88R16462 BPG-D
By: King of Hemphill H.R. No. 528
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Laurie Ezzell Brown, editor and publisher of the
Canadian Record, has announced that this venerable newspaper is
suspending operations in March 2023, and this development provides
a fitting opportunity to honor Ms. Brown's exceptional work in
guiding the publication; and
WHEREAS, Established in 1893, the Canadian Record was
purchased by Ms. Brown's parents, Ben and Nancy Ezzell, in the
1940s; the paper gained renown through bold investigative reporting
and strong editorial stances, as well as the chronicling of local
events in Hemphill County; Ms. Brown became editor upon the death
of her father in 1993 and sole publisher when her mother retired in
2010; building on a legacy of excellence, she has overseen the
Record's watchful coverage of the daily workings of government, and
like her father, a member of the Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame, she
has not shied from addressing controversial topics of public
interest; and
WHEREAS, The Canadian Record has received myriad accolades,
including the 2007 Tom and Pat Gish Award from the University of
Kentucky Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, which
acknowledged the paper's courage, tenacity, and integrity in
journalism; Ms. Brown has earned personal recognition from such
organizations as the Panhandle Press Association in numerous
categories, from spot news photography to column writing, and in
2009, she was inducted into the PPA Hall of Fame; in 2022, she
garnered the Frank W. Mayborn Award for Community Leadership from
the Texas Press Association; and
WHEREAS, Over the years, Ms. Brown has given generously of
her time and expertise to support good journalism across the state;
she has served as president of both the TPA and PPA, and she has been
active in the West Texas Press Association; moreover, she has
worked to raise national awareness of the challenges facing rural
newspapers; that mission has been elevated through the release of
the documentary For the Record, which premiered at the Big Sky
Documentary Film Festival in Montana in February 2023; it follows
Ms. Brown's battle to secure the future of the newspaper after her
retirement; while her efforts to find a new owner for the Record are
ongoing, she has announced that the paper is closing its doors until
a buyer can be found; and
WHEREAS, Laurie Ezzell Brown has devoted her career to the
vital task of informing and enlightening her fellow citizens, and
as she embarks on the next chapter of her life, she may indeed
reflect with pride on her wide-ranging contributions; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature hereby honor Laurie Ezzell Brown for her
accomplishments as editor and publisher of the Canadian Record and
extend to her sincere best wishes for continued happiness; and, be
it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Ms. Brown as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.