Bill Text: TX HCR87 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Designating the pumpkin as the official State Squash of Texas.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2013-06-14 - Signed by the Governor [HCR87 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HCR87-Enrolled.html
| H.C.R. No. 87 | ||
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| WHEREAS, The diversity of Texas agriculture is one of the | ||
| strengths of our economy, and over the years, the pumpkin has become | ||
| an important crop in the Lone Star State; and | ||
| WHEREAS, A variety of squash that is native to North America, | ||
| the pumpkin can vary in size from one pound to over a thousand; | ||
| while pumpkins are usually orange or yellow, they are sometimes | ||
| also dark green, white, red, or gray; they are remarkable for their | ||
| durability, for they can be grown quickly and then stored for as | ||
| long as six months; pumpkins are capable of being cultivated on | ||
| every continent on earth except Antarctica; and | ||
| WHEREAS, With its distinctive shape and lightly ribbed | ||
| surface, the pumpkin is especially associated with two holidays, | ||
| Halloween, when carved jack-o'-lanterns light up the front porches | ||
| of houses across America, and Thanksgiving, when no family feast is | ||
| complete without a slice of pumpkin pie; each year, 80 percent of | ||
| pumpkin sales occur in October; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Texans have long made great use of the pumpkin; | ||
| before refrigeration, ranchers relied on the hardy pumpkin to feed | ||
| their livestock during the winter months; once considered a cure | ||
| for freckles and snakebite, the pumpkin is now valued by | ||
| health-conscious Texans as a good source of vitamin A, potassium, | ||
| and fiber; in addition, Texas has become the fourth leading state in | ||
| commercial pumpkin production, growing between 15 and 20 million of | ||
| them annually, mostly in West Texas; pumpkins generate | ||
| approximately $10 million for the Texas economy every year; and | ||
| WHEREAS, During a time when a majority of Texans are living in | ||
| cities, the pumpkin has begun to represent more than just | ||
| trick-or-treat or a favorite type of pie, and such distinctive | ||
| varieties of pumpkin as the Fairytale, the Caspar, and the Atlantic | ||
| Giant have come to be used by families to decorate their homes, | ||
| serving as welcome reminders of the Lone Star State's traditional | ||
| rural heritage; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
| hereby designate the pumpkin as the official State Squash of Texas. | ||
| Springer | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.C.R. No. 87 was adopted by the House on April | ||
| 25, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 136, Nays 0, 2 present, not | ||
| voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.C.R. No. 87 was adopted by the Senate on May | ||
| 17, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: __________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| __________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
