Texas Legislature, Senate:

An Inventory of Records of Senator Todd Staples at the Texas State Archives, 1987-2006, bulk 1997-2006

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 on 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 beginning 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. As of 2007, the senate has 15 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; 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.)

Biographical Sketch

Texas State Representative and Senator Todd Staples was born in Palestine, Texas and attended Texas A&M University, earning a B.S. degree in Agricultural Economics in 1984. Before running for public office, Staples founded a real estate appraisal and brokerage firm. A Republican, he served as representative of House District 11 (encompassing Anderson, Cherokee, Leon, and Robertson Counties) from 1995 until 2001. He served as vice-chair of the House Committee on Juvenile Justice and Family Issues (1997), and vice-chair of the House Committee on Corrections (1999).

Staples was elected as senator in 2000 for Senate District 3, comprising 14 counties (Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Hardin, Henderson, Jasper, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, and Tyler) and portions of two others (Montgomery and Smith) in east Texas, including the cities of Conroe, Lufkin, Nacogdoches, Jacksonville, Palestine, and Athens. He served as chair of the Senate Committee on Infrastructure Development and Security, renamed in 2005 as the Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security (2003-2006), as chair of the Senate Select Interim Committee on Workers' Compensation (2003), and as vice-chair of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs and Military Installations (2005). Staples retired from the senate in 2007, having won the seat of Texas Commissioner of Agriculture in the 2006 general election.

(Sources include: Biography of Senator Staples from the Texas Senate website, http://www.staples.senate.state.tx.us/, accessed November 2006 but no longer available (a printed copy can be requested from State Archives staff, and electronic versions can be found through the Internet Archive, http://www.archive.org/index.php); and Texas Legislature Online http://www.legis.state.tx.us/Home.aspx, accessed May 2008.)

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 Todd Staples reflect his efforts to represent the needs and concerns of the 3rd 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 1987-2006, bulk 1997-2006. Major topics among these records are redistricting, transportation and homeland security, workers' compensation, natural resources (especially water usage and conservation, and industries such as fishing and timber), farming and agriculture, education, and private property owners' rights.

Correspondence documents Staples' 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.

Redistricting files document Staples' involvement in congressional redistricting during the 78th Legislature, its called sessions, and interim, 2003-2004.

Bill files document the legislation Staples created, sponsored, or had interest in during the 76th Legislature (1999, House of Representatives) and 77th through 79th Legislatures (2001-2006, Senate). Subjects of legislation include transportation and homeland security, workers' compensation, natural resources (especially water usage and conservation, and industries such as fishing and timber), farming and agriculture, education, and private property owners' rights. See the series Redistricting files, Committee files, and District office files for additional bill copies.

Committee files consist of records of two committees for which Staples served as chair. The Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security, which Staples chaired during the 79th Legislature and its called sessions and interim, 2005-2006, was charged with studying Patriot Act compliance by the state, and transportation and border security issues. Staples chaired the Senate Select Interim Committee on Workers' Compensation, during the 78th Legislature and its interim, 2003-2004. That committee was charged with assessing health care delivery and cost-containment within the state's workers' compensation system, comparing Texas' workers' compensation system to those in other states, and evaluating certain state agency participation in the system.

Subject files from the office of Senator Todd Staples demonstrate his work, advocacy, and involvement with state and federal agencies, state officials, local authorities, private organizations, constituents, and the general public. Major topics among these records include water, energy, and agricultural issues; the Texas State Railroad; and mental health care.

District office files from Staples' Palestine and Nacogdoches offices show his actions and research to address concerns of constituents in those locations. Major topics among these records are water use and conservation, timber, education, public health, social services, the Texas State Railroad, gambling, and state employee compensation. Records from the Nacogdoches office consist only of correspondence, both constituent casework and correspondence with state agencies and other government or public entities, while the Palestine office records also include memoranda, bill copies, clippings, and printed material.

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.

Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

In accordance with Texas Government Code, Chapter 306 and Chapter 323, Todd Staples permanently closed communications between himself and citizens/residents of the State of Texas and with the Texas Legislative Council as of January 1, 2007.

Materials do not circulate, but may be used in the State Archives search room. 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.

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

Please contact the Archives' Preservation Officer to obtain equipment needed to access the CD-R media.

Related Material

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

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

Accession Information

Accession number: 2007/130

These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Senate on March 16, 2007.

Processing Information

Rebecca Romanchuk, June 2008

Detailed Description of the Records