Texas. Legislature. Senate

Senator Hugh Q. Parmer, a Democrat from Fort Worth, served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1962 to 1964 for the 58th and 59th Legislatures and was elected to the Texas Senate in 1982 for the 68th through the 71st Legislatures (1983-1989) representing District 12 which encompasses part of Tarrant County. Parmer holds a BA from Yale University and was president of Parmer Marketing Company, Inc. In 1977, Parmer was elected Mayor of Fort Worth after serving a two-year term on the Fort Worth City Council. While in the Texas Senate, Parmer served on the following committees: Administration, Health and Human Resources, Subcommittee on Public Health, and Intergovernmental Relations.

From the guide to the Records of Senator Hugh Parmer, 1977-1989, (bulk 1983-1988), (Repository Unknown)

Texas State Representative and Senator Chet Brooks was born on August 18, 1935. He attended San Angelo College, San Jacinto College, received his BA from the University of Texas in journalism and political science, and then attended the University of Houston. He worked as a newspaperman for the Houston Post and as a businessman. Brooks served in the Texas House of Representatives on behalf of Harris County from 1962 to 1966. In 1967 he began serving in the Texas Senate, again on behalf of Harris County (though his district eventually became District 11, parts of Galveston and Harris counties), where he remained through 1992. During his tenure in the Senate, Brooks served on a variety of committees, including those of Finance, Education, State Affairs and its Subcommittee on Nominations, and Special Committees on Nominations, Administration, and Rules. In addition, he chaired the Committee on Human Resources/Health and Human Resources/Health and Human Services (from at least 1977 to 1992), vice-chaired the Special Committee on Administration (1987-1992), and chaired the Special Committee of the Whole on Redistricting (1991-1992). He also served on the Legislative Budget Board, the Texas Coordinating Commission for State Health and Welfare Services, the Ad Hoc Committee on Federal Block Grants, the Joint Committee to Study the Needs of Autistic Citizens, and was President Pro Tempore of the Senate in 1972.

From the guide to the Records of Senator Chet Brooks, 1966-1990, (bulk 1975-1989), (Repository Unknown)

Texas State Senator Tom Haywood was born and reared in Dallas, where he first attended the University of Texas at Arlington, receiving his BS in physics and later the University of North Texas (UNT) for his MS in physics. After receiving his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Alberta, Canada, Haywood taught physics at both UNT and at Midwestern State University (MSU) as an associate professor, where he also served as Director of University Affairs. He left MSU and the education field in 1979 to serve as Executive Vice President of North Texas Oil and Gas Association. Somewhat later, he became an independent business owner in Wichita Falls and was elected to the Texas State Senate in 1994 as a conservative Republican representing District 30. While serving in the Senate, he worked on such issues as juvenile justice reform, reduced regulations for the oil and gas industry, tort reform, and the Community Enrichment Act which proposed allocating 5% of state lottery revenue to cities and counties in Texas. Senator Haywood served on the Senate Education, Natural Resources, and Economic Development Committees during his term of office. Additionally, Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock appointed him Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Agriculture and he served on the Committee of the Whole on Legislative and Congressional Redistricting. The Senator was an advocate for the traditional family unit; limited terms for elected officials; strong ethics laws; and the belief that the public's business must be done in public, stating if I err, it will be on the side of openness. Senator Haywood died on July 12, 2001 at the age of 61.

From the guide to the Records of Senator Tom Haywood, 1994-2001, (Repository Unknown)

See the online finding aid for the agency history.

From the description of Senate Committee minutes, 1959-1967, 1972-1979, 1999-2008 bulk 1999-2008. (Texas State Library & Archives Commission). WorldCat record id: 702163610

Texas State Senator Drew Nixon was born on November 21, 1959. After graduating from Carthage High School, Nixon attended Panola Junior College and Stephen F. Austin State University, where he graduated in 1982 with a bachelor of business administration in accounting. On November 8, 1994, Drew Nixon was elected to represent the Third Senatorial District. He was the first Republican to serve this district since Reconstruction. During the 74th Legislature, Senator Nixon served on three committees: State Affairs, Health and Human Services, and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Agriculture. During the 75th Legislature he served as the Vice-Chair of State Affairs and on Health and Human Services, Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Congressional/Legislative Redistricting, and Nominations Committees. During the 76th Legislature he served on Health Services, Intergovernmental Relations, and State Affairs Subcommittee on Infrastructure. Nixon supported pro-business and economic development legislation and had interests in education and the criminal justice system. Senator Nixon chose not to run for reelection during the 2000 election.

From the guide to the Records of Senator Drew Nixon, 1991-2000, undated, (bulk 1995-2000), (Repository Unknown)

Born in 1946, Jerry Patterson received his bachelors degree from Texas A&M and worked for a time as an Employee Benefits Consultant before being elected to the Texas State Senate by the 11th District, parts of Brazoria, Galveston, and Harris counties. A Republican, Senator Patterson served from 1993 through 1998 (73rd through 75th Legislative Sessions). Patterson was active on numerous committees during his tenure, serving on the State Affairs, Redistricting, Intergovernmental Relations, Health and Human Services, Economic Development, Administration, and Criminal Justice committees. In addition, he served as Vice-Chair of the International Relations, Trade and Technology Committee and as Chair of the Veterans Affairs and Military Installations Committee. Senator Patterson chose not to run for re-election for the 76th Legislative Session.

From the guide to the Records of Senator Jerry Patterson, 1993-1998, (Repository Unknown)

John Leedom was born on July 27, 1921, received his Bachelor of Science from Rice University, and worked as a graduate engineer prior to his election to the Texas Senate on behalf of the 16th District, Dallas (part) and Rockwall (part) Counties. Leedom served in the Senate from 1981 through 1996. During his tenure he was active on a variety of committees, namely Education (1981-1984), Human Resources (1981-1982), Intergovernmental Relations (1981-1996), Economic Development (1983-1996), State Affairs (1985-1996), and Redistricting (1990-1996). In addition, he served on several subcommittees, acted as Vice-Chair of the Redistricting and Intergovernmental Relations committees, and chaired the interim committees on Fees and Grants (1981-1982) and Agency Services Management (1985-1986). Senator Leedom did not return to the Senate in 1997.

From the guide to the Records of Senator John Leedom, 1981-1982, 1985-1996, (Repository Unknown)

Temple Dickson was born October 29, 1934. He obtained his BA and JD from the University of Texas at Austin and went to work as a rancher and lawyer. From 1965 to 1971 Dickson served in the Texas House of Representatives and from 1989 to 1992 he served in the Texas Senate as a Democrat from Sweetwater, representing the 24th District. While in the Senate Dickson served on the following committees: Jurisprudence, Criminal Justice, Administration, Nominations, Committee of the Whole on Resdistricting, State Affairs - Subcommittee on Elections and Ethics, and Economic Development (Chair).

From the guide to the Records of Senator Temple Dickson, 1984-1991, (bulk 1989-1991), (Repository Unknown)

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.)

Texas State Representative and Senator Frank L. Madla served ten terms in the Texas House of Representatives (1973-1993), and three terms in the Texas Senate (1993-2006). He represented House District 57-A (1973-1982) and later House District 117 (1983-1993), both Bexar County/San Antonio; and the 19th Senatorial District (from 1993-1995 designated as the 24th Senatorial District), which includes 21 counties of west Texas, and portions of El Paso and Bexar counties.

A Democrat, Senator Madla served on several senate committees including Intergovernmental Relations (1993-2006; chair 1999-2006), Health and Human Services (1993-2001), Economic Development (1993-1999), State Affairs (2001-2006), Oversight of Edwards Aquifer (2001-2006), Infrastructure Development and Security (2003-2004), and Transportation and Homeland Security (2005-2006). During the 78th Texas Legislature Interim, Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst appointed Madla to the Select Committee on Water Policy and named him chair of its Subcommittee on Lease of State Water Rights. Other appointments include the Select Committee on Workers' Compensation (2004) and the Advisory Committee on Rock Crushers and Quarries (2003-2004). Madla also served on the Border Legislative Initiative, a joint project administered by the Council of State Governments-WEST and the South Legislative Conference, which exists to help state legislators in the ten states along the U.S.-Mexico border develop binational partnerships to address common challenges and opportunities.

Senator Madla graduated with Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees from St. Mary's University in his hometown of San Antonio. Early in his career Madla spent ten years teaching junior high school, and he later worked as a private consultant, a life and health insurance agent, and a real estate broker. After losing the Democratic Party primary election for his district in March 2006, Senator Madla retired from the Texas Senate on May 31, 2006. Frank Madla died in a fire at his home in San Antonio on November 24, 2006.

(Sources include: Biography of Senator Madla http://www.madla.senate.state.tx.us/ from the Texas Senate website, accessed October 24, 2006; and Texas Legislature Online, http://www.legis.state.tx.us/Home.aspx, accessed April 5, 2007.)

From the guide to the Records of Senator Frank Madla, 1935-2006, bulk 1993-2006, (Texas State Archives)

Texas State Senator J.E. Buster Brown was born and raised in the south Texas town of Mercedes. Brown attended Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos and graduated from Texas A&I University in Kingsville with a B.S. in Secondary Education. Following graduation, he taught high school government and history in Corpus Christi before furthering his education at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. He graduated with an LLB/JD in 1967, and was appointed a briefing attorney by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. In 1968, he became Assistant District Attorney and Prosecutor for Brazoria County. Brown entered private law practice in 1972 and, as of 2002, has continued his law and mediation practice in Lake Jackson. He was elected on the Republican platform in 1980 to represent Senate District 17, encompassing portions of Harris, Fort Bend and Brazoria counties and including more than 600,000 constituents. At his retirement in 2002, Brown was the senior ranking Republican member of the Texas Senate and had sponsored 633 bills which became Texas law.

As a member and chair of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, Senator Brown authored the Brown-Lewis Water Management Plan and later continued this effort with legislation addressing implementation and financing of the state's water plan. The Senator was involved in work to meet the federal Clean Air Act standards, founded the Texas Water Foundation, and co-founded the Texas Council on Environmental Technology. Additionally, he authored the Texas Emission Reduction Plan, secured the passage of the Petroleum Storage Tank Law, worked to clean up hazardous waste, created the Rigs to Reef program, authored legislation to give local landowners and communities more input into the endangered species protection laws, and created the Wetlands Protection Act.

During his terms in the Senate, Brown also served on the Administration and Jurisprudence Committees, among others, where he was involved in creating Texas' original child pornography statute, bringing private jail facilities holding out-of-state inmates under the regulation of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, authoring the Crime Victims Bill of Rights and enhancing the Texas death penalty statute to include murder of a child, working to protect jurors from harassment, and drafting legislation to increase the penalties and reporting/registering requirements for sex offenders.

In other areas, Senator Brown served as a member of the Joint Interim Committee on the Family Code, authored the law which extended the Property Redevelopment and Tax Abatement Act, sponsored legislation strengthening Health and Human Services Commission, and co-authored major tort reform legislation. The Texas Aerospace Commission was created through legislation authored by Senator Brown, as was the NASA cooperative education program, which creates high school and university level cooperative education programs through NASA and the Johnson Space Center.

From the guide to the Bill files of Senator J. E. Buster, Brown, 1981-2001, (bulk 1999-2001), (Repository Unknown)

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.)

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.)

From the guide to the Records of Senator Ken Armbrister, 1976-2006, undated, bulk 1983-2006, (Texas State Archives)

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.)

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.)

From the guide to the Records of Senator Todd Staples, 1987-2006, bulk 1997-2006, (Texas State Archives)

The size of the Texas Legislature and the volume of work confronting it each session make thoughtful deliberation on the many proposed measures by the entire membership impossible. For this reason, the basic business in the Senate is conducted according to the committee system whereby permanent, general, and special bodies, determined and formed by the rules of the chamber, are appointed to consider bills introduced in the legislature and to advise on their disposition. The committee stage in the deliberative process is at the core of legislative politics since the fate of bills under consideration hinges on committee action.

The Texas Constitution provides that no bill may be considered on the floor of a chamber by its members unless the bill first has been referred to a committee and the committee has issued its report on the bill. When a bill is introduced or received in the Senate from the House of Representatives for consideration, it is read for the first time by its caption and referred by the lieutenant governor to an appropriate committee. Known as standing committees, these bodies are created in the rules of the Senate at the beginning of each regular session and generally consist of seven to 15 members. The Senate does not provide subject matter jurisdictions for its committees. Although the lieutenant governor is free to refer legislation in the Senate to any standing committee, unofficial subject matter jurisdictions are usually established and followed to prevent duplication of effort by committees. The membership of committees is determined entirely by appointment by the lieutenant governor. Senators typically sit on three or four committees each. The Senate usually has 15 standing committees at any one time.

Immediately after a bill has been referred to committee, a determination must be made as to whether a fiscal note or other impact statement is required and, if so, a copy of the bill is sent to the Legislative Budget Board for preparation of the note or statement. In preparing the note or statement, the Legislative Budget Board may consult the state agencies affected by the legislation. The Senate requires a copy of the fiscal note be provided to the committee members before the bill is reported from committee and includes the note as part of the senate committee report. A bill requiring extensive analysis is often assigned to a subcommittee of the standing committee to which the bill has been referred. Subcommittees are appointed by the committee chair from the standing committee's membership. After careful scrutiny of the bill under consideration, the subcommittee makes a report to the full committee.

Special committees are appointed to research and make recommendations on a topic of particular focus within a timeframe narrower than usually allowed to subcommittees. Of these, joint or legislative oversight committees have memberships drawn from both the House and Senate, while select committee members are from a single legislative body. 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.

All committee business is required to be conducted in open meetings. No official action or vote may be taken except in a meeting that is open to the public; testimony may be heard and official action may be taken at any meeting of a senate committee or subcommittee. Although a committee is not required to solicit public testimony on any bill referred to it, public testimony is almost always solicited on bills of outstanding importance, allowing citizens the opportunity to present arguments on different sides of an issue. In the Senate, a public hearing must be held on a bill before it can be reported from committee and notice of the meeting must be posted at least 24 hours in advance.

(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 February 9, 2011.)

From the guide to the Senate committee minutes, 1959-1967, 1972-1979, 1999-2008, bulk 1999-2008, (Texas State Archives)

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.)

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.)

From the guide to the Records of Senator Jon Lindsay, 1979-2006, bulk 1996-2006, (Texas State Archives)