Bill Text: TX HR401 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Recognizing February 24, 2015, as Lubbock Day at the State Capitol.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 2)

Status: (Passed) 2015-02-20 - Reported enrolled [HR401 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-HR401-Enrolled.html

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H.R. No. 401

R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Many notable citizens of Lubbock are visiting Austin
on February 24, 2015, to pay tribute to their city's rich heritage
and to celebrate Lubbock Day at the State Capitol; and
WHEREAS, A thriving region of the state, the Lubbock area is
one of the oldest inhabited places in Texas; archeologists have
discovered evidence of some 12,000 years of continuous habitation
at the Lubbock Lake Landmark site, a national historic and state
archeological preserve; and
WHEREAS, The City of Lubbock was incorporated on March 16,
1909, and railroads stimulated the city's growth as a trade center;
residents also wanted the benefits of an institution of higher
learning, and when legislation creating Texas Technological
College was passed in 1923, the site selection committee, impressed
by the enthusiasm and hospitality of local citizens, chose Lubbock
for its location; and
WHEREAS, Today a community of almost 240,000 people, Lubbock
is home to the Texas Tech University System and its flagship campus
as well as to two other public universities and a public community
college; together, they draw more than 53,000 students to the city
each year, making a significant impact on the local economy;
approximately 10,000 young Texans graduate in Lubbock each year,
and 30 percent of residents over the age of 25 hold at least a
bachelor's degree; and
WHEREAS, Fostering a dynamic business environment, Lubbock
has a regional labor force of more than 207,000, and the cost of
doing business continues to rank as one of the lowest in the nation,
due to affordable land, wage rates, electric and natural gas
utilities, property taxes, and living expenses; and
WHEREAS, Lubbock is consistently recognized by national
organizations for its business-friendly atmosphere; it was ranked
seventh in the 2014 Forbes list of "Opportunity Cities" based on low
cost of living, cultural offerings, and the strength of the
business community; in addition, it has been named a top city for
professional women and for young entrepreneurs seeking to start a
business; and
WHEREAS, Noted for its diverse economy, the city draws its
strength from agribusiness, manufacturing, and commerce, as well as
from educational facilities and medical infrastructure considered
the most extensive to be found between Dallas and Phoenix; with the
growth of cotton culture on the High Plains, Lubbock has become one
of the world's primary centers for the processing of cottonseed and
hybrid grain sorghum seed; and
WHEREAS, The economy is deeply rooted in cotton farming, and
Lubbock remains home to the world's largest contiguous cotton
patch; the area also features several major, award-winning wineries
and vineyards, which produce more than 70 percent of all the state's
wine grapes; and
WHEREAS, This vibrant city also offers a wealth of
recreational opportunities and cultural institutions, among them
the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, the Lubbock Civic Ballet, the
Museum and Planetarium of Texas Tech University, and the Silent
Wings Museum; plans are well advanced for a new, state-of-the-art
performing arts center to be named after local legend and Rock 'n'
Roll Hall of Famer Buddy Holly; and
WHEREAS, City leaders meticulously planned infrastructure to
create neighborhood parks and ensure the smooth flow of traffic;
surrounded by five major highways, Lubbock is nicknamed the "Hub
City," and it aims to continue that legacy through the eventual
Interstate 27 expansion, a mayoral initiative to relieve congestion
on other Texas highways that run through town; and
WHEREAS, Those desiring a glimpse of the frontier can find it
in the restored structures at the Ranching Heritage Center, a
15-acre site tracing the evolution of ranch architecture and the
history of the cattle industry; the region's history is also
celebrated at the Bayer Museum of Agriculture; and
WHEREAS, A host of talented musicians have hailed from the
Lubbock area, among them Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, the Maines
family, Virgil Johnson and the Velvets, Waylon Jennings, Tanya
Tucker, Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Pat Green, and Butch Hancock;
their rich and diverse contributions have earned Lubbock and West
Texas state designation as the official "Music Crossroads of
Texas"; and
WHEREAS, Lubbock's thriving business community is
represented by the largest business federation on the Texas South
Plains, the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, which has promoted the
prosperity of the Lubbock area for more than a century; achieving
great success from its earliest days, it recruited out-of-state
farmers to till the fertile soils of the Llano Estacado, secured
railroad service, founded the South Plains Fair, and drafted and
delivered the application that would result in the establishment of
Texas Technological College, which today thrives as the heart of
the Texas Tech University System; and
WHEREAS, The chamber was also instrumental in establishing
Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport and Reese Air Force
Base, as well as the revolutionary market-driven Chamber Employer
Health Plan, which is now a national model; moreover, its efforts
have been key in the development of outstanding transportation
infrastructure; committed to revitalizing the community and its
downtown, the chamber oversees the efforts of Imagine Lubbock
Together, a private-public partnership; it is the nation's first
and only chamber to be twice 5-Star Accredited and twice named
Chamber of the Year; and
WHEREAS, The delegation visiting the Capitol today includes
proud members of the chamber's 40th Leadership Lubbock Class, who
represent the future business and community leaders of Lubbock; and
WHEREAS, Truly keeping faith with the founders of their West
Texas community, the citizens of Lubbock are renowned for their
friendliness and warmth as well as their hardiness and
determination, and they have helped to build a vital urban center
that serves not only a large part of West Texas but also eastern New
Mexico; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize February 24, 2015, as Lubbock Day at
the State Capitol and extend to the members of the visiting
delegation and all their fellow citizens sincere appreciation for
the bright luster they add to the Lone Star State.
Frullo
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 401 was adopted by the House on
February 19, 2015, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House