Bill Text: TX HCR127 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Designating the year 2012 as the Lady Bird Johnson Centennial Year.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)
Status: (Passed) 2011-05-28 - Signed by the Governor [HCR127 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HCR127-Enrolled.html
| H.C.R. No. 127 | ||
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| WHEREAS, The year 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the | ||
| birth of Lady Bird Johnson, and that occasion provides a fitting | ||
| opportunity to remember the former first lady for her tireless | ||
| efforts to preserve the natural beauty of our state and nation; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Born on December 22, 1912, in Karnack, the former | ||
| Claudia Alta Taylor spent many hours of her childhood paddling on | ||
| Caddo Lake under ancient cypress trees, and those early experiences | ||
| awakened in her a lifelong love of nature; she earned bachelor's | ||
| degrees in history and journalism from The University of Texas at | ||
| Austin and met Lyndon Baines Johnson shortly after graduating; they | ||
| married on November 17, 1934; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Mrs. Johnson distinguished herself as a successful | ||
| businesswoman and political campaigner in the ensuing years; she | ||
| helped her husband immensely in his bids for a seat in Congress and | ||
| then in the U.S. Senate; along the way, she became the mother of two | ||
| daughters, Lynda Bird and Luci Baines; Mrs. Johnson's graceful | ||
| presence at her husband's side when he was thrust into the | ||
| presidency in November 1963 after the Kennedy assassination helped | ||
| to reassure a deeply saddened nation facing an unexpected | ||
| transition; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Soon after President Johnson was elected to his | ||
| first full term in 1964, Mrs. Johnson began her work in the area of | ||
| conservation and beautification; one of the most important results | ||
| of her work was the Highway Beautification Act of 1965, which | ||
| encouraged scenic enhancement and wildflower planting along | ||
| roadsides, and paved the way for today's requirement that at least | ||
| one-quarter of one percent of funds spent on landscaping projects | ||
| in the highway system be used to plant native wildflowers; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In 1964, Mrs. Johnson sought to make our nation's | ||
| capital a garden city and a model for the rest of the country, | ||
| planting flowers on the National Mall and throughout parks in | ||
| low-income neighborhoods and persuading private businesses to | ||
| undertake similar efforts; she also focused the country's attention | ||
| on America's natural treasures by visiting historic sites, national | ||
| parks, and scenic areas; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Among the major legislative initiatives passed | ||
| during the Johnson administration were the Wilderness Act of 1964, | ||
| the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Wild and Scenic Rivers | ||
| program, additions to the National Park system, and 200 | ||
| environmental laws; in a tribute to his wife's work, President | ||
| Johnson presented her in 1968 with 50 pens used to sign 50 laws | ||
| related to conservation and beautification; and | ||
| WHEREAS, After returning to her home state with her husband | ||
| in 1969, Mrs. Johnson devoted herself to the landscape of Texas; she | ||
| was a leading force behind the establishment of Austin's hike and | ||
| bike trail, and for two decades she supported beautification by | ||
| personally giving awards to districts that used native Texas plants | ||
| and scenery to the best advantage in their planning; and | ||
| WHEREAS, With her friend, actress Helen Hayes, Mrs. Johnson | ||
| founded in 1982 what is now the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center; | ||
| a component of The University of Texas at Austin, the center is a | ||
| national leader in research, education, and the development of | ||
| projects that promote sustainability and the use of native plants | ||
| that help to conserve water, minimize the use of fertilizers and | ||
| pesticides, and convey a unique sense of place; the center sponsors | ||
| a national, voluntary rating system for sustainable landscapes, | ||
| collects millions of seeds for preservation and restoration, and | ||
| consults on related issues with corporations, national parks, and | ||
| urban developments; and | ||
| WHEREAS, A deeply engaged citizen and visionary, Mrs. Johnson | ||
| passed away on July 11, 2007, but her legacy lives on in the scenic | ||
| vistas of wildflowers that line so many of the Lone Star State's | ||
| roadways, and we, as Texans, are fortunate beneficiaries of her | ||
| devotion to the natural world; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
| hereby designate the year 2012 as the Lady Bird Johnson Centennial | ||
| Year in observance of the 100th anniversary of the birth of this | ||
| beloved First Lady. | ||
| Naishtat | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.C.R. No. 127 was adopted by the House on May | ||
| 5, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 146, Nays 0, 1 present, not | ||
| voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.C.R. No. 127 was adopted by the Senate on May | ||
| 13, 2011, by a viva-voce vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: __________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| __________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
