H.R. No. 254
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Former State Representative Jerry A. Madden of
Richardson is celebrating his 80th birthday on February 20, 2023,
to the great delight of his family and friends; and
WHEREAS, The son of Jerry and Lucille Madden, Jerry Madden
was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 1943; he graduated from the
United States Military Academy at West Point with a bachelor's
degree in engineering; commissioned as a second lieutenant, field
artillery, he served in Germany before his deployment to Vietnam in
1968 as commanding officer of Battery A, 3rd Battalion of the 52nd
Artillery Group's 6th Artillery; promoted to captain, he led his
unit in movements all around the fire bases in the Central
Highlands, supporting infantry units; from 1969 to 1971, he was
stationed at Fort Sill in Oklahoma, where he was an instructor in
nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons and worked on the project
that developed the use of computers in fire control artillery; in
addition to his Airborne and Ranger tabs, he received such
decorations as the Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, the Army Good
Conduct Medal, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; and
WHEREAS, After completing six years of military service,
Mr. Madden earned a master's degree in management and
administration sciences from The University of Texas at Dallas; he
was employed by Texas Instruments and then by Teledyne Geotech; in
2000, he established Jerry Madden Insurance, which he sold upon his
retirement eight years later; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Madden has served his community in numerous
leadership roles, including as president of the Collin County
School Board and chair of the Collin County Hospital Board; he was
instrumental in launching the Collin County Caring for Children
program and served on its board; for many years, he was a member of
the board of the Prisoner Entrepreneurship Program; dedicated to
conservative principles, he served as a Republican party precinct
chair and then as county GOP chair; and
WHEREAS, In 1992, Mr. Madden was elected to the first of 10
terms in the Texas House; he was a member of numerous committees and
served as chair of the Corrections, Criminal Justice Oversight, and
State Affairs Committees, as co-chair of the Select Committee on
the Operation and Management of the Texas Youth Commission, and as
vice chair of the Elections Committee; during his tenure, he won
plaudits for such legislative initiatives as the 2007 criminal
justice system reforms; the comprehensive changes allowed for
rehabilitation opportunities, for the diversion of some prisoners
into mental health and substance abuse treatment programs, and for
improved probation and parole mechanisms resulting in cost savings
and safer communities; he played a key role in juvenile justice
reforms and judicial campaign fairness measures as well, and he
advocated for victims' rights; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Madden also demonstrated a deep commitment to
retired and active members of the military, and he authored and
secured passage of legislation ensuring that those on lengthy
deployments would have their votes counted in elections, as well as
legislation to protect military families by allowing them to defer
property taxes during deployment; moreover, he proposed a
constitutional amendment that later became law relating to ad
valorem tax exemptions for disabled veterans and their families;
sensitive to the needs of combat veterans, he was responsible for
groundbreaking legislation creating Veteran Courts that have
proven especially crucial to those in need of resources for such
issues as post-traumatic stress disorder, service-related
injuries, and homelessness; he coauthored successful legislation
establishing a state virtual education system for the benefit of
military personnel, and it proved invaluable for children across
the state during the COVID-19 pandemic; named one of the 10 Best
Legislators by Texas Monthly magazine in 2007, he was selected as
American Legislative Exchange Council Legislator of the Year four
years later; and
WHEREAS, Along the way, Mr. Madden was appointed to the Texas
State Council for Interstate Adult Offender Supervision; he made an
impact beyond Texas as a member of the board of the Council of State
Governments' Justice Center, as chair of the Law and Criminal
Justice Committee formed by the National Conference of State
Legislatures, and as co-chair of the National Conference of State
Legislatures' Sentencing and Corrections Work Group; and
WHEREAS, Since his retirement from public office, Mr. Madden
has continued to serve in a number of capacities; he is a Senior
Fellow for Right on Crime at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and
a member of both the national board of the Prison Entrepreneurship
Program and the board of Unlocking Doors; in addition, he serves the
American Legislative Exchange Council as a member of the Texas
Criminal Justice Integrity Unit; and
WHEREAS, Over the years, Mr. Madden has been the recipient of
numerous honors, including the inaugural Carmen Miller Michael
Mental Health Advocate Prism Award and recognition from such
organizations as the American Legion Department of Texas, Common
Cause Texas, and the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition; in 2017, he
garnered the Susan McHenry Golden Key Award for his tireless
efforts in behalf of Criminal Justice Reform; he was also named a
UT-Dallas Distinguished Alumnus; and
WHEREAS, Devoted to his family, Mr. Madden shared a
fulfilling marriage of 51 years with the love of his life, Barbara
Madden, until her passing in 2017; the couple raised three
treasured children, Jerry, Stephanie, and Kristina, and they were
blessed with five grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, A generous mentor and an inspiring role model to
many, Jerry Madden is respected and admired by all who are
privileged to know him, and as he celebrates this milestone, he may
reflect with great satisfaction on his wide-ranging contributions;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate the Honorable Jerry A. Madden on
the occasion of his 80th birthday and extend to him sincere best
wishes for continued happiness; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mr. Madden as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.
Leach
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 254 was adopted by the House on March
8, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 140, Nays 0, 2 present, not
voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House