SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 117
WHEREAS, A distinguished delegation from South Texas is
visiting Austin on February 5, 2019, to celebrate Rio Grande
Valley Day at the State Capitol; and
WHEREAS, Enjoying a strategic location on the Gulf of
Mexico and along the Mexican border, the Rio Grande Valley was an
important ranching region when Texas became the nation's 28th
state in 1845; over time, the economy shifted from ranching to
agriculture, and the Valley became the state's center of citrus
and vegetable production; and
WHEREAS, In the 1960s, industry flourished and
international trade became increasingly prominent; the region
has contributed significantly to the tremendous increase in
commerce across the United States-Mexico border; each year, more
than 946,000 trucks, 11.7 million cars with 24.3 million
passengers, thousands of buses and bus passengers, and 6.2
million pedestrians cross Rio Grande Valley ports of entry; an
average of over $51 billion of commercial trade per year,
amounting to more than $140 million in goods and services per
day, flows across the region's 13 land ports of entry; the Rio
Grande Valley is an economic powerhouse for the State of Texas,
with approximately $12.5 billion in taxable sales recorded in
Reporting Year 2018; and
WHEREAS, The Valley has over 1.5 million residents, and
approximately 600,000 of these are individuals under the age of
25; local and state officials have focused on the need to expand
access to higher education and health care, strengthen the
workforce, increase transportation and ports of entry
infrastructure, and increase funding for public education; and
WHEREAS, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley serves
over 28,600 students; the School of Medicine is in its third year
of operation and has 155 medical students and 169 medical
residents in 10 Graduate Medical Education programs and over 20
patient care sites; and
WHEREAS, The Texas A&M University System recently opened
its Higher Education Center in McAllen, which will be linked to
the campus in College Station and will offer programs in
engineering, technology, biomedical sciences, agriculture, and
the laboratory sciences; and
WHEREAS, There are six higher education institutions in
the Rio Grande Valley, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley,
Texas A&M University Higher Education Center, Texas A&M
University Health Science Center McAllen, South Texas College,
Texas Southmost College, and Texas State Technical College, and
they serve a combined student population of over 70,000; and
WHEREAS, The focus for today's special legislative event is
to advocate for additional investments in public education and
workforce development through industry-driven youth
apprenticeship programs in Texas high schools, transportation
and port of entry infrastructure, economic and business
development, funding for The University of Texas Rio Grande
Valley School of Medicine, access to health care and other
community services, and securing a Level 1 trauma center; major
sponsors include The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Texas
A&M University, Texas Southmost College, the City of McAllen, the
City of Edinburg, the City of Weslaco, the City of Pharr, the City
of Brownsville, the Port of Brownsville, the Lower Rio Grande
Valley Development Council, the Starr County Industrial
Foundation, Willacy County, and the Rio Grande Valley
Partnership, as well as several private sector businesses, such
as Pathfinder Public Affairs, Atlas, Hall and Rodriguez, IBC
Bank, Texas Gas Service, UBER, and Coca-Cola, all of which are
promoting greater regional cooperation in the 21st century; and
WHEREAS, A vibrant region with a rich heritage, the Rio
Grande Valley is poised to take advantage of tremendous
opportunities for continued economic development, and it is
indeed most fitting to honor Valley residents for their
dedication to building a bright and prosperous future for the
area; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 86th
Legislature, hereby recognize February 5, 2019, as Rio Grande
Valley Day at the State Capitol and extend to all participants
sincere best wishes for a productive and enjoyable visit.
Hinojosa, Lucio, Zaffirini
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on February 5, 2019.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate
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Member, Texas Senate
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Member, Texas Senate