Editing Laura Bush (section)

==First Lady of Texas==
[[Image:George H. W. Bush, Laura Bush, George W. Bush 1997.jpg|thumb|Laura Bush with husband Governor George W. (right) and father-in-law George H. W. (left) at the dedication of the [[George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum|George H. W. Bush Presidential Library]], 1997]]

Bush became the First Lady of Texas when her husband was elected as the [[Governor of Texas]] and served as first lady of that state from January 17, 1995, to December 21, 2000.<ref name=flt>{{cite web|url=http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/tslac/80001/tsl-80001.html |title=Texas Governor George W. Bush: An Inventory of First Lady Laura Bush's Files (Part I) at the Texas State Archives, about 1994–1999, bulk 1995–1999 |access-date=May 25, 2008 |publisher=[[University of Texas at Austin]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011163228/http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/tslac/80001/tsl-80001.html |archive-date=October 11, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> When asked about her interest in politics, she responded "It doesn't drive me."<ref name=interest/>

Though during her years in the [[Texas Governor's Mansion|Governor's Mansion]], she did not hold a single formal event,<ref>{{cite news|access-date=December 13, 2006 |agency=CNN |url=https://edition.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/bush/profile.html |title=Literacy efforts on first lady's agenda |archive-date=October 12, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012221142/http://edition.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/bush/profile.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Laura worked for women's and children's causes including health, education, and [[literacy]].<ref name=flt/> She implemented four major initiatives: Take Time For Kids, an awareness campaign to educate parents and caregivers on parenting; family literacy, through cooperation with the [[Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy]], she urged Texas communities to establish family literacy programs; Reach Out and Read, a pediatric reading program; and Ready to Read, an early childhood educational program.<ref name=flt/>

She raised money for public libraries through her establishment of the [[Texas Book Festival]],<ref name=flt/> in 1995.<ref>Texas Book Festival, [https://www.texasbookfestival.org/mission-and-history/ Mission and History.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928004258/https://www.texasbookfestival.org/mission-and-history/ |date=September 28, 2021 }}</ref> She established the First Lady's Family Literacy Initiative, which encouraged families to read together.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web3.unt.edu/news/story.cfm?story=7095 |title=First lady of Texas Laura Bush to speak at UNT September 4 |last=Kolsti |first=Nancy |access-date=December 13, 2006 |date=August 5, 1997 |publisher=[[University of North Texas]] |archive-date=October 12, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012214245/http://web3.unt.edu/news/story.cfm?story=7095 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>Hollandsworth, Skip. "Reading Laura Bush." ''Texas Monthly'' (Austin) 24, no. 11 (1996): 120–121.</ref> Bush further established "Rainbow Rooms" across the state, in an effort to provide [[emergency services]] for [[neglect]]ed or [[child abuse|abused]] children.<ref name=flt/> Through this, she promoted the Adopt-a-Caseworker Program to provide support for [[Child Protective Services]].<ref name=flt/> She used her position to advocate [[Alzheimer's disease]] and [[breast cancer awareness]] as well.<ref name=flt/>

Her husband announced his campaign for President of the United States in mid-1999, something that she agreed to. She did say, however, that she had never dreamed that he would run for office.<ref name=interest>{{cite news|access-date=May 28, 2008 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/03/us/first-lady-of-texas-plays-a-firm-second-fiddle.html |title=First Lady of Texas Plays a Firm Second Fiddle |work=The New York Times |last=Berke |first=Richard L |date=August 3, 1999 |archive-date=December 5, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205165934/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F07E2DF1E31F930A3575BC0A96F958260}}</ref> The Bush campaign worked to assure voters that as First Lady, she would not seek to emulate then-First Lady [[Hillary Clinton]], who had faced controversy for leading several policy initiatives from within the White House despite being unelected. When asked who she would be like out of the past First Ladies, she insisted it would be herself.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2003/03/19/in-wartime-being-just-laura-just-isnt-enough/|title=In wartime, being 'just Laura' just isn't enough|first=Barbara|last=Friedman|date=March 19, 2003|newspaper=Baltimore Sun|access-date=November 28, 2015|archive-date=December 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208171932/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2003-03-19/news/0303190012_1_laura-bush-first-lady-lady-bird-johnson|url-status=live}}</ref>
In July, she delivered a keynote address to the delegates at the 2000 Republican National Convention, which put her on the national stage.<ref name=unhillary>{{cite news|access-date=May 28, 2008 |date=August 1, 2000 |author=Reaves, Jessica |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/08/01/laura8_1.a.tm/ |agency=[[CNN]] |title=Now making her bow: The un-Hillary |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205172343/http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/08/01/laura8_1.a.tm/ |archive-date=December 5, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/08/01/us/the-republicans-excerpts-from-laura-bush-s-speech-to-the-gop-convention.html |title=The Republicans; Excerpts From Laura Bush's Speech to the G.O.P. Convention |access-date=May 28, 2008 |date=August 1, 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205165928/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D05E5DF113DF932A3575BC0A9669C8B63 |url-status=live |archive-date=December 5, 2008}}</ref> In December 2000, her husband resigned as Governor of Texas to prepare for his inauguration as President of the United States in January 2001.