Las Vegas Sun

May 16, 2024

Former Texas Gov. Miriam "Ma" Ferguson, who served two two-year terms, from 1925-27 and from 1933-35, is shown in this undated file photo. The Texas governor's limited power in granting reprieves and pardons for condemned inmates is rooted in a 1920s scandal associated with Ferguson, the state's first woman governor. Ferguson's first term was notable for the unusually high number of pardons she granted, averaging 100 per month, more than 2,000 during her two-year term, according to the Texas State Library.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE

Former Texas Gov. Miriam "Ma" Ferguson, who served two two-year terms, from 1925-27 and from 1933-35, is shown in this undated file photo. The Texas governor's limited power in granting reprieves and pardons for condemned inmates is rooted in a 1920s scandal associated with Ferguson, the state's first woman governor. Ferguson's first term was notable for the unusually high number of pardons she granted, averaging 100 per month, more than 2,000 during her two-year term, according to the Texas State Library.