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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Booker T. Washington High School and the High School |
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for Engineering Professions in Houston dedicated the campus |
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auditorium in honor of State Representative Senfronia Thompson on |
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April 24, 2021; and |
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WHEREAS, A member of the Washington High Class of 1957, |
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Representative Thompson was also recognized as the first supporter |
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of the school's new "The Vision" Community Statue Project; the |
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student-led initiative is raising money for a plaza on campus with a |
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statue of the school's namesake as its centerpiece; and |
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WHEREAS, Representative Thompson, the dean of the Texas |
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House, is both the longest-serving woman and longest-serving |
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African American in the legislature; first elected in 1972, she has |
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worked tirelessly in behalf of the most vulnerable; she has crafted |
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groundbreaking legislation to combat human trafficking, and she is |
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the author of the James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act, the Chief Justice |
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Jack Pope Act, which increases access to legal aid for low-income |
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Texans with civil cases, and the Michael Morton Act, promoting |
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greater fairness in the criminal justice system; in addition, she |
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has secured passage of a host of other laws benefiting women, |
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children, and the elderly; and |
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WHEREAS, Currently chair of the Licensing and Administrative |
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Procedures Committee, Representative Thompson also serves on the |
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Redistricting and the Business and Industry Committees; she has |
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served the house in numerous leadership roles through the years, |
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including chair of the Public Health, Judicial Affairs, and Local |
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and Consent Calendars Committees and co-chair of the Human |
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Trafficking Committee; and |
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WHEREAS, Among myriad accolades, Representative Thompson has |
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received the Rosa Parks Award from the Texas Legislative Black |
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Caucus, and she was inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame in |
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2014; in addition, she has been named one of the Top Ten Best |
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Legislators by Texas Monthly; she graduated from the Thurgood |
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Marshall School of Law and holds a master of law degree in |
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international law from the University of Houston as well; and |
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WHEREAS, Senfronia Thompson has made a positive difference in |
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the lives of countless Texans over the course of her remarkable |
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legislative career, and the auditorium that bears her name will |
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serve as a lasting reminder to Washington High students of the |
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tremendous good that one person can accomplish; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate the Honorable Senfronia Thompson |
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on the dedication of the auditorium at Booker T. Washington High |
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School and the High School for Engineering Professions in her honor |
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and extend to her sincere appreciation for her many contributions |
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to the state; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Representative Thompson as an expression of high |
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regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |