Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SR251 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 251
2	2	WHEREAS, Many notable citizens of Lubbock are visiting
3	3	Austin on February 24, 2015, to pay tribute to their city's rich
4	4	heritage and to celebrate Lubbock Day at the State Capitol; and
5	5	WHEREAS, A thriving region of the state, the Lubbock area
6	6	is one of the oldest inhabited places in Texas; archeologists
7	7	have discovered evidence of some 12,000 years of continuous
8	8	habitation at the Lubbock Lake Landmark site, a national historic
9	9	and state archeological preserve; and
10	10	WHEREAS, The City of Lubbock was incorporated on March 16,
11	11	1909, and railroads stimulated the city's growth as a trade
12	12	center; residents also wanted the benefits of an institution of
13	13	higher learning, and when legislation creating Texas
14	14	Technological College was passed in 1923, the site selection
15	15	committee, impressed by the enthusiasm and hospitality of local
16	16	citizens, chose Lubbock for its location; and
17	17	WHEREAS, Today a community of almost 240,000 people,
18	18	Lubbock is home to the Texas Tech University System and its
19	19	flagship campus as well as to two other universities and a
20	20	community college; together, they draw more than 53,000 students
21	21	to the city each year, making a significant impact on the local
22	22	economy; approximately 10,000 young Texans graduate in Lubbock
23	23	each year, and 30 percent of residents over the age of 25 hold at
24	24	least a bachelor's degree; and
25	25	WHEREAS, Fostering a dynamic business environment, Lubbock
26	26	has a regional labor force of more than 207,000, and the cost of
27	27	doing business continues to rank as one of the lowest in the
28	28	nation, due to affordable land, wage rates, electric and natural
29	29	gas utilities, property taxes, and living expenses; and
30	30	WHEREAS, Lubbock is consistently recognized by national
31	31	organizations for its business-friendly atmosphere; it was
32	32	ranked seventh in the 2014 Forbes list of "Opportunity Cities"
33	33	based on low cost of living, cultural offerings, and the strength
34	34	of the business community; in addition, it has been named a top
35	35	city for professional women and for young entrepreneurs seeking
36	36	to start a business; and
37	37	WHEREAS, Noted for its diverse economy, the city draws its
38	38	strength from agribusiness, manufacturing, and commerce, as well
39	39	as from educational facilities and medical infrastructure
40	40	considered the most extensive to be found between Dallas and
41	41	Phoenix; with the growth of cotton culture on the High Plains,
42	42	Lubbock has become one of the world's primary centers for the
43	43	processing of cottonseed and hybrid grain sorghum seed; and
44	44	WHEREAS, The economy is deeply rooted in cotton farming,
45	45	and Lubbock remains home to the world's largest contiguous cotton
46	46	patch; the area also features several major, award-winning
47	47	wineries and vineyards, which produce more than 70 percent of all
48	48	the state's wine grapes; and
49	49	WHEREAS, This vibrant city also offers a wealth of
50	50	recreational opportunities and cultural institutions, among them
51	51	the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, the Lubbock Civic Ballet, the
52	52	Museum and Planetarium of Texas Tech University, and the Silent
53	53	Wings Museum; plans are well advanced for a new, state-of-the-art
54	54	performing arts center to be named after local legend and Rock
55	55	and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Buddy Holly; and
56	56	WHEREAS, City leaders meticulously planned infrastructure
57	57	to create neighborhood parks and ensure the smooth flow of
58	58	traffic; located at the intersection of five major highways,
59	59	Lubbock is nicknamed the "Hub City," and it aims to continue that
60	60	vital transportation function through the eventual Interstate
61	61	Highway 27 expansion, a mayoral initiative that is expected to
62	62	relieve congestion on other Texas highways; and
63	63	WHEREAS, Those desiring a glimpse of the frontier can find
64	64	it in the restored structures at the Ranching Heritage Center, a
65	65	15-acre site that traces the evolution of ranch architecture and
66	66	the history of the cattle industry; the region's history is also
67	67	celebrated at the Bayer Museum of Agriculture; and
68	68	WHEREAS, A host of talented musicians have hailed from the
69	69	Lubbock area, among them Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, the Maines
70	70	family, Virgil Johnson and the Velvets, Waylon Jennings, Tanya
71	71	Tucker, Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Pat Green, and Butch
72	72	Hancock; their rich and diverse contributions have earned
73	73	Lubbock and West Texas the state designation as the official
74	74	"Music Crossroads of Texas"; and
75	75	WHEREAS, Lubbock's thriving business community is
76	76	represented by the largest business federation on the Texas South
77	77	Plains, the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, which has promoted the
78	78	prosperity of the Lubbock area for more than a century; achieving
79	79	great success from its earliest days, it recruited out-of-state
80	80	farmers to till the fertile soils of the Llano Estacado, secured
81	81	railroad service, founded the South Plains Fair, and drafted and
82	82	delivered the application that would result in the establishment
83	83	of Texas Technological College, which today thrives as the heart
84	84	of the Texas Tech University System; and
85	85	WHEREAS, The chamber was also instrumental in establishing
86	86	Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport and Reese Air Force
87	87	Base, as well as the revolutionary market-driven Chamber
88	88	Employer Health Plan, which is now a national model; its efforts
89	89	have also been key in the development of outstanding
90	90	transportation infrastructure; committed to revitalizing the
91	91	community and its downtown, the chamber oversees the efforts of
92	92	Imagine Lubbock Together, a private-public partnership; it is
93	93	the nation's first and only chamber to be twice 5-Star Accredited
94	94	and twice named Chamber of the Year; and
95	95	WHEREAS, The delegation visiting the Capitol today
96	96	includes proud members of the chamber's 40th Leadership Lubbock
97	97	Class, who represent the future business and community leaders of
98	98	Lubbock; and
99	99	WHEREAS, Truly keeping faith with the founders of their
100	100	West Texas community, the citizens of Lubbock are renowned for
101	101	their friendliness and warmth as well as their hardiness and
102	102	determination, and they have helped to build a vital urban center
103	103	that serves not only a large part of West Texas but also eastern
104	104	New Mexico; now, therefore, be it
105	105	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 84th
106	106	Legislature, hereby recognize February 24, 2015, as Lubbock Day
107	107	at the State Capitol and extend to the members of the visiting
108	108	delegation and all their fellow citizens sincere appreciation
109	109	for the bright luster they add to the Lone Star State.
110	110	Perry
111	111	________________________________
112	112	President of the Senate
113	113	I hereby certify that the
114	114	above Resolution was adopted by
115	115	the Senate on February 24, 2015.
116	116	________________________________
117	117	Secretary of the Senate
118	118	________________________________
119	119	Member, Texas Senate