Texas 2023 - 88th 4th C.S.

Texas House Bill HCR4 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	H.C.R. No. 4
	1	+	By: Craddick H.C.R. No. 4
2	2
3	3
4	4		HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
5	5		WHEREAS, The Honorable Walter David Counts Jr. of Knox City,
6	6		a former state representative and brevet brigadier general in the
7	7		Texas Army National Guard, passed away on August 18, 2023, at the
8	8		age of 87; and
9	9		WHEREAS, Born in Munday on July 14, 1936, David Counts was the
10	10		son of Walter and Alma Counts; he grew up in Rule and attended West
11	11		Texas State College and North Texas State College; in 1953, he
12	12		joined the Texas Army National Guard, and over the course of 32
13	13		years in the military, he attained the rank of colonel;
14	14		then-governor George W. Bush promoted him to brevet brigadier
15	15		general following his retirement; among other honors, he received
16	16		the General K. L. Bailey Award for heroism and the Minute Man Award
17	17		for outstanding service; and
18	18		WHEREAS, Mr. Counts wed the love of his life, the former Mary
19	19		Mullins, on July 15, 1956; they became the proud parents of two
20	20		children, Patti and David, and through the years, their family grew
21	21		to include four grandchildren, Seth, Jennifer, Sarah, and Matthew,
22	22		as well as eight great-grandchildren; and
23	23		WHEREAS, Settling in Knox City, Mr. Counts established Counts
24	24		Insurance Agency in 1960; he operated the business for 35 years, and
25	25		he also founded Counts Real Estate; in addition, he owned a
26	26		bookkeeping and tax service for a decade and grew wheat and cotton
27	27		in Knox, Stonewall, and Haskell Counties; he served as vice
28	28		president and director of Rolling Plains Well Service, as president
29	29		and chair of Chap Operating Company, as director and treasurer of
30	30		Perry Pump Service, and as a director of both First Bank of West
31	31		Texas and Western Bancshares; moreover, he was a member of the board
32	32		of the Texas Association of Realtors; and
33	33		WHEREAS, Mr. Counts was first elected to the Texas House of
34	34		Representatives in 1988, and for the next 15 years, he worked
35	35		tirelessly in behalf of his constituents, who resided primarily in
36	36		the North Central Plains region; he chaired the Natural Resources
37	37		Committee for a decade, co-chaired the Water Resources Committee,
38	38		and served on many other committees, including the Insurance,
39	39		Redistricting, and State Affairs Committees; he authored a
40	40		constitutional amendment to exempt Masonic lodges from ad valorem
41	41		taxes; and
42	42		WHEREAS, A member of the Masons for more than six decades, Mr.
43	43		Counts was raised to the degree of Master Mason in 1961, and he
44	44		served three separate terms as Worshipful Master; he began his
45	45		association with the Grand Lodge of Texas in 1971 and rose to become
46	46		Most Worshipful Grand Master, the highest office in Texas Masonry,
47	47		in 2008; he gave generously of his time and talents to a host of
48	48		Masonic groups, and he served as treasurer of Masonic Children &
49	49		Family Services of Texas and as a trustee of Scottish Rite for
50	50		Children; the recipient of numerous honors, he was inducted into
51	51		the Masonic Grand Lodge Library and Museum of Texas Sam Houston Hall
52	52		of Fame and served as a patron of the library and museum; and
53	53		WHEREAS, Mr. Counts also contributed to the greater community
54	54		through his longtime service as a director of the Knox City Chamber
55	55		of Commerce and as a member of the Knox City Lions Club; he
56	56		benefited higher education as a member of several boards, including
57	57		the development board of Hardin-Simmons University; he was a valued
58	58		congregant of First Baptist Church of Knox City and gave generously
59	59		of his time and resources to Gideons International; and
60	60		WHEREAS, David Counts lived a life that was rich in public
61	61		service and in personal and professional achievements, and his
62	62		contributions will be remembered and admired for years to come;
63	63		now, therefore, be it
64	64		RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas,
65	65		4th Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory of Walter David
66	66		Counts Jr. and extend sincere condolences to the members of his
67	67		family: to his wife, Mary Counts; to his children, Patti Counts
68	68		Holmes and her husband, Steve, and David Counts III and his wife,
69	69		Jill; to his grandchildren, Seth Barnett and his wife, Jenni,
70	70		Jennifer McCann and her husband, Josh, Sarah Grace and her husband,
71	71		Jacob, and Matthew Counts and his wife, Allie; to his eight
72	72		great-grandchildren; to his sister, Cheryl Robinson, and her
73	73		husband, Bobby; and to his many other relatives and friends; and, be
74	74		it further
75	75		RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
76	76		prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
77	77		Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of
78	78		David Counts.
79		-	Craddick
80		-	______________________________ ______________________________
81		-	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
82		-	I certify that H.C.R. No. 4 was unanimously adopted by a
83		-	rising vote of the House on November 17, 2023.
84		-	______________________________
85		-	Chief Clerk of the House
86		-	I certify that H.C.R. No. 4 was unanimously adopted by a
87		-	rising vote of the Senate on November 30, 2023.
88		-	______________________________
89		-	Secretary of the Senate
90		-	APPROVED: __________________
91		-	Date
92		-	__________________
93		-	Governor