Bill Text: TX HCR11 | 2021 | 87th Legislature 3rd Special Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Designating the Bible as the official state book of Texas.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-10-04 - Referred to Culture, Recreation & Tourism [HCR11 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HCR11-Introduced.html
87S30286 BPG-D | ||
By: Rogers | H.C.R. No. 11 |
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WHEREAS, The Bible has filled many roles in the saga of Texas, | ||
serving as a social and cultural touchstone that has been integral | ||
to the state's history and development; and | ||
WHEREAS, In the early 1800s, as settlement of Texas gained | ||
momentum, the Bible provided a vital cultural link between Catholic | ||
Tejanos and Protestant Anglo Americans; although their backgrounds | ||
differed in many respects, shared traditions helped to unite them | ||
and to further their pursuit of greater freedom and, ultimately, | ||
independence from Spanish and later Mexican rule; and | ||
WHEREAS, During the Texas Revolution, such heroic figures as | ||
Sam Houston, William Travis, Juan Seguin, and Davy Crockett carried | ||
their Bibles for wisdom and inspiration; a Bible believed to be Sam | ||
Houston's own has been used to swear in more than 30 Texas governors | ||
in an enduring inaugural tradition, and it serves as a powerful | ||
symbol of continuity and state leadership; and | ||
WHEREAS, Comprehensive recordkeeping was not carried out by | ||
local and state government during the 19th century; instead, life | ||
events such as births, marriages, and deaths were written in family | ||
Bibles; many of these cherished volumes were passed down through | ||
the generations and are now included in the state's archives, | ||
providing a vital resource for historians; and | ||
WHEREAS, The State of Texas grants official recognition to | ||
symbols that resonate broadly with the public and that have played | ||
an important part in shaping our state's identity; as a prominent | ||
element in the rich fabric of our Texas heritage, the Bible is truly | ||
deserving of such acknowledgment; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas, | ||
3rd Called Session, hereby designate the Bible as the official | ||
state book of Texas. |