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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The passing of Kate Garrison of Collin County on |
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August 26, 2021, has brought a profound loss to her friends and |
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colleagues, as well as to all those whose lives she touched through |
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her advocacy for Texans with disabilities; and |
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WHEREAS, Born and raised in Peekskill in New York's lower |
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Hudson Valley, Kate Garrison earned her bachelor's degree in |
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sociology from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she was a |
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member of the Alpha Kappa Delta honor society; she enjoyed a varied |
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career during which she worked for major corporations as a human |
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resources professional and training consultant; at other times, she |
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was employed as a preschool teacher and horseback riding |
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instructor, and she was also a standout competitive polo player in |
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the 1980s and 1990s; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Garrison's life took a pivotal turn when she |
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suffered a fall that left her without the use of her lower body; her |
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experiences gave her keen insight into accessibility issues and the |
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everyday struggles faced by people with disabilities, and her |
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commitment to ensuring equal voting rights led to the creation of |
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curbside voting standards in Collin County; seeking to build upon |
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the momentum of that victory, she went on to deliver a powerful |
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testimony before the Texas Legislature in her quest to establish |
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curbside voting standards statewide; and |
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WHEREAS, A stalwart Democrat who dedicated everything she had |
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to her ideals, Ms. Garrison served as founding president of the |
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Collin County Democrats with Disabilities, as vice chair of the |
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Texas Democrats with Disabilities, and as a precinct chair in |
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Plano; she enjoyed warm friendships with many of those who shared |
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her devotion to the causes she held dear, and through her actions |
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and her example, she inspired others to believe that they too could |
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make a difference; and |
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WHEREAS, Kate Garrison earned the admiration and affection of |
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those around her through her unfaltering determination and strength |
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in the face of adversity, and she will be profoundly missed by all |
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who had the privilege of sharing in her extraordinary life; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory |
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of Kate Garrison and extend heartfelt condolences to her friends |
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and supporters; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That when the Texas House of Representatives |
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adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Kate Garrison. |