Bill Text: TX SCR33 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Urging Congress to consider removal of the border wall in places where the border is already adequately guarded.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-16 - Referred to Transportation & Homeland Sec. [SCR33 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-SCR33-Introduced.html
| 2011S0684-1 03/11/11 | ||
| By: Lucio | S.C.R. No. 33 | |
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| WHEREAS, The United States government has erected a border | ||
| wall through urban and rural areas along the Rio Grande; the wall | ||
| cuts through the property of local residents, causing | ||
| inconvenience, hardship, and reduced productivity; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The border wall also disrupts natural habitats and | ||
| degrades the local environment, which has an adverse effect on the | ||
| quality of life of residents, particularly of residents who live | ||
| between the river and the wall; construction crews contributed to | ||
| this degradation by bulldozing orchards, draining lakes, and | ||
| grading over existing driveways and roads; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The border wall divides land granted by the King of | ||
| Spain to the families of landowners before the founding of the | ||
| United States of America; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Many local businesses depend on customers who live | ||
| near the river, and the border wall reduces the ability of customers | ||
| located between the river and the wall to reach these businesses, | ||
| which has an adverse effect on the local economy, especially in | ||
| Brownsville and nearby areas; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In and around Brownsville, the border wall cuts | ||
| through roads, backyards, agricultural fields, citrus groves, and | ||
| pastures for more than 21 miles; narrow gaps allow back-and-forth | ||
| access for vehicles and pedestrians, but the gaps are as much as a | ||
| mile apart; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Texas has a long history of protecting private | ||
| property rights, including the principle of full compensation for | ||
| property taken through eminent domain; the issue of property rights | ||
| and compensation for diminished access to one's own property has | ||
| been the subject of early legislative action during the 82nd | ||
| Legislature; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
| hereby respectfully urge the United States Congress to offer just | ||
| compensation to landowners negatively affected by the erection of | ||
| the border wall, including compensation for the diminished value of | ||
| and access to their property and for easements over their property; | ||
| and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That the United States Congress be respectfully | ||
| urged to consider removal of the border wall in places where the | ||
| border is already adequately guarded by the United States Border | ||
| Patrol agents of the United States Customs and Border Protection | ||
| Agency and other law enforcement agents; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official | ||
| copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to | ||
| the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the | ||
| senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of the | ||
| Texas delegation to the Congress with the request that this | ||
| resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a | ||
| memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. | ||
