| 2 | 3 | | |
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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Booker T. Washington High School and the High School |
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| 6 | 7 | | for Engineering Professions in Houston dedicated the campus |
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| 7 | 8 | | auditorium in honor of State Representative Senfronia Thompson on |
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| 8 | 9 | | April 24, 2021; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, A member of the Washington High Class of 1957, |
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| 10 | 11 | | Representative Thompson was also recognized as the first supporter |
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| 11 | 12 | | of the school's new "The Vision" Community Statue Project; the |
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| 12 | 13 | | student-led initiative is raising money for a plaza on campus with a |
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| 13 | 14 | | statue of the school's namesake as its centerpiece; and |
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| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, Representative Thompson, the dean of the Texas |
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| 15 | 16 | | House, is both the longest-serving woman and longest-serving |
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| 16 | 17 | | African American in the legislature; first elected in 1972, she has |
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| 17 | 18 | | worked tirelessly in behalf of the most vulnerable; she has crafted |
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| 18 | 19 | | groundbreaking legislation to combat human trafficking, and she is |
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| 19 | 20 | | the author of the James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act, the Chief Justice |
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| 20 | 21 | | Jack Pope Act, which increases access to legal aid for low-income |
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| 21 | 22 | | Texans with civil cases, and the Michael Morton Act, promoting |
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| 22 | 23 | | greater fairness in the criminal justice system; in addition, she |
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| 23 | 24 | | has secured passage of a host of other laws benefiting women, |
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| 24 | 25 | | children, and the elderly; and |
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| 25 | 26 | | WHEREAS, Currently chair of the Licensing and Administrative |
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| 26 | 27 | | Procedures Committee, Representative Thompson also serves on the |
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| 27 | 28 | | Redistricting and the Business and Industry Committees; she has |
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| 28 | 29 | | served the house in numerous leadership roles through the years, |
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| 29 | 30 | | including chair of the Public Health, Judicial Affairs, and Local |
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| 30 | 31 | | and Consent Calendars Committees and co-chair of the Human |
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| 31 | 32 | | Trafficking Committee; and |
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| 32 | 33 | | WHEREAS, Among myriad accolades, Representative Thompson has |
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| 33 | 34 | | received the Rosa Parks Award from the Texas Legislative Black |
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| 34 | 35 | | Caucus, and she was inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame in |
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| 35 | 36 | | 2014; in addition, she has been named one of the Top Ten Best |
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| 36 | 37 | | Legislators by Texas Monthly; she graduated from the Thurgood |
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| 37 | 38 | | Marshall School of Law and holds a master of law degree in |
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| 38 | 39 | | international law from the University of Houston as well; and |
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| 39 | 40 | | WHEREAS, Senfronia Thompson has made a positive difference in |
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| 40 | 41 | | the lives of countless Texans over the course of her remarkable |
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| 41 | 42 | | legislative career, and the auditorium that bears her name will |
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| 42 | 43 | | serve as a lasting reminder to Washington High students of the |
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| 43 | 44 | | tremendous good that one person can accomplish; now, therefore, be |
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| 44 | 45 | | it |
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| 45 | 46 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 46 | 47 | | Legislature hereby congratulate the Honorable Senfronia Thompson |
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| 47 | 48 | | on the dedication of the auditorium at Booker T. Washington High |
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| 48 | 49 | | School and the High School for Engineering Professions in her honor |
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| 49 | 50 | | and extend to her sincere appreciation for her many contributions |
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| 50 | 51 | | to the state; and, be it further |
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| 51 | 52 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 52 | 53 | | prepared for Representative Thompson as an expression of high |
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| 53 | 54 | | regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |
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