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2023 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 153
BY SENATOR MIZELL
COMMENDATIONS. Commends Senate President Patrick Page Cortez for his years of
distinguished public service.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To commend the Honorable Patrick Page Cortez, Senate President, on his sixteen years of
3 dedicated public service in the Legislature of Louisiana and to express enduring
4 gratitude for his outstanding contributions made on behalf of his constituents of
5 Lafayette Parish and the state of Louisiana, particularly during his tenure as a
6 distinguished member of the Louisiana Senate representing District No. 23 and the
7 Louisiana House of Representatives representing District No. 43.
8 WHEREAS, Patrick Page Cortez was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, to Marion and
9 Tracy Cortez who taught him the importance of hard work, relying on your faith, and
10 treating all people with respect and dignity; and
11 WHEREAS, his father passed along many tidbits of advice and one that has served
12 Senator Cortez well in politics, "Make sure that you hear both sides of the story before you
13 decide"; and
14 WHEREAS, after graduating Lafayette High, he obtained bachelor's degrees in
15 education and general studies from the University of Southwestern Louisiana, now known
16 as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he pledged Sigma Nu fraternity; and
17 WHEREAS, Senator Cortez met the woman of his dreams, Angela Stoma, in the fall
18 of 1983 and the lovebirds were married in 1985; and
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1 WHEREAS, Senator Cortez has a lifelong passion for coaching and his first coaching
2 and teaching job was at Catholic High in New Iberia; and
3 WHEREAS, he later moved to Lafayette High, his alma mater, where he taught
4 Advanced American History and coached football, basketball, and track; and
5 WHEREAS, when his children were young, Senator Cortez left Lafayette High and
6 became an active participant in his family business which allowed him to spend more time
7 with his wife and children; and
8 WHEREAS, he coached his son Matthew in almost every sport he played until high
9 school, never missing a game, and he also never missed a dance review or game where his
10 daughter Maria cheered; and
11 WHEREAS, in 2007, with the encouragement of family and friends, Patrick Page
12 Cortez ran for and won the House of Representatives District No. 43 seat; and
13 WHEREAS, in his only term as a Representative, he was appointed to the House
14 Committee on Appropriations, where he quickly mastered the budget process and was
15 known to carry a copy of the state constitution for reference during debates; and
16 WHEREAS, during his tenure in the House of Representatives, then-Representative
17 Cortez's committee service included the House Committee on Insurance, House Committee
18 on Appropriations Subcommittee on Business Development, and the House Committee on
19 Retirement; and
20 WHEREAS, in the 2011 election, Patrick Page Cortez won the Senate District No.
21 23 seat unopposed, was reelected in 2015 with 84% of the vote, and was reelected again
22 without opposition in 2019; and
23 WHEREAS, upon his election to the upper chamber, Senator Cortez brought his keen
24 business insight and corporate background to full measure with service on the standing
25 committees including membership on Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer
26 Protection, and International Affairs, Senate Committee on Retirement, Senate Committee
27 on Transportation, Highways and Public Works, serving as chairman, Senate Committee on
28 Local and Municipal Affairs, Senate Committee on Natural Resources, and Senate
29 Committee on Education; and
30 WHEREAS, in 2020, Senator Cortez was unanimously chosen by his colleagues to
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1 serve as their President; and
2 WHEREAS, during his tenure as Senate President, he served proudly on the Revenue
3 Estimating Conference, Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget, Joint Legislative
4 Committee on Capital Outlay, Senate Executive Committee, Capitol Security Council,
5 serving as co-chairman, Interim Emergency Board, serving as chairman, Legislative
6 Budgetary Control Council, Senate Select Committee on Coastal Restoration and Flood
7 Control, Joint Select Committee on Louisiana Economic Recovery, serving as co-chairman,
8 State Bond Commission, Coastal Protection and Restoration Financing Corporation,
9 Governor's Task Force on Transportation Infrastructure Investment, Latino Commission,
10 Louisiana Transportation Authority, The Energy Council, Office Facilities Corporation,
11 Select Committee on High School Interscholastic Athletics, Senate Presidents' Forum, and
12 the Special Study Committee of the Senate on Legislative Sessions; and
13 WHEREAS, Senator Cortez is known amongst his colleagues for his approachable
14 nature and willingness to work across party lines; and
15 WHEREAS, as Senate President, he has promoted the independence of the Senate
16 while he improved communications with the House of Representatives; and
17 WHEREAS, President Cortez has proven to be a leader of boundless energy and
18 ability, a person of great empathy and vision, and an effective coalition builder; and
19 WHEREAS, while serving in the Legislature, he has been a consistent supporter of
20 teachers' pay raises, funding for education, funding transportation projects to address
21 construction backlog, investments for the completion of I-49 north and south, funding for
22 the megaprojects to address necessary improvements to roads, bridges, and state highways,
23 funding for retirement systems, and funding for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette; and
24 WHEREAS, developing a deep love and affection for horses and horse racing as a
25 child, President Cortez has been a champion for Louisiana horsemen and the industry as a
26 whole; he is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades such as the Louisiana
27 Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association's Triple Crown Award, the Gold
28 Standard Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award, and the first ever inductee into the
29 Louisiana Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association's Hall of Fame, as well as
30 having a stakes race at the Fairgrounds named in his honor; and
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1 WHEREAS, Senator Cortez does not miss an opportunity to attend the Kentucky
2 Derby and attends as many races around the country as his schedule will allow, and he
3 currently owns a thoroughbred named My Sweet Sophia; and
4 WHEREAS, Senator Cortez has been the recipient of numerous tributes in
5 recognition of his legislative service and was especially honored to receive the "LegisGator
6 of the Year" award for 2022 from the Southwest Louisiana Chamber of Commerce; and
7 WHEREAS, many civic and nonprofit agencies have also benefitted from his
8 expertise and active participation including the Association of Educators of Louisiana,
9 American Legislative Exchange Council, Broussard Chamber of Commerce, Youngsville
10 Chamber of Commerce, Our Lady of Fatima School Board, Lafayette Parks and Recreation
11 Commission, Acadiana Outreach, Boys and Girls Club, Mile Perret-Games of Acadiana,
12 Louisiana High School Coaches' Association, and the Breast Cancer of Acadiana
13 Foundation; and
14 WHEREAS, although the intense demands of public life and civic duty draw heavily
15 upon his time and keep him quite busy, his first concern is always his close-knit family, his
16 wife of thirty-eight years, Angela Stoma Cortez, and their two treasured children, son,
17 Matthew, and Matthew's wife, Jessica, and daughter, Maria, and Maria's husband, Eric, as
18 well as his precious granddaughters, Sophia and Emma; and
19 WHEREAS, he and his family operate two retail furniture stores in Lafayette and
20 Senator Cortez often says that, "It is the hard work done by my family back home that allows
21 me the time to serve"; and
22 WHEREAS, Senator Cortez also credits his legislative success to his loyal and
23 trusted legislative assistant Julie Sandridge who has taken care of their constituents for
24 sixteen years; and
25 WHEREAS, Senator Cortez enjoys learning the French language almost as much as
26 he enjoys French wine; he is a true Oenophile; and
27 WHEREAS, President Cortez is an aficionado of all types of music, can name a tune
28 in one note, and often sings the song as well; he plays the guitar and was in the bands
29 Guidostock and the Page Cortez Band, aka Too Many Guitars, where they played for various
30 fundraising charities; he also played with the band Bayou Roux at the Rendezvous Music
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1 Festival in France; and
2 WHEREAS, Senator Cortez is a history buff and takes pleasure in telling visitors to
3 the capitol about the history of the building and its architecture; and
4 WHEREAS, to his friends and family, he has shown himself to be the ultimate
5 optimist, the go-to for answers to trivia questions, and the master of remembering statistics,
6 scores, and plays in detail from games played years ago; and
7 WHEREAS, Senator Cortez is a believer in the strength of community, the principles
8 of democracy, the importance of family and friends, the joy of life, and most importantly,
9 the unfailing love of God; he was raised in a Catholic family and has always trusted and
10 honored his faith and it has been his moral compass in decision-making; and
11 WHEREAS, Senator Cortez is especially grateful for the support of his loving family
12 and as he prepares to begin the next exciting and productive chapter of his life, he merits a
13 sincere measure of commendation for his sixteen years of distinguished public service in the
14 Legislature of Louisiana.
15 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
16 does hereby commend and congratulate the Honorable Patrick Page Cortez, extending honor
17 and recognition to him for his outstanding accomplishments, particularly during his tenure
18 as a member of the Louisiana Senate and the Louisiana House of Representatives, which has
19 been forever marked by his noble efforts to improve the welfare of his constituents and the
20 citizens of the great state of Louisiana.
21 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana does
22 hereby extend best wishes to our friend and colleague in all his future endeavors.
23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
24 Honorable Patrick Page Cortez, President of the Senate of the state of Louisiana.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Tracy Sabina Sudduth.
DIGEST
SR 153 Original 2023 Regular Session Mizell
Commends Senate President Patrick Page Cortez upon his sixteen years of service in the
Louisiana Legislature.
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