Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HR528 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	H.R. No. 528
2	2
3	3
4	4	R E S O L U T I O N
5	5	WHEREAS, Laurie Ezzell Brown, editor and publisher of the
6	6	Canadian Record, has announced that this venerable newspaper is
7	7	suspending operations in March 2023, and this development provides
8	8	a fitting opportunity to honor Ms. Brown's exceptional work in
9	9	guiding the publication; and
10	10	WHEREAS, Established in 1893, the Canadian Record was
11	11	purchased by Ms. Brown's parents, Ben and Nancy Ezzell, in the
12	12	1940s; the paper gained renown through bold investigative reporting
13	13	and strong editorial stances, as well as the chronicling of local
14	14	events in Hemphill County; Ms. Brown became editor upon the death
15	15	of her father in 1993 and sole publisher when her mother retired in
16	16	2010; building on a legacy of excellence, she has overseen the
17	17	Record's watchful coverage of the daily workings of government, and
18	18	like her father, a member of the Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame, she
19	19	has not shied from addressing controversial topics of public
20	20	interest; and
21	21	WHEREAS, The Canadian Record has received myriad accolades,
22	22	including the 2007 Tom and Pat Gish Award from the University of
23	23	Kentucky Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, which
24	24	acknowledged the paper's courage, tenacity, and integrity in
25	25	journalism; Ms. Brown has earned personal recognition from such
26	26	organizations as the Panhandle Press Association in numerous
27	27	categories, from spot news photography to column writing, and in
28	28	2009, she was inducted into the PPA Hall of Fame; in 2022, she
29	29	garnered the Frank W. Mayborn Award for Community Leadership from
30	30	the Texas Press Association; and
31	31	WHEREAS, Over the years, Ms. Brown has given generously of
32	32	her time and expertise to support good journalism across the state;
33	33	she has served as president of both the TPA and PPA, and she has been
34	34	active in the West Texas Press Association; moreover, she has
35	35	worked to raise national awareness of the challenges facing rural
36	36	newspapers; that mission has been elevated through the release of
37	37	the documentary For the Record, which premiered at the Big Sky
38	38	Documentary Film Festival in Montana in February 2023; it follows
39	39	Ms. Brown's battle to secure the future of the newspaper after her
40	40	retirement; while her efforts to find a new owner for the Record are
41	41	ongoing, she has announced that the paper is closing its doors until
42	42	a buyer can be found; and
43	43	WHEREAS, Laurie Ezzell Brown has devoted her career to the
44	44	vital task of informing and enlightening her fellow citizens, and
45	45	as she embarks on the next chapter of her life, she may indeed
46	46	reflect with pride on her wide-ranging contributions; now,
47	47	therefore, be it
48	48	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
49	49	Legislature hereby honor Laurie Ezzell Brown for her
50	50	accomplishments as editor and publisher of the Canadian Record and
51	51	extend to her sincere best wishes for continued happiness; and, be
52	52	it further
53	53	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
54	54	prepared for Ms. Brown as an expression of high regard by the Texas
55	55	House of Representatives.
56	56	King of Hemphill
57	57	______________________________
58	58	Speaker of the House
59	59	I certify that H.R. No. 528 was adopted by the House on March
60	60	16, 2023, by a non-record vote.
61	61	______________________________
62	62	Chief Clerk of the House