Bill Text: TX HR187 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Recognizing February 5, 2019, as Rio Grande Valley Day at the State Capitol.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2019-02-06 - Reported enrolled [HR187 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HR187-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Recognizing February 5, 2019, as Rio Grande Valley Day at the State Capitol.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2019-02-06 - Reported enrolled [HR187 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HR187-Introduced.html
86R10094 KSM-F | ||
By: Martinez | H.R. No. 187 |
|
||
WHEREAS, A distinguished delegation from South Texas is | ||
visiting Austin on February 5, 2019, to celebrate Rio Grande Valley | ||
Day at the State Capitol; and | ||
WHEREAS, Enjoying a strategic location on the Gulf of Mexico | ||
and along the Mexican border, the Rio Grande Valley was an important | ||
ranching region when Texas became the nation's 28th state in 1845; | ||
over time, the economy shifted from ranching to agriculture, and | ||
the Valley became the state's center of citrus and vegetable | ||
production; and | ||
WHEREAS, In the 1960s, industry flourished and international | ||
trade became increasingly prominent; the region has contributed | ||
significantly to the tremendous increase in commerce across the | ||
United States-Mexico border, with more than 946,000 trucks, 11.7 | ||
million cars carrying 24.3 million passengers, 28,000 buses | ||
carrying over 300,000 passengers, and 6.2 million pedestrians | ||
crossing Rio Grande Valley ports of entry and averaging more than | ||
$140 million in goods and services per day, with over $51 billion | ||
in commercial trade per year flowing across 13 land ports of entry; | ||
the Rio Grande Valley is an economic powerhouse for the State of | ||
Texas with approximately $12.5 billion in taxable sales recorded in | ||
reporting year 2018; and | ||
WHEREAS, The Valley has over 1.5 million residents, with | ||
approximately 600,000 individuals under the age of 25, and local | ||
and state officials have focused on the need to expand access to | ||
higher education and health care, strengthen the workforce, | ||
increase transportation and ports of entry infrastructure, and | ||
increase funding for public education; The University of Texas Rio | ||
Grande Valley serves over 28,600 students; the UTRGV School of | ||
Medicine is in its third year of operation with 155 medical students | ||
and 169 medical residents in 10 GME programs and over 20 patient | ||
care sites; and | ||
WHEREAS, The Texas A&M University System recently opened its | ||
McAllen Higher Education Center, which will be linked to the campus | ||
in College Station and will offer programs in engineering, | ||
technology, biomedical sciences, agriculture, and laboratory | ||
sciences; and | ||
WHEREAS, The six higher education institutions in the Rio | ||
Grande Valley, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Texas A&M | ||
University McAllen Higher Education Center, Texas A&M University | ||
Health Science Center, South Texas College, Texas Southmost | ||
College, and Texas State Technical College, serve a student | ||
population of over 70,000; and | ||
WHEREAS, Major sponsors for the day's legislative event | ||
include The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Texas A&M | ||
University, Texas Southmost College, the City of McAllen, the City | ||
of Edinburg, the City of Weslaco, the City of Pharr, the City of | ||
Brownsville, the Port of Brownsville, the Lower Rio Grande Valley | ||
Development Council, the Starr County Industrial Foundation, | ||
Willacy County, and the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, as well as | ||
several private sector businesses, such as Pathfinder Public | ||
Affairs, Atlas, Hall & Rodriguez, LLP, IBC Bank, Texas Gas Service, | ||
Uber, and The Coca-Cola Company, all of which are promoting greater | ||
regional cooperation in the 21st century; and | ||
WHEREAS, A vibrant region with a rich heritage, the Rio | ||
Grande Valley is poised to take advantage of tremendous | ||
opportunities for continued economic development, and it is indeed | ||
most fitting to honor Valley residents for their dedication to | ||
building a bright and prosperous future for the area; now, | ||
therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas | ||
Legislature hereby recognize February 5, 2019, as Rio Grande Valley | ||
Day at the State Capitol and extend to all participants sincere best | ||
wishes for a productive and enjoyable visit. |