86R19846 BPG-D
By: Thompson of Harris H.R. No. 924
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The passing of former state representative Paul Cruz
Moreno of El Paso on September 1, 2017, at the age of 86, concluded a
remarkable life of service as a voice for the voiceless and most
vulnerable; and
WHEREAS, A legislator for more than four decades, Mr. Moreno
was first elected in 1966 and fought tirelessly for the poor, people
of color, low-income workers, people with disabilities, and others
confronting barriers to full participation in the American Dream;
he pushed for legislation requiring developers to provide water and
sanitation to colonias, and he strove to make public buildings and
transportation more accessible to people with disabilities; in
addition, he challenged the state's public school financing system,
sought to regulate college tuition, and advocated for better
teacher salaries; he also worked to pass a minimum wage bill; his
fierce dedication and strong moral compass earned him a reputation
as the "Conscience of the House"; and
WHEREAS, In 1971, Mr. Moreno was part of the "Dirty Thirty,"
a bipartisan group that opposed the speaker and other officials
charged with corruption; as a member of the Higher Education
Committee, he successfully championed greater access to
opportunity and played a key role in enhancing support for The
University of Texas at El Paso; he further served as vice chair of
the Redistricting, Urban Affairs, and State, Federal, and
International Relations Committees, as well as the Retirement and
Aging Subcommittee on Budget and Oversight, and he was the
inaugural chair of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Moreno was acknowledged as the first Mexican
American "Dean of the Texas House" when he became its longest
tenured member in 2007, and the National Association of Latino
Elected and Appointed Officials recognized him as the longest
serving Hispanic public official in the country; among myriad
accolades, he received the PUSH Excel National Award, and the El
Paso Independent School District named Paul C. Moreno Elementary
School in his honor in 1996; and
WHEREAS, An El Paso native, Mr. Moreno was born to Avelina
Ramirez and Reyes Moreno Sr. on April 28, 1931, and grew up with 11
siblings; he began his community organizing at the age of 14,
helping to launch the first Catholic Youth Organization in his
hometown; three years later, he dropped out of Bowie High School to
enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps, and he became a highly decorated
veteran of the Korean War; he went on to work as a Marine recruiter
until a diving accident left him a quadriplegic; never limited by
his need for a wheelchair, he graduated from UTEP and The University
of Texas School of Law; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Moreno was a dynamic leader in the Chicano
Movement and in a host of organizations, among them the Mexican
American Bar Association, the Democratic Party, the El Paso Legal
Assistance Society, and Tejano Democrats; he was a wise mentor to
generations of public servants, and he was admired by all for his
unsparing honesty, as well as his integrity, humility, and profound
compassion; and
WHEREAS, Devoted to his large extended family, Mr. Moreno was
the proud father of a daughter, Annette, as well as the grandfather
of Innette, Evette, and Amarette, and great-grandfather of Josiah
and Ariah; and
WHEREAS, Paul Moreno is deeply missed, but his exceptional
contributions continue to resonate, and his legacy remains a
lasting source of inspiration; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the Honorable Paul Cruz Moreno
and extend sincere sympathy to all who mourn his passing; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of former
state representative Paul Cruz Moreno.