Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SR372 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 372
2	2	In Memory
3	3	of
4	4	Robert Landis Armstrong
5	5	WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas joins Texans
6	6	across the state in mourning the loss of Robert Landis Armstrong,
7	7	who died March 1, 2015, at the age of 82; and
8	8	WHEREAS, Bob Armstrong served the citizens of Texas with
9	9	distinction over the course of a decades-long career in public
10	10	service, during which he played an essential role in dramatically
11	11	increasing the revenues of the Permanent School Fund and the
12	12	Permanent University Fund and in doubling the size of the state's
13	13	park system; and
14	14	WHEREAS, Mr. Armstrong was born and raised in Austin; he
15	15	earned a bachelor's degree and a law degree from The University
16	16	of Texas, and from 1953 to 1955, he served the nation as an
17	17	officer in the United States Navy; and
18	18	WHEREAS, He began his career by serving as a member of the
19	19	Texas House of Representatives from 1963 to 1970; he was one of
20	20	the first legislators in the state to focus on environmental
21	21	issues and played a significant role in the creation of the
22	22	Interagency Council on Natural Resources, the Texas Parks
23	23	Advisory Committee, and the Texas Conservation Foundation; and
24	24	WHEREAS, During his tenure in the legislature, he also
25	25	helped establish the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness, and
26	26	he carried the constitutional amendment allowing for the
27	27	investment of the Permanent University Fund in stocks, which
28	28	enhanced the university's ability to invest wisely and increase
29	29	its revenue; and
30	30	WHEREAS, Mr. Armstrong was elected land commissioner in
31	31	1970; as land commissioner, he managed the state's 22.5 million
32	32	acres of public land and its mineral ownership, and he served in
33	33	that capacity until 1982; under his leadership, the state put the
34	34	management of public lands in an environmental context and
35	35	continued to hold regular, successful lease sales despite the
36	36	controversies that arose between environmentalists and oil and
37	37	gas producers; and
38	38	WHEREAS, He continued to support and promote education
39	39	during his tenure as land commissioner by raising the oil and gas
40	40	royalties on state lands, which allowed the Permanent School Fund
41	41	to more than triple its assets and the Permanent University Fund
42	42	to experience dramatic growth; and
43	43	WHEREAS, Mr. Armstrong was appointed to the Parks and
44	44	Wildlife Commission in 1985; while serving on the commission, he
45	45	was able to help fulfill his longtime goal of purchasing land for
46	46	the 212,000-acre Big Bend State Park, which doubled the size of
47	47	the state's park acreage; he went on to serve as natural
48	48	resources and energy advisor to Governor Ann Richards and as
49	49	assistant secretary for Land and Minerals Management in the
50	50	United States Department of the Interior; and
51	51	WHEREAS, He received numerous honors over the course of his
52	52	distinguished career, including the Texas Nature Conservancy's
53	53	Lifetime Achievement Award, the Field and Stream Conservation
54	54	Award, and the Chevron Conservation Award; he was the founder of
55	55	the Austin Chapter of the Sierra Club and a founding board member
56	56	of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation; and
57	57	WHEREAS, Bob Armstrong was a man of courage, determination,
58	58	and vision who served the state and nation with distinction, and
59	59	his leadership and countless accomplishments will not be
60	60	forgotten; and
61	61	WHEREAS, He was devoted to his wife, Linda Aaker and to his
62	62	four children and two grandchildren, and he leaves behind memories
63	63	that will be treasured forever by all who were privileged to
64	64	share in his life; now, therefore, be it
65	65	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 84th
66	66	Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved
67	67	family of Robert Landis Armstrong; and, be it further
68	68	RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
69	69	his family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas
70	70	Senate and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in
71	71	memory of Robert Landis Armstrong.
72	72	Watson
73	73	________________________________
74	74	President of the Senate
75	75	I hereby certify that the
76	76	above Resolution was adopted by
77	77	the Senate on March 16, 2015, by a
78	78	rising vote.
79	79	________________________________
80	80	Secretary of the Senate
81	81	________________________________
82	82	Member, Texas Senate