Because of the possibility that portions of these records fall under Public Information Act exceptions including, but not limited to, home address and phone numbers of government employees or officials, social security numbers, and personal family information (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 552.117); driver's license numbers (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 552.130); addresses of law enforcement officers (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 552.1175); email addresses (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 552.137); names of juvenile offenders (Texas Family Code, Section 58.005); names of victims of sexual assaults (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 552.101); and information about inmates incarcerated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice received from the Board of Pardons and Paroles (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 552.101 (information confidential by law, Texas Government Code, Section 508.313)), an archivist must review these records before they can be accessed for research. The records may be requested for research under the provisions of the Public Information Act (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Chapter 552). The researcher may request an interview with an archivist or submit a request by mail, fax, or email including enough description and detail about the information requested to enable the archivist to accurately identify and locate the information requested. If our review reveals information that may be excepted by the Public Information Act, we are obligated to seek an open records decision from the Attorney General on whether the records can be released. The Public Information Act allows the Archives ten working days after receiving a request to make this determination. The Attorney General has 45 working days to render a decision. Alternately, the Archives can inform you of the nature of the potentially excepted information and if you agree, that information can be redacted or removed and you can access the remainder of the records.
None.
None.
The governor of Texas is the chief executive officer of the state, elected by the citizens every four years. The duties and responsibilities of the governor include serving as commander-in-chief of the state's military forces; convening special sessions of the legislature for specific purposes; delivering to the legislature at the beginning of each regular session a report on the condition of the state, an accounting of all public money under the governor's control, a recommended biennial budget, an estimate of the amounts of money required to be raised by taxation, and any recommendations he deems necessary; signing or vetoing bills passed by the legislature; and executing the laws of the state. The governor can grant reprieves and commutations of punishment and pardons, upon the recommendation of the Board of Pardons and Paroles, and revoke conditional pardons. He appoints numerous state officials (with the consent of the Senate), fills vacancies in state and district offices (except vacancies in the legislature), calls special elections to fill vacancies in the legislature, fills vacancies in the United States Senate until an election can be held, and serves as ex officio member of several state boards.
The office of governor was first established by the Constitution of 1845 and superseded the office of president of the Republic of Texas. The position now exists under authority of Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution of 1876 and Texas Government Code, Chapter 401. To be elected governor, a person must be at least thirty years old, a United States citizen, and a resident of Texas for at least five years preceding the election. In 1972, the term of office was extended from two to four years, effective in 1975. Since 1856 the governor has had the use of the Governor's Mansion.
In 1999 there were 198 full time equivalent employees in the Office of the Governor. Thirteen divisions outside of the Executive Office assist the governor in carrying out his functions: Administration, Appointments, Budget & Planning, Communications, General Counsel, Legislative, Policy, Scheduling, Criminal Justice Division, Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities, Office of Film, Music, Television and Multimedia Industries, Women's Commission, and Texas Council on Workforce and Economic Competitiveness.
The General Counsel position within the Texas Office of the Governor was created in October 1973 when the Executive Director of the Governor's Criminal Justice Division appointed an individual as General Counsel, to assist him in providing statute interpretations and in other matters relating to policies and procedures. Today the Office of the General Counsel is a separate division in the Governor's Office. During the Bush Administration, Alberto Gonzales served as General Counsel, succeeded in 1998 by Margaret Wilson.
Duties of the General Counsel include providing statute interpretations; tracking inmates on death row as their cases move through the judicial process including all appeals to the governor for commutations or stays of execution; handling pardon requests sent to the governor; reviewing proposed settlements, land patents, grant requests, contracts, easements, and deeds for the governor; analyzing proposed legislation and regulations for validity and legal effect; assisting appointments staff in determining eligibility and other legal issues related to proposed appointments; handling extradition and requisition matters; coordinating ethics guidelines and training for the governor's office; advising the governor on federal programs administered by the state; coordinating the governor's criminal justice policy with the governor's Policy Director; and providing legal advice and handling litigation filed against the governor or the Governor's Office, in conjunction with actions of the Attorney General on the governor's behalf.
George W. Bush served as governor of Texas from January 17, 1995 to December 21, 2000, resigning as governor in the middle of his second term to become president of the United States.
He challenged the incumbent governor, Democrat Ann Richards, running on promises to improve public education and to reform the juvenile justice system, welfare, and the state's tort laws -- the system under which an injured person may sue for damages. During the 74th Legislature in 1995, he worked with the Democrats who controlled both houses of the Texas legislature and managed to get bills passed that dealt with the four issues he had emphasized in his campaign. Bush was seen as pro-business and a consensus-builder.
Bush advocated and signed the two largest tax cuts to date in Texas history, totaling over $3 billion. To pay for the cuts, he sought (unsuccessfully) federal approval of a plan to privatize Texas' social services. Education reform was a priority throughout his terms, with legislation emphasizing local control of schools, higher standards, and a revised curriculum. Controversy has followed, with charter schools mired in financial scandals and protests against one test determining a child's promotion. After winning reelection in 1998, Bush began his bid for the presidency and was not as involved in the 76th Legislature in 1999.
George W. Bush was born July 6, 1946 in New Haven, Connecticut and grew up in Midland and Houston, Texas. He graduated from Andover Academy, and received a bachelor's degree from Yale University and a master's from Harvard Business School. He served as a pilot in the Texas Air National Guard. In 1978, Bush was defeated in a run for the U.S. Congress in West Texas. He was involved in energy exploration from the 1970s into the 1980s. From 1989 until his election as governor, Bush worked with the Texas Rangers baseball organization, leading a group of partners in purchasing the team, and then serving as managing general partner. He married Laura Welch in 1977; they have two daughters.
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
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
The
The overall filing arrangement used by the General Counsel's Office has been maintained. The records are filed alphabetically, either by type of advice (settlement, grant, contract, execution summary, etc.), division of the governor's office (Administration, Appointments, Execution summaries, Grants, Policy etc.), or in a few cases, by agency name. Within each group, the files may be further divided by topic or name (for example, Execution summaries are filed alphabetically). Because the filing arrangement contains duplicative topics in a few cases, patrons should check all cross referenced areas when doing research in these files. Files of records containing legislative session materials are filed by session number, at the beginning of the topical sequence. Two boxes of ethics working files are filed at the end of the topical arrangement and were left in the order received.
Materials within the folders are generally in chronological order by
the date of the memoranda or letters. Some chronological reordering was done
when the materials (or sections thereof) were in no apparent order. Some of the
memos have earlier documents attached. In these cases, the complete date range
of the folder is given in brackets following the dates on the memoranda or
letters. In two groups the files are in alphabetical order within the folders,
(Identify the item), General Counsel's legal opinions and advice, Records of Texas Governor George W. Bush. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Laura K. Saegert, December 2002
Accession number: 2002/151
In December 2000, Governor George W. Bush designated the George Bush Presidential Library as the repository for the records from his tenure as Governor of Texas, under authority of Texas Government Code, Section 441.201. Shortly after he left office, the records were shipped to the Bush Library in College Station, Texas. Texas Attorney General John Cornyn ruled the records are state records subject to the Texas Public Information Act and the management of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission even after transfer to a federal facility (Opinion No. JC-0498, May 3, 2002). In July 2002 the records were transferred from the Bush Library to the Texas State Archives in Austin for preparation for research use. In June 2003, a memorandum of understanding signed by representatives of the National Archives and Records Administration, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, and George W. Bush replaced a January 2002 interim memorandum of understanding. The records will be returned to the Bush Library after the project has been completed.
[These are policy memos and advice concerning bills or issues during the 74th Legislative Session, held January-May 1995. Issues covered include Supreme Court rulemaking authority, branch banking, prison construction, tax bill changes, dual office holding and separation of power, etc.]
[These are policy memos and advice concerning bills or issues during the 75th Legislative Session, held January-May 1997. Issues covered include stalking laws, term limits of office holders, conservation and reclamation districts, public school finance, fraudulent court records, creating new judicial districts, Medicaid fraud, the Edwards Aquifer, sex offender registration, disposition of Governor's records, abolishment of the Rio Grande Valley Pollution Control Authority, term limits for mayors, appointment of branch pilots, intoxication while operating a motor vehicle, graffiti prevention, etc.]
[These are policy memos and advice concerning bills or issues during the 74th Legislative Session, held January-May 1999. Issues covered include gambling, court appointments, the Red River Boundary Compact, sunset legislation for the Texas Commission on Human Rights, etc.]
[These are policy memos and directives from the General Counsel's office, the Director of Administration, or other Governor's office staff concerning policies and procedures of the Governor's Office and/or the General Counsel's Office, such as restricted access in buildings, updates to manuals, resignations, transfer of Governor Bush's records to the George Bush Presidential Library in College Station, political activity, payment for past use of outside legal counsel, and various personnel issues.]
[These are policy memos and advice concerning issues about specific state agencies, either requested by the agency or requested by other entities. Questions may concern legislation, laws, rules, lawsuits, and other issues.]
[Appointment memos review whether an appointee is eligible to be appointed to the board/commission in question, or the legality of a specific situation, usually without naming the proposed appointee. Most memos fall in the latter category. The appointment files are arranged in two groups: State agencies, board, commissions and regional authorities; and Other appointments. Within each group the records are filed alphabetically by name of the governmental body.]
[There is additional child support material in the group
[Executive clemency issues are discussed in some memos.]
[These are memos about various types of bonds, often cover
memos accompanied by bonds, such as peace officer bonds, veterans housing
assistance or veterans land bonds, tax and revenue anticipation notes, public
employee dishonesty bond and faithful performance bonds, and water development
bonds. Additional veterans bond files are in the group
[A number of memos and letters in this groups concern private
child support collection agencies, notably the firm Child Support Enforcement.
Other memos discuss child support collection and enforcement issues, pending
legislation, and the Child Support Study Working Group. There is also a folder
of child support materials in the group
[This group contains memos and policy analysis of the General Counsel's Office on contract issues and contract policies . Memos also discuss specific contracts, sometimes serving as cover letters for the actual contracts or copies of the contracts. Types of contracts present include the use of facilities (hotel facilities, convention centers, etc.) for events, preparation of the Governor's cost allocation plan, grant allocation for the Criminal Justice Division, training services, and the hiring of outside legal counsel for litigation (including the hiring of counsel for the Branch Davidians lawsuit against Governor Ann Richards). There are also memos and policies from the Attorney General's Office largely concerning the hiring of outside legal counsel. These files are arranged in two groups: Governor's Office, Other agencies.]
[Additional outside counsel files are in the group of
files,
[Additional files are in the group
[There are memos and policy discussions on issues such as the
Crime Stoppers Program; drug prevention, substance abuse among youth, narcotics
control and other drug issues; auto theft prevention; sex offender
registration; and weapons transfers. A memo with attached statutes on the
status of the Crime Stoppers Advisory Council is in the group
[These are cover memos and policy analysis of deeds for the
governor to sign; most memos/analyses are from the Deputy General Counsel to
the Governor or his staff. The cover memos note briefly what the deed is for
and are accompanied by a copy of the deed. Some memos have a space for the
governor to check approve or deny and for his signature. The majority of the
records are cover memos accompanied by deeds. The policy analyses discuss
issues or concerns of a pending deed and advise on questions asked. Types of
deeds present include quitclaim deeds (deeds primarily granting easements or
right-of-way access along roadways to the Texas Department of Transportation),
General Land Office patents, deeds re: exchanges of land between the state and
the federal government or private land owners, a mineral/land trade deed, and
sales of land from the defunct Superconducting Supercollider project area. Most
of the memos concerning land office patents are filed in the group
[These are memos accompanied by copies of easements that grant
or release an easement, usually for pipelines, water or sewer lines, utility
lines, and ingress and egress. Most of the easements are from 1995 and concern
easements between the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and cities and towns
where prison facilities are located. The files are ordered by date of the memos
attached to the easements. Often multiple easements were issued on the same day
or within the same month. The files are further ordered by county when there
were multiple documents with the same date. The dates in brackets are the dates
covered by all the documents in the file, not just the date of the memorandum
or easement. Also present is an easement along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
(in the folder dated April 27-28, 1995). A few releases of easements are filed
in the group
[These are policy memos and analyses covering a variety of
ethics questions from the General Counsel's office or other Governor's office
staff. Some concern specific situations, others are general memos on ethics
policies. Issues covered include the acceptance of gifts, donations and grants;
state travel; outside employment by governor's staff members; ethics
violations; ethics training; participation in an annual Ethics Conference;
political activities; and board appointments. The files are arranged
chronologically with a group of files concerning candidate/officer holder
reports filed at the end of this group. The dates in brackets are the dates
covered by all the documents in the file, not just the date of the memorandum.
Two boxes of ethics working files are filed at the end of the topical
[An execution summary is a memo the General Counsel prepares
for the Governor's review of a pending execution. Most are from the General
Counsel to the Governor, some are from the Assistant General Counsel to the
Governor through the General Counsel. An execution summary usually provides a
summary of facts of the crime, personal and family history, brief discussion of
prior offenses, a summary of the court proceedings, and the general counsel's
conclusion as to anticipated delays and possible court intervention. For most
summaries there is space for the governor to deny or grant, and his signature.
A few summaries do not have the signature section. Most the summaries in these
[Within the
[two summaries]
[two summaries]
[two summaries]
[two summaries]
[two summaries]
[execution summary and a memorandum]
[summary and a memorandum]
[two summaries]
[two summaries]
[two summaries]
[two summaries]
[original summary and update to summary]
[two summaries]
[two summaries and a memorandum]
[original summary and update to summary]
[two summaries]
[original summary and a memo]
[two summaries]
[two summaries]
[original summary and a memorandum]
[two summaries]
[original summary and update to summary]
[two summaries]
[Memos with the Governor's office on a few issues. Similar
memos on other issues can be found in the groups of files,
[These records are correspondence, memos, deeds of cession,
copies of legal statutes, and certificates. These materials concern federal
land or federal jurisdiction over state land in Texas for areas such as federal
military bases, federal prisons, and national parks and recreation areas. Most
of the records concern the retrocession of federal jurisdiction back to the
state or the transfer or cession of state land or state jurisdiction to the
federal government. The correspondence is between the General Counsel's Office
or the Governor and various federal agencies, including the Department of
Justice, U.S. Attorney General, Department of the Army, Department of the Air
Force, and Department of the Interior. There are also memos between the
Governor's Office and the General Counsel's Office. There are deeds of cession,
mostly copies, signed by the governor transferring land to the federal
government - copies of old deeds are present, going back to the 1920s. There
are certificates signed by Governor Bush authorizing the transfers of
jurisdiction or accepting the retrocession of federal jurisdiction back to
Texas. The last item in this group of files is a 1956 federal report that was
used by a staff member (labeled Pete's notebook, which may refer to the Deputy
General Counsel Pete Wassdorf) seemingly as a guide on state-federal
jurisdictional issues,
[Most of the items in this group are memos concerning the
travels of the first lady on state business. Andi Balli, with the Office of the
First Lady, would send a memo to the General Counsel's Office, usually to Donna
Davidson, an assistant general counsel, requesting approval for a trip the
First Lady was planning for state business. The memo would contain the
justification for the trip. These memos were sometimes accompanied by copies of
travel requests. Attached to the memos would be a memo from Donna Davidson (or
another general counsel staff member) through Pete Wassdorf, Deputy General
Counsel, to both the travel assistant (Karin Brandenburg or Todd Beyer) and
Irene Marion in Internal Accounting, stating the general counsel had approved
the trip, usually giving a summary of the trip, its purpose, and often noting
flight arrangements. There: are: a few memos not concerning travel
arrangements. Additional memos concerning the First Lady can also be found in
the group of files,
[This was a task force created in August 1997 by Governor Bush
through Executive Order GWB 97-20, named the Governor's Task Force on Illegal
Gambling. The task force was composed of representatives from the Legislature,
from the prosecutorial and law enforcement communities, from state agencies
charged with enforcing gambling laws (Department of Public Safety, Lottery
Commission, Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, and the Attorney
General's Office), and the general public. The force met four times between
October 1997 and August 1998. The chief purpose of the task force was to
counteract the influx of eight liners (a type of casino gambling machine) in
the state. It also increased attention on the gambling issues in Texas. Members
gathered data on gambling in Texas and analyzed it to formulate an accurate
view of the current status of gambling in the state and its future growth. The
task force also reviewed gambling laws and suggested ways to enhance or improve
such laws, such as recommending the exception in the gambling laws that allowed
eight liners to operate in the state be eliminated from the gambling statutes.
The Task Force prepared a report on its work and recommendations for the
Governor in October 1998. Records present include memos on the creation of the
task force, lists of members, transcripts of the first meeting of the task
force, memos on gambling initiatives, and two copies of the final report. The
General Counsel staff member most involved with the task force, at least as
reflected in the records, is Deputy General Counsel Stuart Bowden. Related
documents are in the next group of files,
[With March 1998 cover memo.]
[These are memos between general counsel staff, generally from
Stuart Bowden, Deputy General Counsel to General Counsel Alberto Gonzales or
from Bowden to Joe Allbaugh through Alberto Gonzales. The memos largely concern
Indian gaming issues, primarily gambling devices/games used in the casinos
operated by Indians on the Tigua Reservation and the Kickapoo lands, whether
gambling activities on the reservations were legal under Texas law, and whether
Indian gambling operations would prevent Texas from passing stricter
anti-gambling laws. Other issues in the memos include bingo, the state lottery,
card gaming at race tracks, gambling initiatives of the Gambling Task Force
(see previous group of files,
[These are memos between General Counsel staff and staff of divisions or sections of the Governor's Office, such as Budget, Correspondence, Human Resources, etc. The memos give advice or address policy or procedures issues handled by the divisions.]
[Empty folder. See the group of files in
[This is a memo with attached statutes on the status of the
Crime Stoppers Advisory Council. Memos on issues pertaining to the Criminal
Justice Division and its program can be found in the group
[Empty folder. A folder for this committee is in the group
[These are memos on items such as how and when to use a standard confidentiality statement, casework report form, handling referrals to constituents, and two memos on issues of constituents - loss of jobs in El Paso and a constituent's dispute with the Department of Transportation over a monetary claim.]
[Memos from the General Counsel (or Assistant/Deputy General
Counsels through the General Counsel) to Joe Allbaugh, or to the Governor
through Joe Allbaugh. Issues addressed concern responsibilities of the
Governor's Office, purchase of law enforcement equipment, federal grants, role
of Governor as Commander-in-Chief of Texas military, local workforce
development board issues, dedication of facilities in the name of the Governor
or the First Lady, financial disclosure statements, and the Santa Fe school
prayer case. Similar memos can be found in the groups of files
[Memos concerning issues such as use of public funds to reimburse Texas Film Commission (TFC) employees for trips, legality of selling promotional shirts and caps for profit, and whether a checking account established by the Texas Association of the Film Commission is an authorized depository for TFC funds.]
[Memos re: naming of Breast Cancer Center after Mrs. Bush
and a public service announcement for Court Appointed Service Advocates. Memos
regarding justification and approval of travel of the First Lady on state
business are in the group
[There are several weekly status reports in early 1995 from different staff members to Deputy General Counsel Pete Wassdorf, a large memo detailing the powers of the governor, policy memos on issues such as reviewing death penalty facts and reviewing contracts for the governor, and memos on subjects such as appointment of legal counsel to indigent defendants. The memos are generally between the general counsel and/or assistant and deputy general counsels, from the general counsel to senior staff, or for the files.]
[There is a memo on employment policy and notes, memos, letters, and other paperwork involving a discrimination complaint by a staff member in the Criminal Justice Division.]
[Empty folder. Files re: legislative sessions are in the
group
[There is a memo from Alberto Gonzales to the Governor (through Joe Allbaugh) re: the legality of selecting a new governor's mansion and a memo concerning the closing of the mansion for repairs.]
[Memos between assistant general counsels and the Policy
Division, or to a file providing policy interpretations of questions asked by
the Policy Division, such as an interpretation of the state's ability to apply
conditions for receipt of welfare benefits outside the federal guidelines or
whether the General Services Commission can purchase goods through reverse
auctions. Additional policy materials are in the group
[Empty folder]
[Empty folder]
[Memos largely from assistant general counsels to the
executive or deputy directors of the Texas Council on Workforce and Economic
Competitiveness (TCWEC) concerning issues such as proposed redesignation of
local workforce development areas, legality of the Council, its bylaws,
membership certification, and an audit of the Council by the U.S. Department of
Labor. Additional TCWEC files are in the group
[Empty folder. Women's Commission files can be found in the
group
[This group consists largely of memos from Assistant General Counsel Claudia Nadig or John Orton to the Governor, requesting the governor's decision on awarding criminal justice grants. There was a space at the bottom of the memo for the Governor's decision - approve or disapprove. The memo also contains the recommendation of the general counsel to approve/disapprove the grants. In these files all of the grant awards were recommended for approval by the general counsel and all were initialed or signed by the governor as approved. Attached to the memo is a list of the grants, providing information on the agency/group receiving the award, type of award, amount recommended, and the application number. Awards were issued for a variety of criminal justice related uses including residential substance abuse treatment, local criminal justice planning, enhanced accountability for juvenile offender and juvenile justice systems, training and technical assistance, local crime stoppers programs, funding for emergency legal services, victim assistance and advocacy, gambling prosecution, gun violence reduction, victim notification, teen courts, youth empowerment, truancy reduction and intervention, alternative education programs for juveniles, gang prevention, child abuse treatment, mothers against drunk driving initiatives, violence against women programs, drug prevention courts, etc. Most of the awards are for the year 2000, a few are present from 1995-1996 and 1998-1999. Also present are a few early memos re: grant award requests. There are two memos about other types of grants - magnetic energy research and environmental management.]
[These are memos from the General Counsel to the Governor or
to Joe Allbaugh or Margaret LaMontagne; or memos from other general counsel
staff to the General Counsel or to the file. Memos concern issues such as the
Hopwood decision, a review by the U.S. Office of Civil Rights (OCR), higher
education admissions, and restricting minors participation in extra curricular
activities when pregnancies are an issue. There is also correspondence between
the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Governor's office
concerning an agreement between Texas A&M University and the South Texas
School of Law. Materials concerning the review by the OCR can be found in the
group,
[These are memos from the General Counsel/Assistant General Counsel to Laura Bush about functions of the committee, submissions of opening meeting notices with agenda, memorandum of understanding, resolutions, and minutes. The Inaugural Endowment Fund was established by the 74th Legislature with the balance of the unspent 1995 inaugural fund. The Inaugural Endowment Fund Committee was to oversee use of the fund, which could be used for decorating, furnishing or preserving the Capitol, the Governor's Mansion, or other state property of historical significance; or for grants in support of public or school libraries. First Lady Laura Bush served as the chair. Other committee members were the chair of the Texas Historical Commission, and a person appointed by the Lieutenant Governor and one appointed by the Speaker of the House. The wives of the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker served during this period.]
[These are mostly memos from the Assistant General Counsel to
Alberto Gonzales concerning various Indian issues, though gambling/gaming
issues are not present in this group. Issues covered are recognition of the
Cherokees, Tonkawa tribe litigation, the legality of peyote use and
distribution, and establishing a group of Indians as a tribe. For opinions and
advice on Indian gaming issues, see the group
[These are memos from interns, usually law clerks, to the General Counsel, Alberto Gonzales or to an assistant or deputy general counsel, usually Stuart Bowden, Pete Wassdorf, or Donna Davidson; memos from Donna Davidson to the law clerks; or memos from the law clerks through an assistant general counsel to the file. The memos are a summary of research on various topics the clerks or interns performed. Topics researched include use of the Texas Ranger name and badge for commercial purposes, disposition of governors' records upon leaving office, the open records act, validity of additional requirements for the federal JOBS program, employment rights of reservists, lobbyists, dual office holding, transfer of power to lieutenant governor in governor's absence, governor's approval of state contracts with foreign countries, privacy rights of government employees, federal product liability legislation, adjudication of water of the Rio Grande affecting El Paso and New Mexico, etc. The files are arranged chronologically by the date on the memo.
[Memos mostly to Alberto Gonzales or Joe Allbaugh from Steven Koebele, Assistant General Counsel; a few to the Legislative Office. These concern court issues such a creating courts, court overcrowding, Supreme Court decisions, and the Edwards Aquifer lawsuit. Memos are only present for 1995.]
[These are cover memos, usually with attached land patents
signed by the governor. The cover memos state the patent has been reviewed by
the general counsel's office and it recommends the governor approve issuing the
patent. Later patents have a space for the governor to check approve or
disapprove and for him to sign. Early memos, 1995-1998, do not have a place for
him to sign, but have the patents (or copies thereof) attached with his
signature. Also present are memos or letters from the General Land Office
stating the patent paperwork is all in order, etc. Some land patents were filed
in the group
[These are memos concerning the certification of a local
workforce development boards, generally to the Governor from Alberto Gonzales,
recommending he approve the certification and requesting the governor's
signature. There is a space for the governor to check approve or disapprove and
for him to sign. Most memos have a copy of the local workforce board
application attached with a cover letter from the Texas Workforce Commission to
the Governor requesting approval. According to the Workforce and Economic
Competitiveness Act (Vernon's Ann. Civ. St., Article 5190.7a) the governor was
charged with certifying local workforce development boards when certain
conditions were met. Memoranda about the redesignation of local workforce areas
is in the group,
[Correspondence and memoranda between the U.S. Office of Civil
Rights (OCR), Governor Bush's Office, the General Counsel, the Attorney
General's Office, Texas Education Agency, Higher Education Coordinating Board,
and a few universities, primarily the University of Texas and Texas A&M.
These materials primarily concern an investigation by the OCR of higher
education in Texas, especially the state's desegregation activities (such as in
minority recruitment and admissions). The other main issue addressed was the
OCR's response to a 1995 complaint by the NAACP against the Texas Education
Agency stating the TAAS (Texas Assessment of Academic Skills) test was
discriminatory. In addition to the correspondence and memos, there is a
notebook with materials pertaining to the OCR investigation and drafts and the
final copy of a collaborative agreement between Texas, the U.S. Department of
Education, and the Office of Civil Rights addressing Title VI issues in the
higher education system. A few memos concerning the investigation can also be
found in the group,
[These are mostly memos from the deputy or assistant general
counsels to Alberto Gonzales, Joe Allbaugh, directors or staff in other
Governor's Office divisions; also a few to Governor Bush, the Attorney
General's Office or the Secretary of State; and a few were done for the file.
The memos give advice or address policy or procedures on issues handled by the
Governor's Office. Topics include issues such as litigation (court
overcrowding, open records requests, etc.), federal telecommunications bill,
resignation of legislators to accept appointment to boards, the Red River
boundary dispute, welfare benefits, the Alamo flag, creation of new courts,
board memberships or appointments, oil overcharge project, powers of the
governor, use of outside legal counsel, open records issues, education
vouchers, development of the Texas Workforce Commission, and routine tasks of
the office, such as Internet use, correspondence policies, etc. A few early
status reports summarizing work done by the general counsel's office are also
present. Some of the memos also appear elsewhere in the
[These are largely memos from deputy or assistant general counsels to the General Counsel; to Margaret LaMontagne; to the Policy Office; or to the Governor through Joe Allbaugh. The memos contain analysis and advice on issues such as school education vouchers (largest set of files), Aid to Families with Dependent Children statute, state's ability to apply conditions to receipt of welfare benefits, personal responsibility legislation (re reducing large insurance payouts), identifying voters at the polls, litigation, and restricting minors' participation in extracurricular activities.]
[These are bonds and signature certificates, some accompanied
by a letter about the bond issuance from the law firm of Vinson and Elkins to
Kevin Van Ort, a Deputy General Counsel. Types of bonds are veterans land bonds
and veterans housing assistance bonds. Additional veterans bond materials can
be found in the group
[There are two sets of settlement files. The first dates from
January 1995 to February 1996. It contains memos from Pete Wassdorf to the
Attorney General saying the settlement was approved and signed by the governor
and letters from the Attorney General's office to the Governor through the
General Counsel listing the claim, stating the claim has been approved by the
Attorney General, and requesting the governor sign a purchase voucher for
payment. Decision sheets with the governor's signature are not present in this
set of files. This set of files is arranged chronologically by the date the
file was received in the general counsel's office. Memos detailing the
settlement offers with supporting documents for settlements from 1995-1996 are
present in the series
[The second set of settlement files date from 1996 to 2000
(with one claim from 1995) and consist of the letter from the Attorney
General's Office (as above), an attached list of settlements detailing the
settlement offer, and usually a memo from an assistant general counsel to
Governor Bush saying the settlement was reviewed and approved by the General
Counsel's Office, and that they recommend he approve the offer. There was space
for Governor Bush to check or initial approve or disapprove, and a place to
sign. In some cases he just initialed. Most of the settlements indicate the
governor approved them, but some do not have this signature page. This set of
files is in order by the last name of the claimant. Types of claims (for both
sets of files) include property damage, auto damage, discrimination, false
arrest, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, personal injury, whistle
blower, cruel and unusual punishment, attorney fees, medical malpractice,
excessive use of force, etc. Claims were filed by individuals, companies, or
groups of people primarily against the state or state agencies and/or
officials. Some were also filed against state universities and university
systems, and at least one was filed against a local government official, a
sheriff. A separate series in the General Counsel's records has documentation
on claims, some of which may include claim settlements found in this series,
see the series
[Memos mostly from Deputy General Counsel Pete Wassdorf or Assistant General Counsel Stuart Bowden to Governor Bush, usually through Alberto Gonzales; a few are directed to Joe Allbaugh or sent to Governor Bush through Joe Allbaugh, generally from Alberto Gonzales or Pete Wassdorf. The memos largely concern interstate agreements between Texas and other states or agreements/contracts between Texas and federal agencies, such as the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Park Service. The memos state that the General Counsel has reviewed and approved the contract or agreement and requests the governor to sign it. The memos from 1995 to mid-1999 usually have a copy of the contract or agreement attached, often including correspondence with the Department of Transportation. In 1998, the memo has a signature block for the governor to check approve or disapprove and to sign. By mid-1999, the contracts and agreements are no longer attached to the memos. Topics covered include the inspection and testing of highway materials by other states, improvements to or construction of bridges and highways crossing state lines or on federal land, design and construction of vehicle checkpoints along the U.S./Mexico border, data collection on historic bridges, right-of-way leasing, rulemaking questions, and questions on transportation issues. Some records concern joint studies with the federal government or other states on issues such as the Western Trade Network Study, or updating hydrologic techniques and analyzing regional flood characteristics. These files are arranged chronologically but many are foldered individually because of the size of the files. Folders with more than one agreement have information on all items noted in the folder title.]
[These are ethics working files consisting of copies of news
clippings, magazine articles, legislation, statutes, laws, Attorney General
opinions, and other resource materials; also present are internal memos and
copies of correspondence, notes, financial disclosure materials, and agenda
from meetings and seminars. These files, for the most part, appear to be the
files of Donna Davidson, Assistant General Counsel. Most memos are addressed to
her or are from her, notes are generally made by her. A few items present are
files of James Hines, a later Assistant General Counsel. The files are ordered
by topic or type of record, with titles such as executive orders, pardons,
settlements, ethics, elections, legislative working files, open records,
travel, etc. Of special note in these files are the financial disclosure
statements of Governor Bush that were filed with the Ethics Commission, from
1993-1997 and 1999. The statement for 1998 is not present here, but can be
found in the series
[A significant set of files on women's commissions are in
the group