implementing but that threatened the stability of the UGIP fund. The governor's office argued both that the assimilation was not a merger since all of the higher education employees entered the system as new employees without carrying over claims and that the fund had prospered enormously as a result of the new membership. The dispute over the UGIP expansion issue was appealed to the DHHS hearing examiner in Washington D.C. The Appeals Board found that DHHS was correct in principal but had erred in determining the amount of the disallowance. The state appealed, but also determined that somewhat over $3 million would be the amount disallowed. In 1998 the Appeals Board overruled the state's motion of reconsideration and the state brought it's final complaint in 1999. Governor's office General Counsel staff members Stuart Bowen and Al Gonzales were involved in the process.

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go to the full finding aid. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found at at separate divider within the binder ( Texas Governor George W. Bush, Budget and Planning Office Records ).

Records include correspondence, memoranda, letters and memorandums of agreement, grant reference materials, casework, executive orders, strategic plans, evaluations, reports, publications, bylaws, policies and procedures, manuals, printed materials, calendars, drafts, budgets, performance measures, legislative records, speeches, opinions, clippings, web page printouts, forms, organization charts, mailing lists, notes, telephone directories, travel and purchase records, and floppy discs that date 1967-2001 and were maintained by the Grants Team in the Texas Office of the Governor's Budget and Planning Office during the tenure of George W. Bush. The records of assistance to regional planning commissions document the activities of the administrations of all Texas governors from John Connally to George W. Bush in the origination, development, and functioning of Texas' regional assistance funding program and regional planning commissions. Denise Francis' files cover a wide range of subjects handled as head of the Grants Team. Casework records respond to requests for assistance in locating and obtaining grant funds. Training files document workshops presented by Grants Team staff around Texas from 1998 to 2001. The agency strategic plans and reports, 1995-1996, seem to have been submitted in 1996 in accordance with the responsibility of the Texas Governor's Budget and Planning office's Grants Team to collect and analyze performance data from state agencies on maximizing federal funds. General office files document the routine functions of the Grants Team administration.

Materials consist of eight publications, dating 1995-2000, maintained in the Texas Office of the Governor's Budget and Planning Office during the terms of George W. Bush. The publications concern the Texas state budget proposed by the Governor to the 75th and 76th Legislatures, a budget policy message to the 74th Legislature in the form of a published speech by the Governor, statewide strategic planning elements from 1998 and 2000, and property tax relief.

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go to the full finding aid. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found at at separate divider within the binder ( Texas Governor George W. Bush, Budget and Planning Office Records ).

This series consists of correspondence (both incoming and outgoing, including letters, memoranda, faxes, and e-mails) plus attachments (news clippings, resumes, invitations, transcripts of interviews, membership lists, copies of documents sent in response to Public Information Act requests, etc.). These records comprise the staff files of Texas Governor George W. Bush's Press Office, 1996-2000. Most voluminous are the correspondence files of Karen Hughes (Governor Bush's Director of Communications), July 1996-June 1999. These are in standard reading file format. The first page for each month (through February 1999) is an item-level index to that month's correspondence, giving date, name of correspondent, status (mail, hand, fax, out, pending), name of organization (e.g., Ross Communications, Associated Press, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Personal), subject and action, and whether closed (i.e., completed). Items are either addressed to Karen Hughes, or forwarded to her; those directly to Hughes have a simple stamp Received, with date filled in manually. Annotations in red ink are common (e.g. Original in prop. tax file, Referred to Correspondence, Close, Declined to reply - Don't really know enough to respond - out of state.). The last set of Karen Hughes files is labeled correspondence to be logged in, mostly dating 1999. Attachments to the letters include such things as news clippings, resumes, invitations, transcripts of interviews, membership lists, copies of documents sent in response to Public Information Act requests, etc. Topics of the Karen Hughes correspondence range from thank yous and football tickets, to requests for interviews, to appointments, applications for employment, and substantive policy issues (e.g. property tax relief, gun control, complaints about news coverage, criminal justice, welfare reform, faith-based initiatives, social promotion, insurance reform).

Next in volume is what was originally a large expanding file, unlabeled but apparently Anne Trenolone's files (Anne Trenolone, Office of the Governor, Communications), dating 1999-2000. These are divided into groups labeled Interview: decline, Interview: accept, Interview: info req[uested], Interview: forward, and Interview: quote only. Many of these are e-mails or faxes as well as more traditional correspondence, all of them requesting interviews, information, or quotes from Governor Bush. (Additional correspondence concerning interviews is found in the Karen Hughes correspondence.) Following these is a large stack of correspondence originally bound with a rubber band, dating 1998, and mostly addressed to or from Anne Friedenberg/Anne Friedenberg Swanson, Media Coordinator. Most of these items also involve requests for interviews (frequently video or audio interviews), most of them declined.

Finally, there are two relatively small folders, containing correspondence of Linda Edwards, Director of Communications, dated July 1999-October 2000; and of Mike Jones, Press Office, dated April-August 2000. Neither of these staff member's files seem to contain much substantive policy issue material.

During the majority of his tenure as Governor, George Bush's Director of Communications was Karen P. Hughes. (The Director of Communications was sometimes referred to--mostly by those outside the office--as the Press Secretary.) When Ms. Hughes left that position in June 1999 to become Governor Bush's presidential campaign spokesperson, the Deputy Director of the Communications/Press Office, Linda Edwards, became Director, and Mike Jones became Deputy Director. Anne Friedenberg-Swanson was Media Coordinator, 1998-1999. Another Communications staff member prominent in these records was Anne Trenolone, 1999-2000. Kimberly (Kim) Black was Karen Hughes' Administrative Assistant.

Records are speech files, 1992-1999, including texts, drafts and annotations of 36 speeches by Governor George W. Bush, 1994-1996, plus biographical information files; newspaper clippings, press releases, and audiocassettes filed as major speech information; and background information files containing news clippings, press releases, correspondence, pamphlets presumably used in writing speeches, 1995-1999. Topics are such things as social promotion, oil and gas, border, capital punishment, etc.

Records are appointments, general, and legislative news releases, 1994-2000, prepared by the Texas Governor's Press Office.

Records are photographs, electronic media, printouts from web sites, and related memoranda , e-mails, and correspondence, with news clips, press releases, resumes, publications, etc., 1946-2000. These are the website development files from the Texas Governor's Press Office. There are one videotape, five audiotapes, one zip disk, 14 computer floppy disks, and 8 CD-ROMs, dealing with a variety of subjects from Governor Clements' 1987 inauguration to youth art exhibits to literacy grants; two folders concerning the Lone Star Leaders and Legislative Information websites, which contain printouts of pages from each website, plus associated correspondence, faxes, e-mails, memoranda, press releases, publications, photos, etc.; and a loose-leaf binder containing a well-organized history of Governor Bush's website, with a fourteen-page historical analysis followed by sample pages from the website in 1996, 1998, and 2000; topics covered by the analysis include design, navigation and links, technology, and content.

A set of alphabetical topic files concerns the Governor's website. Printouts of various pages from the website are accompanied by related memoranda (e.g. from Jane Cook, web coordinator, to Karen Hughes), e-mails, and correspondence, with news clips, press releases, resumes, publications, etc. Of particular note is a series of weekly reports on Internet usage called Webtrends, prepared by the Office of the Governor. The subject headings are varied, from criminal justice, to disabilities, to the Governor's Mansion, to proclamations, to the Women's Commission, etc.

Included are more than 838 individual photos relating to Governor George Bush, dating 1946-2000 and undated. Most of them were given a unique ID number by the Press Office staff, and grouped into approximately 21 categories. Categories are Campaign, Constituents, Events-News, Events-Policy, Events-Education, Events-State Business, Family-Childhood, Family-Congress, Family-Family, Family-Slides, Family-Wedding, Family-Yale, First Lady, First Lady-Art, First Lady-Literacy, First Lady-wreath ceremony, Mansion, Official, Speeches-Commencement, Speeches-State of the State, Inauguration, and Web Design. There are also historical photos for the inauguration web site; photos, slides, negatives and proof sheets of the Governor at events, with constituents [not inventoried]; and miscellaneous photos, negatives, and related textual documents.

Records are approximately 175 videotapes and 245 audiotapes of events and interviews with Governor George W. Bush or First Lady Laura Bush, or concerning topics of interest to the governor and his staff, including education, literacy, legislation, and taxation.

These files contain newspaper clippings (originals and photocopies); press releases and media advisories; speeches given by First Lady Laura Bush; articles written by the First Lady (both drafts and finished copy); scripts for public service announcements (PSAs); event forms; correspondence; staff memoranda; reports (e.g. the First Lady's Early Childhood Development Initiative); media lists; publications; conference materials; magazines and newspapers; and videotapes and audiotapes, dating 1995-2000. In general, these files reflect the wide variety of issues of interest to First Lady Laura Bush. Especially well-represented are her concerns with literacy, libraries, and art.

These are clippings files, 1995-2000, maintained by the Texas Governor's Press Office.

These are magazines, newspapers, and a few other publications all relating to Governor George W. Bush or First Lady Laura Bush, 1994-2001, maintained by the Texas Governor's Press Office.

Records are gubernatorial and political speeches written for and presented by Texas Governor George W. Bush. Speeches are mainly reading copies that were maintained in the Governor's Executive Office, ranging in date from pre-1994 to 2000 with the bulk dating from 1995 to 1999. Included are copies of his state of the state addresses and the 1999 inaugural address. The 1995 inaugural address is not filed in this series, but can be found in the Press Office series, Speech files, and a videotape copy is located in the Press Office series, Major speech information .

Bush spoke at awards' dinners, bill signings, swearing in ceremonies, Boys' and Girls' State, border governors' conferences, chambers of commerce meetings, commencement ceremonies, conventions, funerals, literacy events, press conferences, and political fund-raisers. Speeches focus on subjects such as education, economic development, appointments, tax relief, adoption, faith-based initiatives, tort reform, literacy programs, juvenile justice reform, limited government, welfare reform, and relationships with Mexico.

Notes included in the gubernatorial speeches detail the event, listing name, date, estimated number of attendees, who introduced or escorted, approximate length of remarks, and whether open or closed to the press. Also included are background information, draft remarks, fact sheets, and suggested talking points; as well as a lesser number of agendas, brochures, humorous anecdotes, press releases, programs, and publications. Bush revised many of his speeches with handwritten notes and annotations. Partial speech lists are included and filed at the end of the records. When the subject of a speech was not apparent from the title, topics were added in brackets

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go to the full finding aid. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found at at separate divider within the binder ( Texas Governor George W. Bush, Executive Office Speeches ).

Schedules, 1995-2000, of Texas Governor George W. Bush detail out of office activities and travel (prepared by the governor's Scheduling Office) and in office schedules prepared by Ofelia Vanden Bosch, Bush's administrative assistant. Includes some edited schedules and some handwritten schedules with plastic spiral binding, the rest are printed and filed in three ring binders.

Correspondence to and from Governor-elect Bush dating November 1994 to January 1995. One group contains letters that are congratulatory, requesting or recommending appointments, or raising issues of concern. A number of Bush's responses to these are handwritten. Notes by Ofelia Vanden Bosch, Bush's administrative assistant, note disposition: material concerning appointments referred to Margaret LaMontagne, handwritten response by Bush, etc. Correspondents include campaign supporters, friends, and pastors of Austin-area churches. Second and third sets of letters contain requests for and copies of congratulatory letters from Governor-elect Bush for Eagle Scouts, birthdays, etc. Correspondents include the general public. There are also calendar pages for January 1-16, 1995. Some transition era correspondence has been filed in the Correspondence/Constituent Services, Central correspondence file.

Records are copies of letters notifying the Lieutenant Governor or other acting governor of out of state trips for Texas Governor George W. Bush and the estimated time he would return to the state and resume his duties as governor, 1995-1999. See also the file Lieutenant Governor Bullock in Executive Assistant's Office files, Subject files for additional out of state letters.

Autograph and photo request correspondence and logs, 1995, 1997-2000, from the Executive Office of Texas Governor George W. Bush.

Records are correspondence concerning requests for photo opportunities with Texas Governor George W. Bush, 1996-1999.

Records are correspondence and print outs from a database, as well as a copy of the electronic database currently in Microsoft Access, 1995-2000, describing gifts sent to Texas Governor George W. Bush and the disposition of those gifts.

Records are bound volumes of visitors registers, 1995-2000, of visitors who signed in while visiting the Texas Governor's Office.

Records are photographs from the Texas Governor's Office Press Office's Christmas parties held at the Governor's Mansion, 1996-1998, with one undated set that is likely 1995 or 1999. Most are images of Governor's Office staff or members of the press and their families posing with Governor George W. Bush.

Records are letters, invitations, email, faxes, event cover sheets, reports, programs, brochures, press releases, maps, schedules, printed materials and other documentation concerning invitations to Texas Governor George W. Bush handled by the governor's Scheduling Office, dating 1994-2000. Both declined and accepted invitations are included. Gold-colored event cover sheets usually includes the identification number assigned to the invitation, sponsor, date, time, and location of event, name of event, role Bush would play, contact name, number of attendees, plus a checklist for recommended action and action taken (accepted, declined, type of letter or call, etc.), and room for notes. The unique identification number from the Correspondence database is sometimes written on the cover sheet. Though one invitation dates from 1994, the event occurs after Bush became governor on January 17, 1995. Invitations are included for 2001 events to which Bush was invited before he became president. The number of pages for each event can range from two (event cover sheet and invitation) to over 100, depending on the types of attachments; most are several pages.

Documents include correspondence, itineraries, registration forms, travel vouchers, lists of contacts, emails, memos, menus, hotel and airplane information, and copies of passports, dating 1995-1999 (bulk 1995). Records are files that were used by the Texas Governor's Scheduling Office in arranging Governor Bush's and governor's staff trips to governors' meetings (National Governors Association, Border Governors Conference), Mexico, El Paso, and the Texas Panhandle.

Correspondence, memos, emails, 1995-2000, of the Texas Governor's Scheduling Office, concern letters referred/copied from other divisions, Scheduling Office policies and procedures including internal email messages/procedures, especially for period during Governor Bush's campaign for presidency, office wide and other division's policies and procedures, coordination with the Governor's Protective Detail of the Texas Department of Public Safety, faxes concerning coordinating event schedules with Governor Bush's father, compliance with public information requests, and use of airplanes by the Governor's Office. A memo by Shirley Green and Ashlee Lowe concerning Karl Rove demands is included in a pendaflex file labeled scheduling procedures, dating from the presidential campaign period when the Correspondence/Constituent Services division took over some of the scheduling functions.

Records are correspondence, including attachments, 1995-2000, sent to the Texas governor's office during George W. Bush's term. Types of letters and subjects include greetings from Governor Bush on anniversaries, births, birthdays, retirements, and weddings of honorees; welcome greetings for special events; letters of support or protest, concerning executions, Confederate plaques on the Supreme Court building, hate crimes legislation, teacher compensation, and environmental issues; letters of appreciation and thanks; letters of recommendation, appointment, and resignation; requests for auction items for charities. Correspondents include legislators and other elected or appointed officials, corporations, organizations, and the general public.

Records are correspondence, state opinion ballots, and petitions, 1995-2000, sent to the Texas Governor's Office during George W. Bush's term in office. Much of the correspondence is protesting capital punishment in general and the death penalty for specific individuals. Other issues include sea turtles, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Network, Rio Grande Valley housing, death penalty for juveniles, United Nations, religious freedom, law enforcement, and parental rights

This finding aid is a work in progress. Some series have been processed, others are still undergoing processing. All series yet to be processed are included in the framework of the finding aid. As these series are processed, this finding aid will be updated.

Photocopies of correspondence stamped pending, November to December 1997.

Records are proclamations (copies of the official memoranda signed by the governor); memos to Joe Allbaugh, Executive Assistant, through Karen Hughes, Communications Director, from Correspondence/Constituent Services staff requesting approval for the proclamation (through mid-1999); yellow routing slips, initialed by Shirley Green, Correspondence Director, and staff from relevant divisions within the Texas Governor's Office (after mid-1999); proclamation drafts; correspondence with the requesting individual or organization; and press releases, clippings, printed material, and other background information on the organizations, issues, and events being recognized in the proclamations. These are proclamations and associate materials, dating 1854, 1923, 1926, 1929, 1943, 1949-1950, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1966, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1980-2000 (bulk 1995-2000). Included is a file of proclamations for 2001 events that were written in 2000. Proclamations are honorary documents signed by Texas Governor George W. Bush in observance of special days, weeks, months, and years, such as AARP Day, 4-H Week, and Adoption Awareness Month. Proclamations are issued for Texas non-profit organizations with statewide, or at least regional, interest, are occasionally issued in honor of deceased individuals, and never contain the name of a for-profit organization in the proclamation title. See the "Proclamation & Greeting Guidelines" document for details on the do's and don'ts of proclamation writing. The proclamation process was a routine function of the Governor's Office, though the materials submitted with the proclamation request bring together information on a variety of organizations, issues, and events.

For the full finding aids for this series see Texas Governor George W. Bush, Correspondence/Constituent Services: Proclamations, 1995-1997 and Texas Governor George W. Bush, Correspondence/Constituent Services: Proclamations, 1998-2000.

Records are final versions and drafts of response letters and FAQs [frequently asked questions], originals and copies of incoming letters, clippings, printouts from Internet sites, emails, yellow routing slips, green Robo forms (listing author of letter, what division it belongs to in the Robo table of contents, main and second subjects, etc.), and memos of the Texas Governor's Office, Correspondence/Constituent Services division, dating 1995-2000. Files concern the development and revision of form response letters for topics that generated large volumes of mail for the Governor's Office. Karen Hughes, Communications Director, Vance McMahan, Policy Director, Margaret LaMontagne, Senior Advisor, and other Governor's Office staff provided input on the content and revision of letters. Subjects include border issues, child issues, economic development, education, employees, environment, energy, federal issues, government issues, greetings, health, crime, legal, budget, legislative, insurance, military, social issues, state agency issues, student letters, taxes, transportation, utilities, and welfare. There are also miscellaneous robo and mini-robo files, which may relate to issues of concern to a narrower constituency about which a number of letters were received.

Records are copies of autopenned correspondence, photographs, legislation, applications, certificates, yellow autopen authority forms, memos and routing forms, dating October 1995-December 2000. Subjects include thank you letters, directives re: flying flags at half-staff, birthday greetings, requests to federal agencies for emergency assistance, certification as a presidential elector, grant awards, settlements, appointments, including those to private industry council, applications, legislation, bond issuance. The folders from 1995-1996 appear to be copies of the signed document plus the autopen authorization. Later files include the requests for the governor's signature, drafts of letters, and memos or other background information on the signature request.

There are weekly production reports, ombudsman's reports, policy and procedure materials, and post-election mail and phone counts of the Texas Governor's Office, Correspondence/Constituent Services division, 1995-2000. Weekly production reports duplicate those found in a separate series. Policy and procedure materials consist of directives and memos re: policies and procedures concerning items such as handling email, greetings, proclamations, nominations, political mail and legislative mail; data entry of correspondence; handling requests for items such as gifts, auction items, and autographs; and handling requests for Bush's attendance at political events. Dates of these materials are 1995-2000. There are also loose memos to Shirley Green giving daily post-election (November-December 2000) counts for email, faxes, regular mail, and phone calls.

Records include manuals and procedures, form letters, Spanish translations, Texas Navy materials, public information requests, 1995-2000, of the Correspondence/Constituent Services division in the Texas Office of the Governor.

Manuals and procedures include two editions of the Correspondence manual of the Governor's office, 1995 (with additions in 1996) and 1998. There are memos on writing style procedures, a style sheet for the Notes and Quotes Reports, an organization chart of the division, and a list of correspondence issues, listing the issues each staff member addressed. Also present is a 1986 manual - White House Correspondence Manual.

There are two folders of form letters. The first contains notes, form letters, and memos re: the distribution of the end of the term report that Governor Bush prepared. Attached to the form letters is a list of the types of individuals to receive the report, using the various versions of the form letter, such as agency heads, legislators, employees of the Governor's Office, etc. The other folder contains form letters to be sent at the end of the term thanking the recipient for various state service during the Bush administration. Types of recipients include legislators, board and agency appointees, agency heads, etc. Attached to one form letter is a list of the addresses of the board and agency appointees. These records are dated in 2000.

There is also a folder titled Translations, Spanish. The folder contains typed copies of several letters, or summaries of information taken from the original letter, in English, with a routing slip attached - Elsa, Please translate. The original letters and the Spanish translations are not present. These letters are dated in 2000.

A group of files includes memoranda, correspondence, database printouts, etc. that make up the Governor's Office responses to requests for public information. Some of the memoranda document the amount of staff time and computer resources were spent responding to the request, some concern staff attempts to respond to the request. Nancy Newton seems to have been responsible for routing public information requests through the staff, Donna Davidson (Assistant General Counsel) also seems to have figured prominently. Memos frequently passed through Shirley Green, head of the Correspondence Office - Correspondence staffer Lisa Wright seems to have done much of the actual work. Subjects of requests include the numbers of letters received by the governor pro and con certain issues, the numbers of letters on a subject received from certain zip codes, correspondence between the governor and certain state agencies, utility deregulation, etc.

Another group of files contains lists of the bills for each legislative session with the name of each staff member assigned, summaries of state opinion ballots, lists of letters received on the topics of certain bills and the staff members who were assigned to respond, robo forms and related letters/instructions, possibly for the entry of new files into a computer database system.

Additional files include: Nicholas Kristof, public information request; Memorandum; Miscellaneous; Mail or mail log data entry; Press release; and Mass mail robos. The Memorandum file contains copies of speeches, memos on administrative office procedures (travel, e-mail use, etc.), constituent mail routing and responses (especially campaign versus Governor's Office), political activity by Governor's Office staff, etc. The miscellaneous files contains the birthday party list, lists of correspondence volunteers, an organization chart, phone directories and lists of post offices. The Mail or mail log data entry file contains the lists of inserts commonly sent out with correspondence, data entry instructions, staff duty assignments, list of please cc: Budget on mail from the following agencies, notes from Scheduling, and instructions on routing political mail. The Press release files contains copies of selected 1997-1998 press releases. Finally the Mass mail robo file contains robo forms, incoming letters, and few responses in draft form.

Records are correspondence, internal memos, photographs, publications, printed material, copies of statutes, certificates, and articles of incorporation, concerning the third Texas Navy, dating 1948-1998, from the Correspondence/Constituent Services division in the Texas Office of the Governor. The materials dating 1948 to the 1960s are copies of military records, certificates as admirals in the Texas Navy, and other attachments to correspondence. Many of the letters and memos are from or about Joseph Jefferson Burris, who was commissioned an Admiral in the Texas Navy by Governor Price Daniel in 1958. Burris frequently wrote the governor's office with recommendations for admiral commissions and suggestions for procedures. A number of other letters are from John W. Thiele, Chief of Naval Operations for the Texas Navy, Inc. From its creation in 1958 until the 1970s, the Texas Navy was partially state-supported. It became a non-profit organization in the 1970s with the governor serving as the commander in chief. Apparently during Mark White's term as governor, the governor's name was removed from the letterhead. Several memos written by Governor Ann Richards' staff question the role of the Governor's Office in providing commissions in the Texas Navy. A letter from Thiele to Governor Bush's staff recounts the limits that Bush set on the admiral commissions.

An additional folder about the Texas Navy contains some publications and information about the Navy and the commission of Admirals into the Navy. The bulk consists of letters with (and memos about) Dr. John Thiele, an Admiral in the Texas Navy, and his various requests for appointments of individuals to the Texas Navy Association. Dates of these records are 1983-1998, undated.

Records are correspondence, photographs, staff email, and one autographed baseball, dating 2000, of the Correspondence/Constituent Services division of the Texas Office of the Governor. Letters request that Texas Governor George W. Bush or First Lady Laura Bush autograph an enclosed photograph. Extra copies of photographs are often included for the governor. The autographed baseball has an attached post-it note that an address is needed before mailing. This series is closely related to the series Executive Office, Autograph and photo request correspondence and logs.

The weekly production report is a statistical compilation of the types and subjects of mail received by the Texas Governor's Office of Correspondence and Constituent Services during that week. Dates covered are 1997-2000. The report starts with a section for Gubernatorial Mail (number of letters received, number received year to date). With that section the top issues of the week are listed (Education, etc.), further categorized as Pro, Con, Comments, with the numbers of letter received listed in each category. Another section is Form mail (categories of major issues, volume, week's total); Correspondence processed (categories of Gubernatorial Mail, Proclamations/special issues, Logged/forward to other divisions, giving the week's total and the year to date for each category).

There are several documents that accompany the report. There is a list of major subjects, listing as many as 100 subjects or more, though usually less than 100, giving the categories of Pro, Con, N/A, give the total received that week in each category. Each month also has a cumulative report, giving the year to date totals instead of the week. A more detailed report lists these same subjects with subissues, following the same format. The more popular subjects may have several subdivisions or subissues, the less popular, none.

Most months also have another report, the Ombudsman's Report. This lists the total calls received for the week and the year to date. Types of calls are listed with totals (casework, complaints, inquiries, opinions, issues, opinions, legislation). Further sections, with categories of Pro, Con, Comment, are the Top Issues of the Week, and the Top Legislative Issues of the Week.

Another report present in most months is the Notes and Quotes. Sometimes these are present from different staff members; sometimes they just appear once. The reports lists quotes from letters and phone calls, usually citing the correspondence by initials last name, and locale. Some quotes do not have cites.

Another report that is present for most months is the report of the mail analysts. They track the weekly total of mail received, number of letters in the backlog, total number of letters to be processed. They also track the weekly total of mail processed - the current backlog and list major and new issues.

Another report is a count of letters routed to divisions. It lists the division and the number of letters requiring a response, number with no response, total count, pending county. Some lists just have numbers for that week, some for the year to date. At the end of each year is an annual report reproduced - generally the Weekly Production Report and the two lists of major issues.

Records comprise correspondence, memoranda, casework summary forms, notes, etc., 1996-1997, of the Texas Governor's Ombudsman's Office. The Governor's Ombudsman during this time was Phil Sims, most of the materials were either sent to or worked on by him. The ombudsman took complaints from and listened to the concerns of Texas citizens and state officials and employees. Subjects include opposition to bills, grievances with state agencies, dissatisfaction with constituent services in the Governor's office, concerns for people housed in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, power outages, sexual abuse of children, abatement projects, requests for general information, and placement centers for the mentally ill.

Types of documents include appointment calendars, invitations, correspondence (e.g. invitations and acceptances), event forms, agenda, remarks for Texas First Lady Laura Bush (i.e., speeches), media advisories, newspaper clippings, mailing lists, brochures and other publications (especially conference or meeting packets), 1995-1999. These records consist of annual appointment calendars and events files for the Texas Governor's Office of the First Lady. Each folder is labeled with the event and the date [minus the year].

These records consist of loose-leaf binders containing daily schedules for Texas First Lady Laura Bush, 1995-1999, day-by-day and minute-by-minute. They provide precise detail concerning the times and places of her departures and arrivals, indicating the nature of the events, the mode of transportation (including who is on a given manifest), contact persons (with phone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses) and other pertinent information.

These records consist of large-print texts of speeches given by Texas First Lady Laura Bush, 1995-1999, each containing a heading identifying the event and the date. They are unfoldered.

These records consist of folders containing correspondence (incoming and outgoing) between the general public and Texas First Lady Laura Bush, 1995, 1997-1999. Attachments are included (e.g. news clippings, brochures, photos, etc.).

These records consist entirely of invitations to Texas First Lady Laura Bush, 1995-1999, with letters regretfully declining the invitations. They are unfoldered.

These records consist of the contents of Texas Book Festival notebooks, 1996-2000, including meeting packets, correspondence, photographs, and printed material. These are files from the Office of the First Lady; Laura Bush founded and chaired the event. There are multiple copies of much of the material. Except for one, all of the contents of the binders have been removed and placed in acid-free folders.

These records consist of meeting materials, attendees lists, agendas, related correspondence and e-mails, etc., 1996-2000, all relating to charitable foundations in which Texas First Lady Laura Bush was interested.

Records comprise a small amount of paper copies of minutes and agenda (with notes and a few attachments), 1984-1991, and 82 audiocassette tapes, 1995-2000, of the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities. All of the paper documents pre-date Governor Bush's tenure in office, while the audiotapes date from his terms.

Records are correspondence, attachments, clippings, printed materials, etc., 1991-2000, of the Texas Governor's Committee for People with Disabilities. Some items are written in, or have notes in, Braille. Some of the correspondence entered into the correspondence database. Some letters are grouped into sets of incoming, responses, internal memoranda, and letters initiated by the Committee/Council. Correspondence passes between Council/Committee members, the Governor's staff, state agencies, state and local officials, federal organizations, businesses, and the general public. Issues include topics related to the Governor's charges as mentioned in the Meeting files series, compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, etc.

Records are correspondence, 1995-2000, of the Film Commission in the Texas Governor's Office. There are several folders of incoming correspondence, to Tom Copeland, director of the commission, dating 1996-2000. Most letters were sent directly to him, some were forwarded from other divisions within the governor's office. Except for a couple of cases, outgoing replies are not present. The remainder of the correspondence consists of two files for Kevin Walker, the office manager of the commission. There is a folder of outgoing faxes, with attachments faxed, and a folder of incoming and outgoing correspondence, dating 1995 and 2000. A few of the 1995 letters have replies sent by Carol Pirie, Communication Director, or Tom Copeland, Executive Director. Subjects in the correspondence includes upcoming productions, locations of film shoots, how to get a company added to the Texas Production Manual, and requests for lists of companies handling specific film related services (e.g. animal wranglers and handlers, runners and production assistants, extras casting directors, cinematographers, etc.) There are also invitations to screen play readings, film premieres, social engagements, etc.

There are two types of published manuals/directories present, dating 1995, 1997-2000. There are several editions of the Texas Production Manual, a directory/manual published annually that lists film professionals in Texas, with extensive information on locations, government and weather contacts. The bulk of the information is the alphabetical directory listing of film professionals. A yellow pages section lists the film professions by category. Categories, or types of professionals listed include production companies and assistants, photographers, set and costume design and construction, hair and makeup services, location scouts and managers, casting directors, talent agencies, film directors, film editors, music arrangers and composers, script and screen writers, sound services, prop companies, stunt men and stunt service companies, studios, etc. The other publication in this series is the Texas Music Industry Directory for 2000. This is a directory of musicians and music-related companies.

There are daily calendars of Kevin Walker, office manager at the Texas Film Commission, for April-December 2000; Tom Copeland and Carole Pirie for 1999 and 2000 (joint calendar); a 2000 calendar for Amy Cadenhead (position unknown), and one unidentified calendar for 2000.