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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, Residents of El Paso were deeply saddened by the |
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| 6 | 7 | | untimely death of Lillian E. Blancas, a widely respected attorney |
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| 7 | 8 | | and El Paso County magistrate judge, on December 7, 2020, at the age |
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| 8 | 9 | | of 47; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, A native of El Paso, Lillian Blancas was born to |
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| 10 | 11 | | Victor and Maria Elena Blancas on May 2, 1973, and she was raised |
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| 11 | 12 | | with the companionship of two brothers, Moises and Victor, and a |
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| 12 | 13 | | sister, Gabby; her parents, who emigrated from Mexico, believed |
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| 13 | 14 | | strongly in the importance of education, and Ms. Blancas and all |
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| 14 | 15 | | three of her siblings went on to become first-generation college |
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| 15 | 16 | | graduates; after receiving a degree in political science from The |
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| 16 | 17 | | University of Texas at El Paso in 2002, she taught middle school |
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| 17 | 18 | | science in El Paso for several years and then pursued her legal |
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| 18 | 19 | | education at the Texas Tech University School of Law; and |
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| 19 | 20 | | WHEREAS, Ms. Blancas acquired valuable experience while |
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| 20 | 21 | | working as an assistant district attorney in El Paso; after |
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| 21 | 22 | | transitioning to being a public defender, she provided counsel to |
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| 22 | 23 | | underprivileged and often very young defendants, and on the side, |
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| 23 | 24 | | she mentored other lawyers who were interested in working with |
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| 24 | 25 | | indigent clients and clients with mental health issues; she was |
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| 25 | 26 | | known as a skilled and hardworking advocate for those she |
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| 26 | 27 | | represented, and she endeared herself to her colleagues with her |
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| 27 | 28 | | abundant compassion, charm, and wit; and |
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| 28 | 29 | | WHEREAS, In 2019, Ms. Blancas struck out on her own and went |
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| 29 | 30 | | into private practice; she had long dreamed of ascending to the |
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| 30 | 31 | | bench, and after working part-time as a criminal law magistrate |
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| 31 | 32 | | judge, she decided to run for a judicial seat on the El Paso |
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| 32 | 33 | | Municipal Court; securing 40 percent of the vote in the general |
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| 33 | 34 | | election held on November 3, she was then posthumously declared the |
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| 34 | 35 | | winner of the runoff election on December 12, 2020, five days after |
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| 35 | 36 | | her passing; and |
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| 36 | 37 | | WHEREAS, Lillian Blancas earned the admiration and affection |
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| 37 | 38 | | of countless people through her lifelong commitment to advancing |
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| 38 | 39 | | justice for all, and she will be greatly missed by all who were |
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| 39 | 40 | | privileged to know her; now, therefore, be it |
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| 40 | 41 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 41 | 42 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Lillian E. Blancas and |
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| 42 | 43 | | extend heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and |
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| 43 | 44 | | colleagues; and, be it further |
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| 44 | 45 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 45 | 46 | | prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 46 | 47 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Lillian E. |
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| 47 | 48 | | Blancas. |
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