Terms of Service

• Senate, 78th ^{(1) (2) (7)} Legislature
  1/14/2003 - 1/10/2004
  Republican
  
• Senate, 77th ^{(3) (4)} & 76th Legislatures
  1/12/1999 - 1/14/2003
  Republican
  
• Senate, 75th & 74th ⁽⁶⁾ Legislatures
  1/10/1995 - 1/12/1999
  Republican
  Senate President Pro Tempore, Ad Interim R.S., elected 6/2/1997.
• Senate, 73rd ^{(5) (8)} Legislature
  1/12/1993 - 1/10/1995
  Republican
  
• Senate, 72nd & 71st Legislatures
  1/10/1989 - 1/12/1993
  Republican
  

(1) Member retiring. "Ratliff to step down Jan. 10," 11/21/2003. Dallas Morning News .
(2) Kevin Eltife, in special election 2/17/2004, sworn 3/5/2004, succeeded William R. Ratliff, resigned 1/10/2004. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004 2005.
(3) Ratliff simultaneously held position of lieutenant governor and of senator as provided in Section 9, Article III, Texas Constitution, following Lieutenant Governor Perry's succession to governor. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004 2005.
(4) Elected Lieutenant Governor by colleagues in Texas Senate 12/28/2000. Presiding Officers of the Texas Legislature, 1846-2016 2016.
(5) 73rd Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office, 3/25/1993, pp. 589-590. Drew 2-year term. Senate Journal .
(6) 74th Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office, 1/11/1995, pp. 75-76. Drew 4-year term. Senate Journal .
(7) 78th Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office, 1/14/2003, SR 7, pp. 15-16. Drew 4-year term. Senate Journal .
(8) Due to redistricting litigation, entire Senate went up for reelection in 1994. See also Clips database, 4/6/1993 - 4/8/1993, Redistricting - Legislature; and Guide to 2001 Redistricting - Appendix A, 1990s Redistricting (Texas Legislative Council). Terrazas v. Slagle, 821 F.Supp. 1162 (April 5, 1993) 1993.

Biographical Notes and Resources

Resolutions and Journal entries

• 72nd Legislature, 1st C.S., SR 176. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary .

Photographs

• Photograph. Bill Ratliff, Presiding Officers of the Texas Legislature, 1846-2006
• Photograph. Bill Ratliff, State Preservation Board
• Photograph. Bill Ratliff, State Preservation Board
• Photograph. Bill Ratliff, State Preservation Board
• Photograph. Bill Ratliff, State Preservation Board
• Photograph. Bill Ratliff, State Preservation Board
• Photograph. Bill Ratliff, State Preservation Board
• Photograph. Bill Ratliff, State Preservation Board
• Photograph. Bill Ratliff, State Preservation Board

Other Resources

• "Texas' Ratliff Among Profiles in Courage Winners," 5/17/2005, p. A2. Austin American-Statesman .
• Biography in LRL collection, 328.73092 ST45B 2016. Bill Ratliff: A Profile of Courage and Leadership in American Politics 2016.
• Relatives: William "Bill" Ratliff - father; Bennett Ratliff - son. "Five GOP Candidates Vying to Replace Longtime Texas House District 115 Representative," 5/20/2012. Dallas Morning News .
• Bill Ratliff named 2005 recipient of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, March 10, 2005. John F. Kennedy Library and Museum .
• News release: "Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and Former Texas Senator Bill Ratliff receive 2005 Profile in Courage Award," 5/16/2005. John F. Kennedy Library and Museum .
• Remarks of Bill Ratliff, former Lieutenant Governor of Texas, at the 2005 Profile in Courage awards ceremony, 5/16/2005. John F. Kennedy Library and Museum .
• 40th Lieutenant Governor: Bill Ratliff. Photo and biographical sketch. Presiding Officers of the Texas Legislature, 1846-2016 2016.
• Photo and biographical sketch included in "Texas Government Insider," June 2008. Strategic Partnerships, Inc. 2008.
• Biographical sketch, "TCJL's 'Eleven Best' Legislators," July 1999, pp. 1, 3. Texas Civil Justice League Advocate .
• Biographical sketch, "Movers and Shakers: Meet the Legislators Who Make the Decisions About Public Education," March 1995, pp. 13-17. Texas Lone Star .
• Legislative profile, 74th Legislature, 1995. "Scenes From the 74th: The Laney-Bush Session," 6/16/1995. Texas Observer .
• Interview on school finance reform [SB 7, 73rd Legislature], natural resources, tort reform, and engineering, "Senator Bill Ratliff, P.E. Looks at How the 74th Texas Legislature Shapes Up," January/February 1995, p. 10. Texas Professional Engineer .
• Biographical sketch, 77th Legislature. Texas Senate .
• Biographical sketch and photo. Texas Senate, 71st Legislature 1989.
• Biographical sketch and photo. Texas Senate, 72nd Legislature 1991.
• Biographical sketch and photo. Texas Senate, 77th Legislative Session 2001.
• Biographical sketch and photo. Texas Senators, 73rd Legislature 1993.
• Biographical sketch and photo. Texas Senators, 74th Legislature 1995.
• Biographical sketch and photo. Texas Senators, 75th Legislature 1997.
• Biographical sketch and photo. Texas Senators, 76th Legislative Session 1999.
• Biographical sketch and photo. Texas Senators, 78th Legislative Session 2003.
• United States Army Reserve, Sergeant. Texas Senators, 78th Legislative Session 2003.
• Ratliff, William R. Texas State Cemetery .
• Star Legislator, "Legislative Stars Shine Through Difficult Session," Volume 15, Number 2, Summer 1995, pp. 8-9, 29. The Classroom Teacher: The Magazine of the Texas Classroom Teachers Association .
• United States Army Reserve. Photo and salute. With Honor and Gratitude: A Special Thank You to Our Texas Senate Members Who Served Our Country 2017.

Committee Information

• 78th R.S. - 2003
• Committee of the Whole Senate  
• Criminal Justice  
• Government Organization  
• Health and Human Services  
• State Affairs (Chair) 
• 77th R.S. - 2001
• Committee of the Whole Senate  
• 76th R.S. - 1999
• 21st Century Colleges and Universities, Special  
• Committee of the Whole Senate  
• Education  
• Education Subcommittee on Higher Education  
• Finance (Chair) 
• Natural Resources  
• 75th R.S. - 1997
• Administration  
• Children's Health Insurance, Interim  
• Criminal Justice, Interim  
• Education  
• Finance (Chair) 
• Funding Issues in Education, Interim (Co-Chair) 
• Hopwood, and State Contract and Employment Practices, Special  
• International Relations, Trade, and Technology  
• Legislative and Congressional Redistricting, Committee of the Whole Senate  
• Texas Integrated Enrollment Services, Legislative Oversight  
• Transportation, Interim  
• 74th R.S. - 1995
• Education (Chair) 
• Finance (Chair) 
• Finance Subcommittee III (Chair) 
• International Relations, Trade and Technology  
• Legislative and Congressional Redistricting, Committee of the Whole Senate, Special  
• Natural Resources  
• Natural Resources Subcommittee on Agriculture (Vice Chair) 
• 73rd R.S. - 1993
• Committee of the Whole Senate  
• Education (Chair) 
• Finance  
• Natural Resources  
• Natural Resources Subcommittee on Agriculture  
• Public School Facilities, Interim  
• Redistricting, Ethics and Elections, Committee of the Whole Senate, Special  
• Review of the Central Education Agency, Select (Co-Chair) 
• 72nd R.S. - 1991
• Committee of the Whole on Redistricting, Special  
• Committee of the Whole on Redistricting, Special, Subcommittee on Legislative Districts  
• Development Over Closed Landfills, Special  
• Education  
• Finance  
• Finance, Interim  
• Government Efficiency, Interim  
• Natural Resources  
• Natural Resources Subcommittee on Agriculture  
• 71st R.S. - 1989
• Committee of the Whole Senate  
• Economic Development  
• Employee Benefits, Select  
• Intergovernmental Relations  
• Legislative Redistricting, Select  
• Natural Resources  
• Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water  
• Nursing Home Rate Reimbursement, Interim