Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HR1177 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	H.R. No. 1177
2	2
3	3
4	4	R E S O L U T I O N
5	5	WHEREAS, April 2023 has been recognized by presidential
6	6	proclamation as Second Chance Month to honor those who have
7	7	successfully reentered society after being incarcerated and to pay
8	8	tribute to the community groups, faith-based organizations, and
9	9	employers that are helping to reduce recidivism among former
10	10	inmates; and
11	11	WHEREAS, Individuals who have been incarcerated face
12	12	significant barriers in returning to life outside of a detention
13	13	facility; those who have successfully made that transition are
14	14	worthy of recognition, not only because of the challenges they have
15	15	overcome but also because of the positive example they provide to
16	16	others who are walking the same path; and
17	17	WHEREAS, The State of Texas is home to many men and women who
18	18	have transcended their troubled pasts to become productive
19	19	citizens; among their numbers are Maggie Luna and Jennifer Toon,
20	20	who are helping to make a difference in the lives of others who have
21	21	faced obstacles following reentry; and
22	22	WHEREAS, Since her release from prison, Maggie Luna has
23	23	dedicated herself to empowering, organizing, and mobilizing others
24	24	at the state and local levels to enact meaningful change for inmates
25	25	and formerly incarcerated individuals, which she has accomplished
26	26	chiefly through her work as head of the Statewide Leadership
27	27	Council; through her advocacy and leadership, she also played a
28	28	pivotal role in saving the life of death row inmate Melissa Lucio,
29	29	who was granted a stay of execution by the Texas Court of Criminal
30	30	Appeals in April 2022; Ms. Luna is an alumna of JustLeadershipUSA,
31	31	and she currently serves on the community advisory council of the
32	32	Texas After Violence Project, a criminal justice reform group; and
33	33	WHEREAS, After serving two decades in prison, beginning at
34	34	the age of 15, Jennifer Toon has become a statewide policy expert
35	35	and a leader in justice reform for incarcerated and returning
36	36	women, children, and people with disabilities; she is the founder
37	37	of the Lioness Justice Impacted Women's Alliance, and she currently
38	38	serves as head of Finish the 5, a campaign to close youth prisons in
39	39	Texas, and as a community advisor for the Texas After Violence
40	40	Project; and
41	41	WHEREAS, Many more individuals throughout our state have
42	42	likewise emerged from the criminal justice system to realize
43	43	meaningful goals in a broad range of endeavors, and their
44	44	experiences offer a moving testament to the human potential for
45	45	redemption; now, therefore, be it
46	46	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
47	47	Legislature hereby recognize April 2023 as Second Chance Month,
48	48	honor Maggie Luna and Jennifer Toon for their contributions as
49	49	activists for criminal justice reform and rehabilitation, and
50	50	commend those organizations and individuals who are assisting
51	51	former inmates in reintegrating into society.
52	52	J. Johnson of Harris
53	53	______________________________
54	54	Speaker of the House
55	55	I certify that H.R. No. 1177 was adopted by the House on April
56	56	25, 2023, by a non-record vote.
57	57	______________________________
58	58	Chief Clerk of the House