H.R. No. 254

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, Former State Representative Jerry A. Madden of Richardson is celebrating his 80th birthday on February 20, 2023, to the great delight of his family and friends; and

WHEREAS, The son of Jerry and Lucille Madden, Jerry Madden was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 1943; he graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a bachelor's degree in engineering; commissioned as a second lieutenant, field artillery, he served in Germany before his deployment to Vietnam in 1968 as commanding officer of Battery A, 3rd Battalion of the 52nd Artillery Group's 6th Artillery; promoted to captain, he led his unit in movements all around the fire bases in the Central Highlands, supporting infantry units; from 1969 to 1971, he was stationed at Fort Sill in Oklahoma, where he was an instructor in nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons and worked on the project that developed the use of computers in fire control artillery; in addition to his Airborne and Ranger tabs, he received such decorations as the Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; and

WHEREAS, After completing six years of military service, Mr. Madden earned a master's degree in management and administration sciences from The University of Texas at Dallas; he was employed by Texas Instruments and then by Teledyne Geotech; in 2000, he established Jerry Madden Insurance, which he sold upon his retirement eight years later; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Madden has served his community in numerous leadership roles, including as president of the Collin County School Board and chair of the Collin County Hospital Board; he was instrumental in launching the Collin County Caring for Children program and served on its board; for many years, he was a member of the board of the Prisoner Entrepreneurship Program; dedicated to conservative principles, he served as a Republican party precinct chair and then as county GOP chair; and

WHEREAS, In 1992, Mr. Madden was elected to the first of 10 terms in the Texas House; he was a member of numerous committees and served as chair of the Corrections, Criminal Justice Oversight, and State Affairs Committees, as co-chair of the Select Committee on the Operation and Management of the Texas Youth Commission, and as vice chair of the Elections Committee; during his tenure, he won plaudits for such legislative initiatives as the 2007 criminal justice system reforms; the comprehensive changes allowed for rehabilitation opportunities, for the diversion of some prisoners into mental health and substance abuse treatment programs, and for improved probation and parole mechanisms resulting in cost savings and safer communities; he played a key role in juvenile justice reforms and judicial campaign fairness measures as well, and he advocated for victims' rights; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Madden also demonstrated a deep commitment to retired and active members of the military, and he authored and secured passage of legislation ensuring that those on lengthy deployments would have their votes counted in elections, as well as legislation to protect military families by allowing them to defer property taxes during deployment; moreover, he proposed a constitutional amendment that later became law relating to ad valorem tax exemptions for disabled veterans and their families; sensitive to the needs of combat veterans, he was responsible for groundbreaking legislation creating Veteran Courts that have proven especially crucial to those in need of resources for such issues as post-traumatic stress disorder, service-related injuries, and homelessness; he coauthored successful legislation establishing a state virtual education system for the benefit of military personnel, and it proved invaluable for children across the state during the COVID-19 pandemic; named one of the 10 Best Legislators by Texas Monthly magazine in 2007, he was selected as American Legislative Exchange Council Legislator of the Year four years later; and

WHEREAS, Along the way, Mr. Madden was appointed to the Texas State Council for Interstate Adult Offender Supervision; he made an impact beyond Texas as a member of the board of the Council of State Governments' Justice Center, as chair of the Law and Criminal Justice Committee formed by the National Conference of State Legislatures, and as co-chair of the National Conference of State Legislatures' Sentencing and Corrections Work Group; and

WHEREAS, Since his retirement from public office, Mr. Madden has continued to serve in a number of capacities; he is a Senior Fellow for Right on Crime at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and a member of both the national board of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program and the board of Unlocking Doors; in addition, he serves the American Legislative Exchange Council as a member of the Texas Criminal Justice Integrity Unit; and

WHEREAS, Over the years, Mr. Madden has been the recipient of numerous honors, including the inaugural Carmen Miller Michael Mental Health Advocate Prism Award and recognition from such organizations as the American Legion Department of Texas, Common Cause Texas, and the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition; in 2017, he garnered the Susan McHenry Golden Key Award for his tireless efforts in behalf of Criminal Justice Reform; he was also named a UT-Dallas Distinguished Alumnus; and

WHEREAS, Devoted to his family, Mr. Madden shared a fulfilling marriage of 51 years with the love of his life, Barbara Madden, until her passing in 2017; the couple raised three treasured children, Jerry, Stephanie, and Kristina, and they were blessed with five grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, A generous mentor and an inspiring role model to many, Jerry Madden is respected and admired by all who are privileged to know him, and as he celebrates this milestone, he may reflect with great satisfaction on his wide-ranging contributions; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas Legislature hereby congratulate the Honorable Jerry A. Madden on the occasion of his 80th birthday and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued happiness; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mr. Madden as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.

Leach

______________________________ Speaker of the House

I certify that H.R. No. 254 was adopted by the House on March 8, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 140, Nays 0, 2 present, not voting.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House