Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HR364 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R15416 BPG-D
2	2	By: Collier H.R. No. 364
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7	7	R E S O L U T I O N
8	8	WHEREAS, The State of Texas lost a civil rights hero and an
9	9	admired jurist with the passing of the Honorable L. Clifford Davis
10	10	of Arlington on February 15, 2025, at the age of 100; and
11	11	WHEREAS, Born to Augustus and Dora Davis on October 12, 1924,
12	12	Clifford Davis grew up on the family farm in Wilton, Arkansas; he
13	13	graduated from Philander Smith College and then sought to enroll in
14	14	the University of Arkansas Law School, which finally offered
15	15	admission under separate, decidedly unequal conditions; he chose to
16	16	complete his degree at Howard University, but his struggle opened
17	17	the door for other Black students at the University of Arkansas;
18	18	beginning his career in Arkansas, he focused on civil rights
19	19	litigation; and
20	20	WHEREAS, In 1954, Judge Davis relocated to Fort Worth and
21	21	founded one of the state's first Black-owned law firms; he assisted
22	22	future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall on a matter that
23	23	would become the landmark Brown v. Board of Education; continuing
24	24	to battle segregation, he filed successful federal suits against
25	25	the Mansfield and Fort Worth school districts; in his work as
26	26	general counsel for the NAACP, he worked tirelessly to end
27	27	discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations,
28	28	both through the courts and by reaching agreements with business
29	29	owners; in 1983, he was appointed as a criminal district court
30	30	judge, and the following year, he became the first Black judge
31	31	elected in Tarrant County; he established Tarrant County's first
32	32	drug diversion court during his tenure; after retiring as a senior
33	33	district judge in 2004, he became of counsel to the Fort Worth firm
34	34	of Johnson, Vaughn & Heiskell; he primarily handled pro bono cases,
35	35	continuing his years-long tradition of giving generously of his
36	36	time and expertise to Legal Aid of North Texas and the NAACP Justice
37	37	Project; a mentor to many, he funded scholarships and paid tuition
38	38	bills for young law students, and he visited children at the Fort
39	39	Worth elementary school named in his honor; a member of the National
40	40	Bar Association Hall of Fame, he also received an honorary degree
41	41	from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 2017; and
42	42	WHEREAS, Judge Davis shared a fulfilling marriage with his
43	43	wife, Ethel R. Davis, that spanned nearly six decades until her
44	44	passing in 2015, and they were the proud parents of two daughters,
45	45	Avis and Karen; and
46	46	WHEREAS, Resolute in his commitment to justice for all,
47	47	Clifford Davis dismantled barriers to liberty, equality, and
48	48	advancement, and his legacy will continue to resonate powerfully in
49	49	the years to come; now, therefore, be it
50	50	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
51	51	Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable
52	52	L. Clifford Davis and extend sincere condolences to his daughters,
53	53	Avis and Karen Davis, to his other relatives and many friends, and
54	54	to all who mourn his passing; and, be it further
55	55	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
56	56	prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
57	57	Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Clifford
58	58	Davis.