By Brimer H.R. No. 436 75R9757 BNL-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, Our esteemed colleague, Speaker James E. "Pete" 1-2 Laney, will celebrate his birthday on March 20, 1997, and it gives 1-3 the members of this chamber great pleasure to join the Laney family 1-4 in marking this special day; and 1-5 WHEREAS, A native Texan, Speaker Laney was born in Plainview 1-6 on March 20, 1943, and with the exception of his sojourn to exotic 1-7 Lubbock to attend Texas Tech University, he has lived in Hale 1-8 County throughout his life; a third-generation cotton farmer, 1-9 Speaker Laney exemplifies the proud Texas tradition of the citizen 1-10 legislator, returning--often eagerly, or even gleefully--to his 1-11 farm near Hale Center at the close of each legislative session, 1-12 apparently preferring the backbreaking but relatively quiet work of 1-13 the cotton field to the organized chaos of the house chamber; and 1-14 WHEREAS, Since his first election to the Texas House of 1-15 Representatives in 1972, Speaker Laney has offered thoughtful 1-16 leadership as a member of the House Agriculture and Livestock 1-17 Committee, the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, the Transportation 1-18 Committee, and many others, and as chairman of the House 1-19 Administration Committee from 1975 to 1982, he initiated a number 1-20 of cost-saving measures that have greatly improved the efficiency 1-21 of state operations; and 1-22 WHEREAS, In his role as speaker of the house, this 1-23 distinguished gentleman is known for his fairness and his open, 1-24 approachable manner, giving freely of his time to help freshman 2-1 legislators become accustomed to their new roles; sadly, Speaker 2-2 Laney's good-natured personality has made it nearly impossible for 2-3 senior legislators to haze their freshman counterparts, and very 2-4 few of the newcomers have fallen for the ruse that they are 2-5 required to pledge allegiance to the Red Raiders before entering 2-6 the speaker's office; and 2-7 WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Speaker Laney has benefited 2-8 from the love and support of his wife, Nelda McQuien Laney, and his 2-9 children, KaLyn Laney, Jamey Laney Phillips, and J Pete Laney; 2-10 Mrs. Laney is highly respected by the members of this chamber for 2-11 her historical preservation efforts, and her unfailing grace, 2-12 courtesy, and charm have made her a welcome presence in the often 2-13 unruly world of Texas politics; and 2-14 WHEREAS, Pete Laney's reputation as a man of integrity, 2-15 fairness, and commitment has made him an inspiration to all of his 2-16 fellow legislators, and it is with sincere respect that we join in 2-17 offering this heartfelt and good-natured tribute; now, therefore, 2-18 be it 2-19 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas 2-20 Legislature hereby honor Speaker James E. "Pete" Laney on the 2-21 auspicious occasion of his birthday and extend to him warmest best 2-22 wishes for many more years of happiness and success; and, be it 2-23 further 2-24 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-25 prepared for Speaker Laney as an expression of highest regard by 2-26 his colleagues in the Texas House of Representatives.