Ann Richards was the head of the legislative branch of Texas's government.
Dorothy Ann Willis Richards ( September 1 , 1933 -- September 13 , 2006 ) was an American politician and the 45th Governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995 . Richards served as the 45th Governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995 and was defeated for re-election in 1994 by George W. Bush . Richards was the second female governor of Texas , and was frequently noted in the media for her outspoken feminism and her one-liners . A divided government is a type of government in which one party controls the executive branch while another party controls one or both houses of the legislative branch .