By Craddick, Laney, Uher, Wolens, Oliveira            H.R. No. 1249
       74R14472 PAN-D
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, Steve Collins has long played an invaluable role in
    1-2  the work of this chamber and his expert counsel, outstanding
    1-3  professionalism, and unquestionable integrity over the course of
    1-4  the 74th and many previous legislative sessions are almost enough
    1-5  to give lawyers a good name; and
    1-6        WHEREAS, A native of Amarillo, Steve was a cheerleader at his
    1-7  community's Caprock High School but was forced to give up the short
    1-8  skirts and pom poms when he enrolled in The University of Texas
    1-9  School of Law, having been cautioned that while that stuff may fly
   1-10  in the Panhandle, it won't wash in the Capitol City; and
   1-11        WHEREAS, Steve was graduated from law school in May 1976 and
   1-12  took a job the following September as an attorney with the Texas
   1-13  Legislative Council, in which capacity he would go on to address
   1-14  growing concerns about the state's Agriculture Code as the code's
   1-15  chief revisor; and
   1-16        WHEREAS, His ability to farm out tasks to others made him a
   1-17  natural choice to land the job as director of the council's legal
   1-18  division in 1986 and he happily accepted his shot at stardom,
   1-19  little dreaming that in 1995 he would be placed in the unenviable
   1-20  position of supporting, cajoling, and leading a snarling staff of
   1-21  33 attorneys to produce and satisfy a record number of bill
   1-22  drafting and amendment requests, which have in fact grown in
   1-23  proportion with each passing session in a manner approaching that
   1-24  of the national debt; and
    2-1        WHEREAS, During his remarkable tenure with the council, Steve
    2-2  also has started some important initiatives within the agency; he
    2-3  spearheaded the popular "bring your daughter to work" day at the
    2-4  council, but received a somewhat less than enthusiastic response
    2-5  for his "do lunch with your wiener dogs" idea that he promoted
    2-6  during the most recent interim; and
    2-7        WHEREAS, Outside the workplace, Steve is a devoted family man
    2-8  who enjoys a happy and rewarding marriage with his wife, Beth, and
    2-9  a very close relationship with his two children, Drew and Shelly;
   2-10  to say Steve is an involved parent is putting it mildly, for he
   2-11  often attends concerts with his children, who are hoping to break
   2-12  their dad of his overwhelming desire to spend quality time with
   2-13  them before they marry and attempt to go on their honeymoons
   2-14  unchaperoned; and
   2-15        WHEREAS, An all-around good guy, Steve is a lay minister at
   2-16  Berkeley United Methodist Church and a strong supporter of many
   2-17  charitable causes in Austin; he broke his thumb while building a
   2-18  home for Habitat for Humanity but has successfully nailed down many
   2-19  other important projects through the years, benefitting such worthy
   2-20  causes as pediatric AIDS and hunger relief; and
   2-21        WHEREAS, At this time, it gives the members of this chamber
   2-22  great pleasure to commend Steve for his extraordinary efforts on
   2-23  behalf of the legislature and the greater community; now,
   2-24  therefore, be it
   2-25        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
   2-26  Legislature hereby honor Steve Collins for his monumental
   2-27  contributions to the citizens of Texas; and, be it further
    3-1        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
    3-2  prepared for Mr. Collins as an expression of admiration and
    3-3  friendship by his colleagues in the Texas House of Representatives.