SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 117
WHEREAS, The 80th birthday of an esteemed legislator is
truly cause for celebration, and State Representative Harold
V. Dutton, Jr., of Houston is marking this significant milestone
in his life on February 17, 2025, to the delight of his family,
his friends, and his colleagues in the Capitol community; and
WHEREAS, A proud son of Houston's Fifth Ward, Harold Dutton
was born in 1945, and he received his diploma from Phillis Wheatley
High School at the age of 16; after earning his bachelor's degree in
accounting from Texas Southern University, he went on to graduate
from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at TSU; he held management
positions with Conoco in the areas of corporate planning and
economic analysis before becoming president of Four Star
Broadcasting and opening his law practice; and
WHEREAS, Representative Dutton was first elected to the
Texas House of Representatives in 1984, and he is presently
serving his 21st term in office; during his remarkable 40-year
tenure, he has served on numerous committees and in many
leadership roles, including as chair of the Urban Affairs and the
Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committees, and he became the
first African American chair of the Public Education Committee
during the 87th Legislative Session in 2021; moreover, he has
served as chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus and the
Harris County legislative delegation; and
WHEREAS, Among his many achievements as a lawmaker,
Representative Dutton sponsored the state's first statutory
program to assist women- and minority-owned businesses, as well
as initiatives to enhance public education, particularly
regarding alternative education and early childhood literacy; he
has also sponsored legislation to establish the annual sales tax
holiday, to compensate individuals who are wrongfully convicted,
and to create incentives to improve the availability and
affordability of property insurance in traditionally underserved
areas; the recipient of myriad accolades, he was named Legislator
of the Year by the Texas Municipal League and was recognized as a
Distinguished Alumnus by the TSU School of Business, and he has
been honored by a host of organizations and publications through
the years; and
WHEREAS, Over the course of his long and distinguished
career in the Texas Legislature, Harold Dutton has earned the
deep admiration of his colleagues and constituents alike, and he
may indeed reflect with pride on his wide-ranging contributions
as he celebrates eight decades of life well lived; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th
Legislature, hereby congratulate the Honorable Harold V. Dutton,
Jr., on the occasion of his 80th birthday and extend to him
sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be
prepared for Representative Dutton as an expression of high
regard from the Texas Senate.
Miles, Alvarado, Cook, Creighton
Hinojosa of Hidalgo, Menéndez, West
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Member, Texas Senate
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Member, Texas Senate Member, Texas Senate
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Member, Texas Senate Member, Texas Senate
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Member, Texas Senate Member, Texas Senate
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on February 19, 2025.
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Secretary of the Senate