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SENATE RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas takes great pride |
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in paying tribute to Senator Jane Nelson for her 28 years of |
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pioneering leadership and exceptional service on behalf of Texas |
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citizens; and |
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WHEREAS, A widely respected and much beloved public |
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leader, Jane Nelson enjoyed careers as an educator and a |
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businesswoman before her election to the legislature to |
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represent Senate District 12; she has served the constituents of |
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the district's counties with integrity and dedication for 10 |
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consecutive terms, and she is bringing to a close her |
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distinguished tenure as the longest-serving Republican senator; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Jane Nelson first began serving the citizens of |
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Texas in 1988, when she was elected to serve as a member of the |
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Texas State Board of Education; in 1992, she became the 10th |
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woman and the third Republican woman to be elected to the Texas |
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Senate; six years later, Senator Nelson became the first |
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Republican woman to chair a Senate standing committee when she |
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was appointed chair of the Committee on Health Services, and in |
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2014, she became the first woman to chair the Senate Committee on |
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Finance; she is ending her trailblazing career of legislative |
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leadership after having written four state budgets; and |
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WHEREAS, Senator Nelson's extensive list of legislative |
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accomplishments includes establishing the Cancer Prevention and |
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Research Institute of Texas, reforming medical liability, |
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overhauling the foster care system, expanding access to mental |
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health services, championing 30 pieces of legislation to combat |
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sexual assault and domestic violence, and authoring and |
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supporting numerous bills to the benefit of Texas teachers and |
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students; she is held in high esteem by her colleagues for her |
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professional expertise and bipartisan approach to policymaking, |
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and she is well known for consistently honoring the |
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accomplishments and celebratory milestones of her fellow |
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legislators; and |
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WHEREAS, Senator Nelson served as president pro tempore |
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during the 78th Interim, and she was Governor for a Day in 2004; |
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she has been honored by such institutions as the American Medical |
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Association, the American Cancer Society, the Texas Association |
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of Business, and the Texas Council on Family Violence; and |
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WHEREAS, She has skillfully managed the duties of a |
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senator and has taken care of the needs of her constituents while |
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continuing to be a source of strength to her large and loving |
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family; she is a devoted wife to J. Michael Nelson, and she is a |
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loving mother to their five children and a doting grandmother to |
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their 12 grandchildren; and |
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WHEREAS, Jane Nelson has been a trusted voice for her North |
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Texas community and a tireless advocate for women, children, |
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veterans, and the elderly in Texas; she has shaped policy that |
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has ensured government efficiency while improving the lives of |
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all Texans, and her proud legacy of service will continue to |
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benefit citizens long into the future; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 87th |
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Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby honor Senator Jane |
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Nelson for her many contributions to the State of Texas and for |
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her outstanding service as a Texas senator; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for |
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her as an expression of high esteem from the Texas Senate. |