| 1 | 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 230 |
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| 2 | 2 | | WHEREAS, Rural telecommunications professionals are |
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| 3 | 3 | | gathering in Austin on February 21, 2017, to celebrate their |
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| 4 | 4 | | important contributions to the prosperity of the Lone Star State |
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| 5 | 5 | | and Small and Rural Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers Day; and |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Nearly 85 percent of Texas is considered rural; |
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| 7 | 7 | | encompassing 142 million acres in 172 counties, rural areas in |
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| 8 | 8 | | Texas are home to more than 3.2 million people, the largest rural |
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| 9 | 9 | | population in the nation; and |
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| 10 | 10 | | WHEREAS, Each year, more than $200 billion of the state's |
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| 11 | 11 | | gross domestic product is generated by such traditionally rural |
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| 12 | 12 | | industries as agriculture, forestry, hunting, and oil and gas |
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| 13 | 13 | | production, and these enterprises require the latest in modern |
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| 14 | 14 | | communications technology; and |
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| 15 | 15 | | WHEREAS, In response to this need, 45 small and rural |
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| 16 | 16 | | incumbent local exchange carriers have built and continue to |
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| 17 | 17 | | maintain a high-quality telecommunications network that covers |
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| 18 | 18 | | the vast majority of the rural areas of the state, including |
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| 19 | 19 | | those remote regions that are most expensive to serve; and |
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| 20 | 20 | | WHEREAS, This state-of-the-art network provides critical |
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| 21 | 21 | | infrastructure for education, economic development, health care, |
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| 22 | 22 | | law enforcement, and border security; in addition, the Small and |
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| 23 | 23 | | Rural ILECs support more than 6,300 jobs and are responsible for |
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| 24 | 24 | | over $2.5 billion in direct and indirect economic impact; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | WHEREAS, These local exchange carriers play a vital role in |
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| 26 | 26 | | the dynamic economy of Texas in the 21st century, and they are |
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| 27 | 27 | | truly deserving of special recognition for their accomplishments |
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| 28 | 28 | | and contributions; now, therefore, be it |
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| 29 | 29 | | RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th |
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| 30 | 30 | | Legislature, hereby recognize February 21, 2017, as Small and |
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| 31 | 31 | | Rural Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers Day at the State Capitol |
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| 32 | 32 | | and extend to the visiting telecommunications professionals |
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| 33 | 33 | | sincere best wishes for a productive visit to Austin. |
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| 34 | 34 | | Perry |
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| 35 | 35 | | ________________________________ |
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| 36 | 36 | | President of the Senate |
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| 37 | 37 | | I hereby certify that the |
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| 38 | 38 | | above Resolution was adopted by |
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| 39 | 39 | | the Senate on February 21, 2017. |
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| 40 | 40 | | ________________________________ |
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| 41 | 41 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 42 | 42 | | ________________________________ |
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| 43 | 43 | | Member, Texas Senate |
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