Texas Legislature, Senate:

An Inventory of Records of Senator Jon Lindsay at the Texas State Archives, 1979-2006, bulk 1996-2006

Agency History

The Texas Senate is one arm of the Legislature of the State of Texas (the other being the Texas House of Representatives), which the Texas Constitution (Article III, Section 1) vests with all legislative power of the state. The primary legislative power is enacting laws, and the most visible function of the legislature is to make public policy through drafting, considering and passing bills and resolutions. By virtue of office, the lieutenant governor is president of the senate, with the right to debate and vote on questions in committee of the whole and the right to cast the deciding vote when the chamber is equally divided. The senate elects one of its members president pro tempore to perform the duties of the lieutenant governor during his or her absence or disability, or when the office is vacant. The 1876 Constitution fixes the number of senators at 31, elected from senatorial districts according to state constitutional guidelines to serve overlapping four-year terms. A senator must be at least 26 years old, a qualified voter, and a resident of Texas for at least five years and of the district represented for at least one year immediately preceding election.

In addition to legislative powers, the legislature exercises other types of authority. Constituent powers include the ability to alter the state constitution, and the members' authority, through their legislative actions, to exercise powers of attorney in behalf of their constituents. Directory and supervisory powers allow the legislature to regulate the state's administrative machinery, made up of boards, commissions, and departments that conduct the affairs of state. The legislature establishes and funds these bodies and defines their functions. Executive powers of each house include selection of legislative officers, employees, and chairs and members of committees. Investigative powers are exercised through the formation of standing, special, interim, and joint committees to study an issue. Senate committees are usually charged with a particular purpose by the lieutenant governor, although this may also be accomplished by a resolution adopted by the senate. Each legislative house holds judicial powers over its members, including punishing or expelling members for cause.

The legislature meets in regular session on the second Tuesday in January of odd-numbered years and in special sessions when convened by the governor. The length of the regular session is limited to 140 days. Special sessions are limited to 30 days, but the number of special sessions that may be called is not limited. Only legislative matters submitted by the governor may be considered in special session. All legislative sessions, except for the senate's executive session, are open. Neither house may, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days or move to a place other than where the legislature is sitting. Two-thirds of each house constitutes a quorum, the number of members required to conduct business. If a quorum is not present, a smaller number may vote to adjourn and compel absent members to attend. The senate is required to keep and publish a journal of its proceedings and to record the vote on any question on which three members who are present demand an actual count of yeas and nays.

The senate functions through committees set up under its own rules. By custom the president of the senate appoints standing, special, and conference committees, although the senate is free to designate its own method of selection. Under the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1961, the committee system was expanded, and provisions were made whereby standing, special, and general investigating committees created by each body could function whether or not the legislature was in session. The senate has 16 standing committees: Administration; Business and Commerce; Criminal Justice; Education; Finance; Government Organization; Health and Human Services; Intergovernmental Relations; International Relations and Trade; Jurisprudence; Natural Resources; Nominations; Redistricting; State Affairs; Transportation and Homeland Security; and Veterans Affairs and Military Installations.

(Sources include: Guide to Texas State Agencies, 11th ed. (2001); and the Texas Senate Committees web page http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/Senate/Commit.htm, accessed March 12, 2007.)

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Biographical Sketch

Texas State Senator Jon Lindsay was elected to the Texas Senate in 1996, representing the 7th Senatorial District, which consists of the northern portion of Harris County. He had previously served as Harris County Judge for 20 years. A Republican, Lindsay initiated several infrastructure projects during his senate service including the construction of the Harris County Toll Road system, park development, flood control projects, jail and juvenile detention facilities, and the establishment of a state/county psychiatric facility (the NeuroPsychiatric Center of the Mental Health and Mental Retardation Authority of Harris County). Lindsay chose not to run for re-election in 2006.

Senate committees Lindsay served on longest were Intergovernmental Relations (1997-2002, 2005-2006; vice-chair, 1999-2002), Natural Resources (1997-1998, 2003-2006), Health and Human Services (1999-2000, 2003-2006), and Nominations (2001-2004; chair, 2003-2004).

A registered professional engineer and former contractor, Jon Lindsay grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico and graduated from New Mexico State University. He is an Air Force veteran who served as an officer at James Connally Air Force Base in Waco, Texas from 1959 to 1962. In 1962, he moved to Houston and formed his own construction company. In 1986, the Texas Society of Professional Engineers recognized Judge Lindsay as "Engineer of the Year" for his foresight and leadership of the construction of the Sam Houston and Hardy Toll Roads.

(Sources include: Biography of Senator Lindsay from the Texas Senate website, http://www.lindsay.senate.state.tx.us/, accessed November 20, 2006; and Texas Legislature Online, http://www.legis.state.tx.us/Home.aspx, accessed March 6, 2007.)

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Scope and Contents of the Records

The Texas Senate is one arm of the Legislature of the State of Texas (the other being the Texas House of Representatives), which the Texas Constitution (Article III, Section 1) vests with all legislative power of the state. Records of Texas State Senator Jon Lindsay reflect his efforts to represent the needs and concerns of the 7th Senatorial District through his legislative proposals, his work on senate committees, and the working relationships he and his staff formed with agencies and officials at the state, federal and local level, and with private and non-profit organizations. Types of records include correspondence, legislative bills and bill copies, bill analyses, notes, publications, reports, printed material, fiscal notes, legislative records, photographs, press releases, registers, proclamations, clippings, and memoranda, dating 1979-2006, bulk 1996-2006. Major topics among these records are intergovernmental relations; natural resources, especially water use and regulation; public health; social services; and transportation, including Houston mass transit.

Correspondence documents Lindsay's communications with constituents, state agencies, local officials, private and non-profit organizations, citizens of Texas, and the public at large regarding their opinions and concerns on issues affecting his senate district and the state at large.

Bill files document the legislation Lindsay created, sponsored, or had interest in during the 75th through 79th Legislatures (1997-2005). Subject files demonstrate the senator's work, advocacy, and involvement with state and federal agencies, state officials, local authorities, private organizations, constituents, and the general public. Many subject files were likely compiled to be used as research in the proposal of legislation. Several subject files document his service on the Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations.

Office files of Lindsay's Capitol office in Austin demonstrate efforts of his office to provide the senator's constituency with news of his legislative work, to record visitors to the senator's office, to gather press reportage concerning the senator, and to visually document the senator's activities through photographs. District office files of Lindsay's Houston office comprise subject and correspondence files, many of which include constituent casework.

Texas State Artist Committee files are from the joint legislative committee appointed during the 75th Legislature and on which Senator Jon Lindsay served. The records illustrate the committee's work in 1998 to choose artists to serve during the time periods 1997-1998 and 1998-1999. Records from previous committees in 1988 and 1991 are included. The Texas State Artist Committee was a joint legislative committee existing from 1971 to 1999, which received nominations for Texas State Artist and made the final selection of who would hold that honorary one-year appointment.

Senate Proclamations made by Texas State Senator Jon Lindsay honor in most part Eagle Scouts and Girl Scouts.

To prepare this inventory, the described materials were cursorily reviewed to delineate series, to confirm the accuracy of contents lists, to provide an estimate of dates covered, and to determine record types.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

Materials do not circulate, but may be used in the State Archives search room (Room 100). Materials will be retrieved from and returned to storage areas by staff members.

Because of the possibility that portions of these records fall under Public Information Act exceptions including, but not limited to: social security numbers (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 552.147); home addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, and personal family information of government employees and officials (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 552.117); and privacy (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 552.101) 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 (Texas State Library and Archives Commission, P. O. Box 12927, Austin, TX 78711), fax (512-463-5436), email (Dir_Lib@tsl.state.tx.us), or see our web page ( http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/agency/customer/pia.html). Include enough description and detail about the information requested to enable the archivist to accurately identify and locate the information. 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.

In accordance with Texas Government Code, Chapter 306 and Chapter 323, Jon Lindsay permanently closed communications between himself and citizens/residents of the State of Texas and with the Texas Legislative Council as of September 12, 2006.

Restrictions on Use

Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).

Technical Requirements

Researchers are required to wear gloves provided by the Archives when reviewing photographic materials.

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Related Material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item and cite the series), Records of Senator Jon Lindsay, Senate, Texas Legislature. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession number: 2007/008

These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Senate in three batches between September 8, 2006 and January 5, 2007.

Processing Information

Rebecca Romanchuk, March 2007

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Detailed Description of the Records

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