Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HR2751 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	H.R. No. 2751
	1	+	84R28581 BPG-D
	2	+	By: Goldman H.R. No. 2751
2	3
3	4
4	5		R E S O L U T I O N
5	6		WHEREAS, The life of a towering figure in state and national
6	7		politics drew to a close with the passing of former United States
7	8		House speaker Jim Wright of Fort Worth on May 6, 2015, at the age of
8	9		92; and
9	10		WHEREAS, Born in Fort Worth on December 22, 1922, James
10	11		Claude Wright Jr. was the son of James Claude Wright Sr. and Marie
11	12		Lyster Wright; he graduated from Adamson High School in Oak Cliff
12	13		and attended Weatherford College before enrolling in The University
13	14		of Texas at Austin; following Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the U.S.
14	15		Army Air Corps and became a bombardier with the 380th Heavy Bomb
15	16		Group; he flew 30 missions over Japan, and he was awarded the
16	17		Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster; and
17	18		WHEREAS, After the war, Mr. Wright began working for the
18	19		National Federation of Small Business in Fort Worth, and he became
19	20		engaged in politics, helping to found the Young Democrats; at the
20	21		age of 23, he won election to the Texas House of Representatives
21	22		from Parker County, and he went on to serve as mayor of Weatherford
22	23		from 1950 to 1954; and
23	24		WHEREAS, Mr. Wright was elected in 1954 to the first of 15
24	25		terms in the United States House of Representatives; as a member of
25	26		the Public Works Committee, he tirelessly promoted investment in
26	27		infrastructure, including the Dallas-Fort Worth International
27	28		Airport, water reservoirs, and Trinity River flood control; he
28	29		brought millions of federal dollars to Tarrant County for aircraft
29	30		contracts and for such major projects as the redevelopment of the
30	31		Stockyards and construction of the Fritz G. Lanham Federal
31	32		Building; with his namesake Wright Amendment, he promoted the
32	33		growth of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in the wake
33	34		of airline deregulation; President John F. Kennedy, in his last
34	35		speech, said "I know of no other city in the United States that is
35	36		better represented in the Congress of the United States than Fort
36	37		Worth"; and
37	38		WHEREAS, Mr. Wright became house majority leader in 1977, and
38	39		10 years later, he was elected speaker of the house; deeply
39	40		committed to international peace, he traveled to the Middle East to
40	41		prepare the way for the historic 1977 Camp David agreement; later,
41	42		he mediated a settlement to end the grinding civil war in Central
42	43		America and bring about democratic elections in Nicaragua; ranked
43	44		as one of the most powerful speakers in the history of the house, he
44	45		also guided the enactment of bills on clean water, highways, aid to
45	46		the homeless, and education benefits for military personnel; and
46	47		WHEREAS, After leaving public office, Mr. Wright remained
47	48		very active in civic life; he lectured widely, authored several
48	49		books, and wrote a weekly column for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram;
49	50		he taught a popular course at Texas Christian University, "Congress
50	51		and the Presidents," and he donated his archives to the
51	52		institution; he loved to talk to students about politics, their
52	53		studies, and other topics, and when failing eyesight prompted him
53	54		to retire in December 2010, he continued to tutor and mentor young
54	55		people; warm and congenial, he was never too busy to stop and shake
55	56		hands or give a hug to citizens who approached him; and
56	57		WHEREAS, Mr. Wright was joined in matrimony to his college
57	58		sweetheart, Mary "Mab" Lemons, in 1942, and they became the parents
58	59		of five children, James, Virginia, Kay, Parker, and Alicia; their
59	60		marriage spanned 28 years; fortunate to find love a second time,
60	61		Mr. Wright married the former Betty Hay in November 1972, and they
61	62		shared a fulfilling relationship for over four decades; and
62	63		WHEREAS, A visionary statesman and highly effective leader,
63	64		Jim Wright devoted himself to the betterment of his beloved Texas
64	65		while playing an enormous role in shaping the nation's public and
65	66		foreign policy, and his myriad accomplishments will continue to
66	67		resonate in the years to come; now, therefore, be it
67	68		RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
68	69		Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of the Honorable Jim
69	70		Wright and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family:
70	71		to his wife of 42 years, Betty Hay Wright; to his children, James C.
71	72		Wright III, Virginia Sue McGuire, Kay Wright Nelson, and Alicia
72	73		Marie Carnes; to his sister, Betty Lee Wright; to his 15
73	74		grandchildren; to his 24 great-grandchildren; and to his other
74	75		relatives and friends; and, be it further
75	76		RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
76	77		prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
77	78		Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of the
78	79		Honorable Jim Wright.
79		-	Goldman
80		-	Turner of Tarrant
81		-	Geren
82		-	Collier
83		-	______________________________
84		-	Speaker of the House
85		-	I certify that H.R. No. 2751 was unanimously adopted by a
86		-	rising vote of the House on May 21, 2015.
87		-	______________________________
88		-	Chief Clerk of the House