By: Naishtat (Senate Sponsor - Lucio) H.C.R. No. 65
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 6, 2015;
May 7, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on
Administration; May 13, 2015, reported favorably by the following
vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 13, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The State of Texas has traditionally designated a
variety of official state symbols that embody the proud spirit and
rich heritage of our state; and
WHEREAS, The bluebonnet, the Guadalupe bass, and the
mockingbird serve to represent the great diversity of the flora and
fauna of Texas, while the state dish, chili, aptly evokes our shared
culinary culture; and
WHEREAS, In keeping with this custom, the designation of the
western honey bee as the official state pollinator of Texas
constitutes an appropriate recognition of the importance of this
highly productive species found in the state; and
WHEREAS, Known to scientists as Apis mellifera, the western
honey bee is the most widely domesticated of the several honey bee
species that exist in the world and is a familiar sight in Texas,
where its distinctive black-and-yellow abdomen and its zigzagging
flight from flower to flower make the insect instantly
recognizable; referred to simply as the honey bee, it is renowned
for its ability to make its signature sweetener and, along with
other members of its genus, is the only insect that produces a food
eaten by humankind; and
WHEREAS, Even more significant than the production of honey,
however, is the honey bee's essential role in the pollination of
crops; this industrious insect enables the production of at least
90 commercially grown crops in North America, including 75 percent
of all fruits, nuts, and vegetables, contributing more than $15
billion to the nation's economy every year; pollination by the
honey bee accounts for approximately 80 percent of all insect
pollination, far exceeding that of butterflies, beetles, and wasps;
and
WHEREAS, The honey bee is critical to the agriculture and
commerce of this state, where the economic impact of the food and
fiber sector totals more than $100 billion annually; to take but one
example, the bee helps Texas farmers to produce more cotton than
farmers anywhere else in the country; cash receipts from Texas
cotton in 2012 alone amounted to $2.2 billion; and
WHEREAS, In recognition of this insect's importance, the City
of Austin passed a resolution forbidding the destruction of feral
bees within its city limits, instead allowing colonies to be
sustainably relocated by Central Texas Bee Rescue; and
WHEREAS, A creature as beautiful and memorable as the Texas
sky, the western honey bee works each day to preserve the balance of
nature, allowing our crops to flourish, the agriculture of Texas to
thrive, and our economy to grow, and its unique relationship to the
welfare of this land makes it a truly fitting symbol for the
majestic spirit of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby designate the western honey bee as the official state
pollinator of Texas.
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