88R12996 BPG-D
By: González of Dallas, Lozano, Neave Criado, H.C.R. No. 71
Guillen, Flores, et al.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Pioneering lawmaker Irma Rangel left an indelible
imprint on the State of Texas; and
WHEREAS, In 1976, Irma Rangel became the first Mexican
American woman elected to the Texas Legislature; she embarked on a
mission to dismantle structural inequities and improve the lives of
the most vulnerable; during more than a quarter century in office,
she secured passage of numerous bills that empowered the
disadvantaged, including legislation extending the absentee voting
system, creating centers for victims of domestic violence, and
providing educational and employment programs to mothers with
dependent children; and
WHEREAS, Representative Rangel worked tirelessly to ensure
access to quality instruction at all levels and transformed the
state's higher education landscape; as chair of the Higher
Education Committee, she expanded opportunities for low-income and
minority youth; she was the primary sponsor of the bill that gave
high school students in the top 10 percent of their graduating class
automatic admission to the state's best public universities;
moreover, she was instrumental in providing funding for the first
professional school in South Texas; in appreciation, Texas A&M
University-Kingsville named that school the Irma Rangel College of
Pharmacy; also honoring her legacy are the Irma Lerma Rangel Young
Women's Leadership School in Dallas and the Irma Rangel Public
Policy Institute at The University of Texas at Austin; and
WHEREAS, Born in Kingsville in 1931, Representative Rangel
attended a segregated elementary school; she went on to earn a
bachelor's degree in business administration from Texas A&M
University-Kingsville and taught in Texas, California, and
Venezuela for 14 years; determined to make a greater impact, she
graduated from St. Mary's University School of Law and became the
first Mexican American woman district attorney in Corpus Christi;
she returned to Kingsville to open a law practice and became
involved in grassroots politics; and
WHEREAS, Representative Rangel served in the legislature
until 2003, when she lost her battle with brain cancer; since then,
her enormous contributions have continued to resonate, and the
naming of a state building in her honor would be a fitting tribute
to a trailblazer who opened avenues of advancement for all Texans;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby direct the Texas Facilities Commission to name the building
being constructed in Phase Two of the Texas Capitol Complex Master
Plan at the northwest corner of Congress Avenue and 15th Street the
Irma Rangel Building; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official
copy of this resolution to the chair and executive director of the
Texas Facilities Commission.