Texas Legislature, Senate:

An Inventory of Records of Senator Ken Armbrister at the Texas State Archives, 1976-2006, undated, bulk 1983-2006

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 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 (2001) ed.; 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 Representative and Senator Ken Armbrister was a Victoria, Texas police captain, and the vice president of the Victoria School Board when first elected as a Democrat to the Texas House of Representatives in 1983. After two terms in the house he was elected to the Texas Senate in 1986, representing the 18th Senatorial District, which encompasses 18 counties and a portion of Fort Bend County in southeast Texas. During most of his time in the senate, Armbrister served on the senate committees on Natural Resources (chair, 2003-2005) and State Affairs (chair, 1993-1997). He authored the 1993 legislation that created the Edwards Aquifer Authority affecting a 16-county area of South Texas, and he later served on the Joint Committee on Oversight of the Edwards Aquifer (co-chair, 2003-2005), as well as on other water-related committees. He was named to the Texas Water Advisory Council in 2001 by Lt. Governor David Dewhurst. From 2003 to 2006 he was a member of the senate committees on Business and Commerce, and on Health and Human Services, and he served on the Transportation and Homeland Security committee from 2005 to 2006. Texas Governor Rick Perry appointed Senator Armbrister to the Task Force on Homeland Security in 2001, and to the Governor's Anti-Crime Commission in 2002.

Senator Armbrister graduated from Sam Houston State University and the FBI National Academy. During his 14-year career as a police officer, he rose to the rank of captain and served as the director of the Victoria Regional Police Academy. The College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University honored Armbrister with its highest award, the Defensor Pacem, or Defender of Peace Award, for his achievements in law enforcement and his legislative record on crime issues. He was twice named as a Top Ten Crime Fighter by the Greater Dallas Crime Commission.

During his tenure in the legislature, Armbrister served as President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and as acting Governor. He chose not to run for re-election in 2006.

(Sources include: Biography of Senator Armbrister from the Texas Senate website, http://www.armbrister.senate.state.tx.us/, accessed November 20, 2006; and Texas Legislature Online, http://www.legis.state.tx.us/Home.aspx, accessed February 26, 2007.)

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Scope and Contents of the Records

Records of Texas State Senator Ken Armbrister reflect his efforts to represent the needs and concerns of the 18th 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, clippings, and memoranda, dating 1976-2006, undated, bulk 1983-2006. Major topics among these records are natural resources (especially water usage and conservation, and industries such as fishing), education, public health, and social services.

Bill files document legislation Armbrister created, sponsored, or had interest in during the 78th (Regular and 1st, 3rd, and 4th Called Sessions; 2003-2004) and 79th (Regular, 1st, and 3rd Called Sessions; 2005-2006) Legislatures. Subjects of legislation include natural resources issues, including water management; energy; public safety and security; public health; and criminal justice. Correspondence between the senator and his constituents, state agencies, local officials, private and non-profit organizations, citizens of Texas, and the public at large addresses opinions and concerns on issues affecting his senate district and the state at large.

Subject files from the senator's office also contain correspondence, and demonstrate his work, advocacy, and involvement with state and federal agencies, state officials, local authorities, private organizations, constituents, and the general public. Many files compile material likely used as research in the proposal of legislation. A few constituent casework files are present. Several files document his service on the senate committees for Natural Resources, State Affairs, and Health and Human Services, and on the Joint Committee on Oversight of Edwards Aquifer, and his work on the board of the Department of Information Resources.

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, Ken Armbrister allowed public access to the communications between himself and citizens/residents of the State of Texas and with the Texas Legislative Council as of January 20, 2007.

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

The Archives may not have the correct software to read the 3.5 inch floppy disk, contact State Archives staff for more information.

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Related Material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

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

Accession Information

Accession number: 2007/047

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 October 30, 2006 and January 19, 2007.

Processing Information

Rebecca Romanchuk, February 2007

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Detailed Description of the Records

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