Governorship of George W. Bush
George W. Bush served as the 46th governor of Texas from 1995 until 2000, when he resigned as governor amid his transition into the U.S. presidency after having been elected president in the 2000 United States presidential election. As governor, Bush successfully sponsored legislation for tort reform, increased education funding, set higher standards for schools, and reformed the criminal justice system. Bush also pioneered faith-based welfare programs and helped make Texas the leading producer of wind powered electricity in the US.
Policies[edit]
Capital punishment[edit]
Under his leadership, Texas executed 154 prisoners, more than any previous governor in modern American history; critics such as Helen Prejean argue that he failed to give serious consideration to clemency requests.[4]
During his tenure, Bush presided over more executions of death row inmates than any other Governor in the history of Texas so far, surpassed only by his successor Rick Perry (Governor from 2000-2015). The rate averages an execution in the state every nine days.[5] The only death penalty case among the 155 that came across George W. Bush's desk in his tenure as Texas Governor in which Governor Bush intervened and commuted the death sentence was that of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas.
Fiscal[edit]
Seeking to reduce high property taxes to benefit homeowners while increasing general education funding, Bush sought to create business taxes, but faced vigorous opposition from his own party and the private sector. Failing to obtain political consensus for his proposal, Bush used a budget surplus to push through a $2 billion tax-cut plan, which was the largest in Texas history and cemented Bush's credentials as a pro-business fiscal conservative.[6] To pay for the tax cuts, he sought federal approval of a plan to privatize Texas' social services.
Bush also helped make Texas the leading producer of wind powered electricity in the US.[7][8] In 1996 Bush made wind power a key facet of Texas' renewable energy policy.[9][10][11] Under a 1999 Texas state law, electric retailers are obliged to buy a certain amount of energy from renewable sources (RPS),[12][13][14][15] This environmentally progressive legislation is a counterpoint to the energy policies of his presidency that favored the status quo.[16][8]
Social[edit]
Bush also pioneered faith-based welfare programs by extending government funding and support for religious organizations providing social services such as education, alcohol and drug abuse prevention, and reduction of domestic violence. As governor, he reached out to religious leaders such as Kirbyjon Caldwell (who would later offer the official benediction at Bush's presidential inauguration). He signed a memorandum on April 17, 2000 proclaiming June 10 to be Jesus Day in Texas, a day where he "urge[d] all Texans to answer the call to serve those in need."[17] Although Bush was criticized for allegedly violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment ("Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion"), his initiative was popular with most people across the state, especially religious and social conservatives. In the 1996 United States Presidential Election, Bush criticized Republican nominee Bob Dole for trying to bring Pro-choice advocates into the party.[18]