Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HR30 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R5053 KRT-D
2	2	By: Morales Shaw H.R. No. 30
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7	7	R E S O L U T I O N
8	8	WHEREAS, Residents of Houston lost a political icon and
9	9	fierce champion of social justice with the passing of
10	10	U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee on July 19, 2024, at the age
11	11	of 74; and
12	12	WHEREAS, The daughter of Ezra Jackson and Ivalita Bennett
13	13	Jackson, the former Sheila Jackson was born in New York City on
14	14	January 12, 1950, and grew up in the borough of Queens; she earned a
15	15	bachelor's degree in political science as a member of Yale
16	16	University's first co-ed class and went on to complete her law
17	17	degree at the University of Virginia; following her marriage to
18	18	Elwyn Lee, a Houston native, she became the proud mother of two
19	19	children, Jason and Erica; and
20	20	WHEREAS, In 1978, Congresswoman Jackson Lee moved to the
21	21	Bayou City with her husband and began working for the Fulbright &
22	22	Jaworski law firm; appointed as a municipal judge in 1987, she later
23	23	became a highly effective member of the city council; she won her
24	24	first congressional race in 1994 and was reelected 14 times, never
25	25	with less than 70 percent of the vote; known for her formidable work
26	26	ethic, she filed scores of bills addressing the needs of the most
27	27	vulnerable, and she did not hesitate to work across the aisle to
28	28	pass them; after the Violence Against Women Act expired in 2019, she
29	29	fought for its reenactment and authored the legislation that
30	30	achieved that goal; she was also the author and lead sponsor of the
31	31	Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which established the
32	32	first new federal holiday in nearly four decades; her many other
33	33	major initiatives included the Sentencing Reform Act, Paycheck
34	34	Fairness Act, and George Floyd Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity
35	35	Act; known for her passionate speeches on the House floor, she
36	36	advocated for gay rights long before mainstream acceptance of the
37	37	movement and continued to serve as a powerful voice for progressive
38	38	causes, including Black Lives Matter and gun control; she took her
39	39	message to innumerable media outlets as well; most recently, she
40	40	lent her support to a federal version of the CROWN Act to prevent
41	41	discrimination based on hairstyles favored by people of color; and
42	42	WHEREAS, Congresswoman Jackson Lee held numerous leadership
43	43	roles, including chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee for Crime,
44	44	Terrorism, and Homeland Security and senior member of the
45	45	Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Budget Committees; she was the
46	46	House Democrats' chief deputy whip, chair of the Congressional
47	47	Black Caucus Energy Braintrust, co-chair of the Justice Reform Task
48	48	Force, and a founder and chair of the Congressional Pakistan Caucus
49	49	and the Congressional Children's Caucus; Congressional Quarterly
50	50	ranked her among the 50 most effective members of Congress; and
51	51	WHEREAS, Devoted to her constituents, Congresswoman Jackson
52	52	Lee was instrumental in directing billions of federal dollars to
53	53	under-resourced communities; she helped her city recover from
54	54	numerous natural disasters and other crises, even personally
55	55	directing traffic to a COVID-19 testing site at the height of the
56	56	pandemic and unloading food and supplies for residents during the
57	57	2021 freeze; over the years, she appeared at countless local
58	58	meetings and events, and she demonstrated deep compassion to those
59	59	suffering loss, attending funerals, extending words of comfort, and
60	60	connecting the bereaved with support services; and
61	61	WHEREAS, Sheila Jackson Lee was a fearless warrior in behalf
62	62	of freedom, democracy, and positive change, and although she will
63	63	be greatly missed, her exceptional contributions will continue to
64	64	resonate in the years to come; now, therefore, be it
65	65	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
66	66	Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Sheila Jackson Lee and
67	67	extend sincere condolences to the members of her family: to her
68	68	husband, Elwyn Lee; to her children, Jason and Erica Lee; to her
69	69	grandchildren, Ellison Bennett Carter and Roy Lee Carter III; and
70	70	to her other relatives, her many friends, and all who mourn her
71	71	passing; and, be it further
72	72	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
73	73	prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of
74	74	Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Sheila
75	75	Jackson Lee.