Governor of Texas
The Governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, to convene the legislature; the governor may grant pardons in cases other than impeachment or in the case of treason, with permission by the legislature. The current Governor is Greg Abbott; the state's first constitution in 1845 established the office of governor, to serve for two years, but no more than four years out of every six. The 1861 secessionist constitution set the term start date at the first Monday in the November following the election; the 1866 constitution, adopted just after the American Civil War, increased terms to 4 years, but no more than 8 years out of every 12, moved the start date to the first Thursday after the organization of the legislature, or "as soon thereafter as practicable". The Reconstruction constitution of 1869 removed the limit on terms, Texas remains one of 14 states with no gubernatorial term limit.
The present constitution of 1876 shortened terms back to two years, but a 1972 amendment increased it again to four years. The gubernatorial election is held every four years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November and does not coincide with the presidential elections; the governor is sworn in on the third Tuesday of January every four years along with the lieutenant governor, so Abbott and current Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick both took office on January 20, 2015. Despite the lack of term limits, no Texas governor in the 19th or 20th centuries served more than seven and a half consecutive years in office or eight years total service. Former Governor Rick Perry, who served from 2000 to 2015, has now surpassed both these records, becoming the first Texas governor to serve three consecutive four-year terms; when Perry won the general election on November 2, 2010, he joined Shivers, Price Daniel, John Connally as the only Texas governors elected to three terms. In case of a vacancy in the office of governor, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.
This rule was added only in a 1999 amendment, prior to which the lieutenant governor only acted as governor, except during the time of the 1861 constitution, which said that the lieutenant governor would be styled "Governor of the State of Texas" in case of vacancy. One governor of Texas won his party's nomination and was elected President of the United States: George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004 Two governors sought the nomination of their party, but were unsuccessful: John Connally in 1980 Rick Perry in 2012 and 2016 List of Governors of Texas List of Texas Governors and Presidents List of Presidents of the Republic of Texas List of Lieutenant Governors of Texas
Mississippi Legislature
The Mississippi Legislature is the state legislature of the U. S. state of Mississippi. The bicameral Legislature is composed of the lower Mississippi House of Representatives, with 122 members, the upper Mississippi State Senate, with 52 members. Both Representatives and Senators serve four-year terms without term limits; the Legislature convenes at the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson. The Constitution of Mississippi gives the state legislature the authority to determine rules of its own proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, expel a member with a two-thirds vote of the membership of his or her chamber. A bill may originate in either house, be amended or rejected in the other, must be read by its title on three different days in each house, unless two-thirds of the house dispenses with the rules; the Mississippi Constitution prohibits amending a bill to change its original purpose. Bills amended in the second house, must return for a vote to accept amendments; the Governor of Mississippi has the power to veto legislation, but legislators can override the veto with a two-thirds decision.
Members of the Mississippi House of Representatives are elected to four-year terms and State Senators are elected to four-year terms. State legislators earn $10,000 per year. Mississippi State Capitol Mississippi House of Representatives Mississippi Senate American Legislative Exchange Council members Mississippi Legislature
Brazoria County, Texas
Brazoria County is a county in the U. S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the population of the county was 313,166; the county seat is Angleton. Brazoria County is included in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land Metropolitan Statistical Area, it is located in the Gulf Coast region of Texas. Regionally, parts of the county are within the extreme southernmost fringe of the regions locally known as Southeast Texas. Brazoria County is among a number of counties that are part of the region known as the Texas Coastal Bend, its county seat is Angleton, its largest city is Pearland. Brazoria County, like nearby Brazos County, takes its name from the Brazos River; the county includes what was once Velasco, the first capital of the Republic of Texas. It served as the first settlement area for Anglo-Texas, when the Old Three Hundred emigrated from the United States in 1821. Brazoria County, like Brazos County, takes its name from the Brazos River. Anglo-Texas began in Brazoria County when the first of Stephen F. Austin's authorized 300 American settlers arrived at the mouth of the Brazos River in 1821.
Many of the events leading to the Texas Revolution developed in Brazoria County. In 1832, Brazoria was organized as a separate municipal district by the Mexican government, so became one of Texas original counties at independence in 1836. An early resident of Brazoria County, Joel Walter Robison, fought in the Texas Revolution and represented Fayette County in the Texas House of Representatives. Stephen F. Austin's original burial place is located at a church cemetery, Gulf Prairie Cemetery, in the town of Jones Creek, on what was his brother-in-law's "Peach Point Plantation", his remains were brought to be reinterred at the state capital in Austin. The town of West Columbia served as the first capital of Texas, dating back to pre-revolutionary days. Temple Lea Houston, youngest son of Sam Houston, was c. 1880 the county attorney of Brazoria County. His life story is reflected in the 1963 film The Man from Galveston and the 26-episode 1963-1964 NBC western television series, Temple Houston. Lake Jackson is a community developed beginning in the early 1940s to provide housing to workers at a new Dow Chemical Company plant in nearby Freeport.
The county has elements of both rural and suburban communities, as it is part of the Greater Houston. On June 2, 2016, the flooding of the Brazos River required evacuations for portions of Brazoria County. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,609 square miles, of which 1,358 square miles is land and 251 square miles is water. Harris County Galveston County Matagorda County Wharton County Fort Bend County Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge As of the census of 2000, 241,767 people, 81,954 households, 63,104 families resided in the county; the population density was 174 people per square mile. There were 90,628 housing units at an average density of 65 per square mile; the racial makeup of the county was 77.09% White, 8.50% Black or African American, 0.53% Native American, 2.00% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 9.63% from other races, 2.22% from two or more races. About 22.78 % of the population were Latino of any race. About 12.1% were of German, 11.2% American and 7.2% English ancestry according to Census 2000.
About 79.0 % spoke only English at home. Of the 81,955 households, 40.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.20% were married couples living together, 10.40% had a female householder with no husband present, 23.00% were not families. About 19.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.40% had someone living alone, 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82, the average family size was 3.23. In the county, the population was distributed as 28.60% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 32.40% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, 8.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 107 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.4 males. The median income for a household in the county was $48,632, for a family was $55,282. Males had a median income of $42,193 versus $27,728 for females; the per capita income for the county was $20,021. About 8.1% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 313,166 people residing in the county. 70.1% were White, 12.1% Black or African American, 5.5% Asian, 0.6% Native American, 9.2% of some other race and 2.6% of more than one race. 27.7 % were Latino. The Brazoria County Jail is located at 3602 County Road 45 in unincorporated central Brazoria County, north of Angleton; the Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates six state prisons for men and its Region III office in unincorporated Brazoria County. As of 2007,1,495 full-time correctional job positions were in the county. In 1995, of the counties in Texas, Brazoria had the second-highest number of state prisons and jails, after Walker County. In 2003, a total of 2,572 employees were employed at the six TDCJ facilities; the TDCJ units are: Clemens Unit, near Brazoria Darrington Unit, near Rosharon - The Windham School District Region III office is within the unit. Wayne Scott Unit, near Angleton. Ramsey Unit - The unit is co-located with Stringfellow and Terrell.
The TDCJ Region III Maintenance Headquarters is within this unit. Stringfellow Unit, near Rosharon - The
Mississippi House of Representatives
The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the US state of Mississippi. According to the state constitution of 1890, it is to comprise no more than 122 members elected for four-year terms. To qualify as a member of the house candidates must be at least 21 years old, a resident of Mississippi for at least four years, a resident in the district in which he or she is running for at least two years. Current state law provides for the maximum number of members. Elections are held the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November; the House has the duty under the Mississippi Constitution to select the Governor of Mississippi if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote. The power has only been exercised one time, in 1999 when state representatives selected Ronnie Musgrove to serve as governor, after he had won a plurality of the popular vote in that year's election; the current membership reflects the balance of power after the 2011 elections, the first election since Reconstruction to give a majority of seats to Republicans.
Article 4, Section 36 of the Mississippi Constitution specifies that the state legislature must meet for 125 days every four years and 90 days in other years. The Mississippi House of Representatives has the authority to determine rules of its own proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, expel a member with a two-thirds vote of its membership. Bills must undergo three readings in each house, unless two-thirds of the house dispenses with the rules, they cannot be amended to a new purpose. Amendments to bills must be approved by both houses; the governor has the power to veto legislation, but legislators can override the veto with a two-thirds decision. State representatives are authorized under the Mississippi Constitution to select the Governor of Mississippi if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote; this has occurred only once, in 1999. State representatives earn $10,000 per year; the following composition reflects the balance of power after the 2015 elections, the second election since Reconstruction to give a majority of seats in the State House to the Republicans.
State representatives are elected every four years by the qualified electors of the district for which they are running. Candidates are required to be at least 21 years of age and a resident of the state and district for which they are campaigning. Mississippi State Senate Mississippi State Capitol Mississippi Legislature American Legislative Exchange Council members Lewis McAllister, first Republican to serve in the Mississippi House since Reconstruction, 1962-1968 from Meridian State of Mississippi Legislature website State House of Mississippi from Project Vote Smart
Robert Williams (Mississippi politician)
Robert Williams was Governor of the Mississippi Territory from 1805 to 1809. Robert Williams was born in Surry County, North Carolina on July 7, 1773, he received a liberal private education, studied law, became an attorney. In 1796 Williams was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the United States House of Representatives, he served three terms, 1797 to 1803. In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson appointed Williams to the federal commission empowered to determine the legitimacy of land claims in the acquired Mississippi Territory. In May, 1805 Jefferson appointed him Governor, he served until the end of Jefferson's term in March, 1809. During his term as Governor Williams became unpopular as the result of a dispute with territorial Secretary Cowles Mead, with each accusing the other of having been sympathetic to Aaron Burr's alleged conspiracy. After leaving office, Williams lived in Mississippi and North Carolina and operated plantations serving during the War of 1812 as Adjutant General of the North Carolina militia.
After the 1814 death of his wife in Washington, Williams moved to a plantation near Monroe, Louisiana which he called Bon Aire. He operated Bon Aire until his death in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana on January 25, 1836, he was buried at Bon Aire. It is the present day site of the Baptist Children's Home and Sellers Baptist Maternity Home in Monroe. Robert Williams' brother Lewis served as a Congressman from North Carolina, his brother John served in the United States Senate from Tennessee, his cousin Marmaduke Williams represented North Carolina in the U. S. House. Robert Williams is sometimes confused with a cousin named Robert Williams, born in 1768 and died in 1831, and, active in North Carolina politics and government at the same time. United States Congress. "Robert Williams". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Robert Williams at Find a Grave
Brazos River
The Brazos River, called the Río de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers, is the 11th-longest river in the United States at 1,280 miles from its headwater source at the head of Blackwater Draw, Curry County, New Mexico to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico with a 45,000-square-mile drainage basin. Being one of Texas' largest rivers, it is sometimes used to mark the boundary between East Texas and West Texas; the river is associated with Texas history the Austin settlement and Texas Revolution eras. Today major Texas institutions like Texas A&M University and Baylor University are located close to the river, as are parts of metropolitan Houston; the Brazos proper begins at the confluence of the Salt Fork and Double Mountain Fork, two tributaries of the Upper Brazos that rise on the high plains of the Llano Estacado, flowing 840 miles southeast through the center of Texas. Another major tributary of the Upper Brazos is the Clear Fork Brazos River, which passes by Abilene and joins the main river near Graham.
Important tributaries of the Lower Brazos include the Paluxy River, the Bosque River, the Little River, Yegua Creek, the Nolan River, the Leon River, the San Gabriel River, the Lampasas River, the Navasota River. Running east towards Dallas-Fort Worth, the Brazos turns south, passing through Waco and the Baylor University campus, further south to near Calvert, Texas past Bryan and College Station through Richmond, Texas in Fort Bend County, empties into the Gulf of Mexico in the marshes just south of Freeport; the main stem of the Brazos is dammed in three places, all north of Waco, forming Possum Kingdom Lake, Lake Granbury, Lake Whitney. Of these three, Granbury was the last to be completed, in 1969; when its construction was proposed in the mid-1950s, John Graves wrote the book Goodbye to a River. The Whitney Dam, located on the upper Brazos, provides hydroelectric power, flood control, irrigation to enable efficient cotton growth in the river valley. A small municipal dam is near the downstream city limit of Waco at the end of the Baylor campus.
This impoundment of the Brazos through Waco is locally called Lake Brazos. A total of nineteen major reservoirs are located along the Brazos. In 1822, the lower river valley of the Brazos River became one of the major Anglo-American settlement sites in Texas; this was one of the first English-speaking colonies along the Brazos and was founded by Stephen F. Austin at San Felipe de Austin. In 1836, Texas declared independence from Mexico at Washington-on-the-Brazos, a settlement in now Washington County, known as "the birthplace of Texas". Brazos River was the scene of a battle between the Texas Navy and Mexican Navy during the Texas Revolution. Texas Navy ship, it is unclear when it was first named by European explorers, since it was confused with the Colorado River not far to the south, but it was seen by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle. Spanish accounts call it Los Brazos de Dios, for which name there were several different explanations, all involving it being the first water to be found by thirsty parties.
In 1842, Indian commissioner of Texas, Ethan Stroud established a trading post on this river. The river was important for navigation before and after the American Civil War, steam boats sailed as far up the river as Washington-on-the-Brazos. While attempts to improve commercial navigation on the river continued, railroads proved more reliable; the Brazos River flooded seriously, on a regular basis before a piecemeal levee system was replaced, notably in 1913 when a massive flood affected the course of the river. The river is important today as a source of water for power and recreation; the water is administered by the Brazos River Authority. The 2000 book and Sternwheelers: Steam Navigation on the Brazos by Pamela A. Puryear and Nath Winfield, Jr. with introduction by J. Milton Nance, examines the early vessels that attempted to navigate the Brazos. On June 2, 2016, the rising of the river required evacuations for portions of Brazoria County; the Brazos River watershed covers a total area of 119,174 square kilometers.
Within the watershed lie 42 lakes and rivers which have a combined storage capacity of 2.5 million acre-feet. The Brazos watershed has an estimated ground water availability of 119,275 acre-feet per year. 31% of the land use within the watershed is cropland. 61% is grassland shrubland and forest while urban use only makes up 4.6%. The population density within the watershed is 19.5 people per square kilometer. The main water quality issues within the Brazos Watershed are high nutrient loads, high bacterial and salinity levels and low dissolved oxygen; these water quality issues can be attributed to livestock and chemical run off. Sources of run off are croplands and industrial sites among others. Fracking is cause for concern regarding water quality within the Brazos Watershed; the Barnett Shale lies within the watershed, the second largest source of natural gas in the US. Studies have shown that the watershed receiving the most toxic pollution is the lower Brazos river which received 33.4 million pounds of toxic waste in 2012.
Canoeing is a popular recreational activity on the Brazos River with many locations favorable for launching and recovery. The best paddling can be found below Possum Kingdom Lake and Lake Granbury. Sandbar Camping is permitted since the entire streambed of t
Hinds County, Mississippi
Hinds County is a county located in the U. S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 245,285, making it the most populous county in Mississippi, its county seats are the state capital. The county is named for General Thomas Hinds, a hero of the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. Hinds County is part of MS Metropolitan Statistical Area, it is a center of professional, educational and industrial elites in the state. It is bordered on the northwest on the east by the Pearl River, it is one county width away from the southern border of the Mississippi Delta. In the 19th century, the rural areas of the county were devoted to cotton plantations worked by enslaved African Americans and depended on agriculture well into the 20th century. From 1877 to 1950, this county had the highest number in the state. Mississippi has the highest total number of lynchings of any state. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 877 square miles, of which 870 square miles is land and 7.6 square miles is water.
It is the third-largest county in fifth-largest by total area. Madison County Rankin County Copiah County Claiborne County Warren County Yazoo County Natchez Trace Parkway I-20 I-55 I-220 US 49 US 51 US 80 MS 18 MS 22 MS 25 MS 27 MS 467 Natchez Trace Parkway The following public-use airports are located in Hinds County: Hawkins Field in Jackson John Bell Williams Airport in Raymond As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 245,285 people residing in the county. 69.1% were Black or African American, 28.4% White, 0.8% Asian, 0.2% Native American, 0.7% of some other race and 0.9% of two or more races. 1.5% were Hispanic or Latino. As of the census of 2000, there were 250,800 people, 91,030 households, 62,355 families residing in the county; the population density was 288 people per square mile. There were 100,287 housing units at an average density of 115 per square mile; the racial makeup of the county was 61.12% Black or African American, 37.31% White, 0.12% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, 0.63% from two or more races.
0.79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 91,030 households out of which 34.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.10% were married couples living together, 22.70% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.50% were non-families. 26.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.70% had someone living alone, 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.22. In the county, the population was spread out with 27.90% under the age of 18, 12.10% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 20.10% from 45 to 64, 11.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.50 males. The median income for a household in the county was $33,991, the median income for a family was $40,525. Males had a median income of $30,930 versus $24,593 for females; the per capita income for the county was $17,785.
About 16.10% of families and 19.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.60% of those under age 18 and 15.10% of those age 65 or over. Hinds County has the seventh highest per capita income in the State of Mississippi. Hinds County is governed via a five-member board of supervisors, each elected from single-member districts; the county is led by a county administrator, appointed. The Mississippi Department of Human Services has its headquarters in Hinds County; the Division of Youth Services operates the Oakley Training School in an unincorporated area of Hinds County. The Mississippi Department of Corrections has its headquarters in Hinds County, it operates the Jackson Parole Office in the city. Clinton Public School District Hinds County School District Jackson Public School District Clinton Christian Academy Hillcrest Christian School Jackson Academy Mt. Salus Christian School Rebul Academy Central Hinds Academy Belhaven University Hinds Community College Jackson State University Millsaps College Mississippi College Mississippi College School of Law Reformed Theological Seminary Tougaloo College University of Mississippi Medical Center Wesley Biblical Seminary Byram Clinton Jackson Raymond Bolton Edwards Learned Terry Utica Brownsville Dabney Crossroads Midway Oakley Pocahontas Turkey Creek Kate Stone, diarist National Register of Historic Places listings in Hinds County, Mississippi Hinds County - Official site.
Hinds County Courthouse Pictures
.jpg)
