By:  Truan                                            S.C.R. No. 14
                             SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
    1-1        WHEREAS, The retirement of the Honorable Ernestine
    1-2  Glossbrenner brings to a close a remarkable career spanning 16
    1-3  years in the Texas House of Representatives; and
    1-4        WHEREAS, First elected to serve the residents of District 44
    1-5  in 1976, the popular legislator was reelected for seven consecutive
    1-6  terms; and
    1-7        WHEREAS, A former schoolteacher, Miss Glossbrenner championed
    1-8  educational issues and was acknowledged as one of the state's top
    1-9  experts on education; and
   1-10        WHEREAS, She ably chaired the House Public Education
   1-11  Committee in 1989 and 1991, leading efforts to approve revised
   1-12  school funding proposals; and
   1-13        WHEREAS, Known and respected as a tough legislator,
   1-14  Representative Glossbrenner fought for Texas schoolchildren,
   1-15  underprivileged citizens, and South Texas; and
   1-16        WHEREAS, Having firsthand knowledge of unethical voting
   1-17  practices in her district, she worked diligently to pass as her
   1-18  first major bill legislation that guaranteed Texans a secret
   1-19  ballot; and
   1-20        WHEREAS, The esteemed legislator is the recipient of numerous
   1-21  awards and honors from various organizations whose members
   1-22  appreciate her dedication and contributions to the citizens of
   1-23  Texas; she was recognized for her commitment to improve the lives
    2-1  of Texas women by Governor Ann Richards and over 50 women's groups;
    2-2  in 1991 she received the "Friend of Education" award from the Texas
    2-3  State Teachers Association; and
    2-4        WHEREAS, The University of Texas Department of Education
    2-5  presented Miss Glossbrenner with the Distinguished Alumnus Award in
    2-6  1990 and Common Cause of Texas honored her with their Public
    2-7  Service Award; and
    2-8        WHEREAS, The first native Texan in her family, Ernestine
    2-9  Glossbrenner grew up in the small oil field community of Carlisle
   2-10  where her father worked in the oil fields; the daughter of an oil
   2-11  gauger became one of the most powerful and respected legislators in
   2-12  the state; and
   2-13        WHEREAS, After receiving her degree in chemistry from The
   2-14  University of Texas in 1954, the young graduate accepted a teaching
   2-15  position in Alice and remained there in the public schools for 22
   2-16  years; and
   2-17        WHEREAS, A participant in Summer Science Institutes sponsored
   2-18  by the National Science Foundation, Representative Glossbrenner
   2-19  received her master's degree from Texas A&I University in
   2-20  Kingsville in 1971; and
   2-21        WHEREAS, Realizing that Texas' educational problems could
   2-22  only be solved at the state level, she decided to run for the state
   2-23  legislature; her first campaign in 1974 ended in defeat but in 1976
   2-24  she won by 136 votes; and
   2-25        WHEREAS, Known for closing the legislative sessions with a
    3-1  song, Representative Glossbrenner has served her state well; she
    3-2  represented her constituents with integrity, commitment, and
    3-3  dignity laced with a sense of humor; now, therefore, be it
    3-4        RESOLVED, That the 73rd Legislature of the State of Texas
    3-5  hereby express its deep gratitude to Ernestine Glossbrenner for her
    3-6  exceptional contributions to the State of Texas and extend best
    3-7  wishes to her for a most rewarding retirement; and, be it further
    3-8        RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be presented to her
    3-9  as an expression of the high regard of the Texas Legislature.