Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SR633 Compare Versions

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1	1	SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 633
2	2	In Memory
3	3	of
4	4	Harold Cook
5	5	WHEREAS, A wave of sorrow rippled across the political
6	6	divide with the untimely death of Democratic strategist and
7	7	commentator Harold Lee Cook III on November 10, 2022, at the age
8	8	of 61; and
9	9	WHEREAS, Born in Houston on January 16, 1961, to Martha
10	10	Rondeaux Cook and Harold L. Cook Jr., "Tres" Cook grew up with a
11	11	sister, Martha, and graduated from Bellaire High School; he
12	12	worked on offshore oil rigs and played in piano bars before
13	13	getting around to finishing his bachelor's degree at the
14	14	University of Houston in 1988; finding his calling in politics,
15	15	he served as an aide to then-State Representative Debra Danburg
16	16	and went on to work for two Texas secretaries of state under
17	17	Governor Ann Richards; he was team leader of web marketing and
18	18	public relations for the General Land Office and advised scores
19	19	of aspiring and elected officials, ranging from promising
20	20	neophytes to stars such as President Bill Clinton and Governor
21	21	Ann Richards; and
22	22	WHEREAS, In the late 1990s, Mr. Cook became executive
23	23	director of the Texas Democratic Party; a man of great warmth and
24	24	charm, with a wicked sense of humor, he became fast friends with
25	25	his opposite number in the Republican Party, and he enjoyed
26	26	sparring with him and many other pals on the other side of the
27	27	aisle; his daring, finesse, creativity, and people-wrangling
28	28	skills were on full display during the 2003 quorum break, when 11
29	29	Democratic state senators holed up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in
30	30	a desperate bid to derail a redistricting bill; with his
31	31	assistance, they withstood extreme pressure for more than six
32	32	weeks, bringing a national spotlight to the issue and energizing
33	33	the party; and
34	34	WHEREAS, Mr. Cook brought his acerbic wit and keen
35	35	insight to the launch of the Spectrum News program Capital
36	36	Tonight, contributing to its early success; a featured
37	37	commentator, he seldom missed a show, and after suffering a
38	38	stroke, he was back on the air in three weeks; his engaging
39	39	blog and social media posts were must-reads for the political
40	40	set; over the years, he extended his family with a large
41	41	collection of friends, including the legendary Molly Ivins;
42	42	knowing his love of far West Texas, as her days waned, she sold
43	43	him her beautiful lot in Marathon; he built himself a small
44	44	casita with a big porch, where he and his exuberant dog,
45	45	Travis, liked to hold court and watch the sunset; and
46	46	WHEREAS, Harold Cook approached the rough-and-tumble world
47	47	of politics with a big heart as well as a shrewd mind, and his
48	48	loss is keenly felt by all who were privileged to share in the
49	49	richness of his life; now, therefore, be it
50	50	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th
51	51	Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the memory of Harold Lee Cook
52	52	III and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family:
53	53	to his sister, Martha Payne, and her husband, Tom; to his nephew,
54	54	Matthew Payne; and to his other relatives and many friends; and,
55	55	be it further
56	56	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be
57	57	prepared for his family and that when the Texas Senate adjourns
58	58	this day, it do so in memory of Harold Cook.
59	59	Alvarado
60	60	Blanco Johnson Miles Blanco Johnson Miles
61	61	Blanco Johnson Miles
62	62	Eckhardt LaMantia West Eckhardt LaMantia West
63	63	Eckhardt LaMantia West
64	64	Gutierrez Menéndez Whitmire Gutierrez Menéndez Whitmire
65	65	Gutierrez Menéndez Whitmire
66	66	Hinojosa Zaffirini Hinojosa Zaffirini
67	67	Hinojosa Zaffirini
68	68	Patrick, President of the Senate
69	69	________________________________
70	70	President of the Senate
71	71	I hereby certify that the
72	72	above Resolution was adopted by
73	73	the Senate on May 26, 2023, by a
74	74	rising vote.
75	75	________________________________
76	76	Secretary of the Senate
77	77	________________________________
78	78	Member, Texas Senate
79	79
80	80	Blanco Johnson Miles
81	81
82	82	Eckhardt LaMantia West
83	83
84	84	Gutierrez Menéndez Whitmire
85	85
86	86	Hinojosa Zaffirini