89R4775 TBO-D
By: Cole H.C.R. No. 17
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, A highly respected figure in the Texas Legislature
and the United States Congress, Mickey Leland left behind a legacy
of service that continues to resonate across the Lone Star State and
beyond; and
WHEREAS, Born in Lubbock on November 27, 1944, George Thomas
"Mickey" Leland III grew up in Houston's Fifth Ward; he graduated
from Phillis Wheatley High School in 1964 and went on to earn a
bachelor's degree in pharmacy from Texas Southern University; while
attending college, he distinguished himself as a dedicated activist
for the Civil Rights Movement in Houston; and
WHEREAS, In 1972, Mr. Leland became one of five minority
candidates, dubbed the "People's Five," to run for seats in the
Texas House of Representatives; he was elected to represent the
88th District, and over the course of his tenure, he gained a
reputation for his contributions to health care policy; he played
an instrumental role in the passage of legislation that expanded
access to affordable generic drugs, and he supported the creation
of health maintenance organizations; a member of numerous
committees, he held the office of vice chair of the Joint Committee
on Prison Reform, and he was the first African American to serve on
the Senate-House Conference Committee as a member of the House
Appropriations Committee; and
WHEREAS, Following six years in the state legislature,
Mr. Leland won election to the United States House of
Representatives in November 1978; he took on the role of freshman
majority whip in his first term, and he later served twice as
at-large majority whip; a leader on the issue of food insecurity, he
founded the House Select Committee on Hunger, secured funding for
famine relief, and won passage of bills providing fresh produce to
low-income families and food and medical resources for the
homeless; he also helped establish the National Commission on AIDS
and served as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus from 1985 to
1987; moreover, he won praise from the State Department for
arranging the release of four Americans imprisoned in Cuba; he
tragically passed away in a plane crash on August 7, 1989, while on
a mission trip in Ethiopia; and
WHEREAS, Congressman Mickey Leland made vital contributions
to our state and nation, and the naming of a state building in his
honor would be a fitting tribute to this trailblazing public
servant; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby direct the Texas Facilities Commission to name the new state
building being constructed in Phase Two of the Texas Capitol
Complex Master Plan at the northwest corner of Congress Avenue and
15th Street in honor of Texas Congressman and State Representative
Mickey Leland; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official
copy of this resolution to the chair and executive director of the
Texas Facilities Commission.