By Jones of Lubbock H.R. No. 1125 75R16325 BNL-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, Nelda Laney has continually gone above and beyond 1-2 the call of duty in her position as the wife of House Speaker James 1-3 E. "Pete" Laney, and her warmth, kindness, and dedication have 1-4 earned her the lasting respect and gratitude of all the members of 1-5 this chamber; and 1-6 WHEREAS, The Laneys have been married for 33 years, and for 1-7 23 of those years, Speaker Laney has served as a state 1-8 representative; throughout that time, Mrs. Laney has balanced her 1-9 many duties as the spouse of a public official with the needs of 1-10 the couple's three children, KaLyn Laney, Jamey Laney Phillips, and 1-11 J Pete Laney, and the grace with which she has managed these roles 1-12 has been an inspiration to all who know her; and 1-13 WHEREAS, An honors graduate of Texas Tech University, 1-14 Mrs. Laney originally pursued a teaching career, and her enthusiasm 1-15 for learning has infused many of the projects that she has 1-16 undertaken in the past several years; with Texas First Lady Laura 1-17 Bush, she helped to organize the premier Texas Book Festival, 1-18 promoting Texas literature while raising much-needed funds for our 1-19 state's public libraries, and she was a guiding force in the 1-20 reestablishment of an agricultural museum in the Capitol; and 1-21 WHEREAS, Mrs. Laney's efforts in the restoration of the 1-22 Capitol building extended far beyond that one project, however, as 1-23 she frequently donned a hardhat to inspect the ongoing construction 1-24 and speak with the many different tradesmen who were completing the 2-1 work; when crews faced a difficult deadline to finish the house 2-2 chamber for the 74th session, Mrs. Laney responded in true Texas 2-3 fashion, going to work to help lay the carpet that we walk on 2-4 today; in addition, through her leadership of the Historical Art 2-5 Enrichment Program to Enhance the Capitol and the Capitol Fund 2-6 Drive, she has helped to raise millions of dollars to furnish the 2-7 stately building with appropriate antiques and works of art; and 2-8 WHEREAS, She further bolstered this noble cause by 2-9 establishing an innovative source of revenue for the State 2-10 Preservation Board; Mrs. Laney drew on her artistic talents to 2-11 personally design a beautiful gold-plated Christmas ornament 2-12 depicting the Texas Capitol, and proceeds from the sale of this 2-13 unique keepsake will benefit the Capitol preservation program for 2-14 years to come; and 2-15 WHEREAS, Only one concern seems to exceed Mrs. Laney's 2-16 devotion to the Capitol building and its many historic artifacts, 2-17 and that is her concern for the people within the building; stories 2-18 of this gracious woman's hospitality and generosity abound, and one 2-19 would be hard pressed to find a denizen of or visitor to this 2-20 statehouse who has not been touched by Mrs. Laney's thoughtfulness; 2-21 from preparing sandwiches and snacks for sergeants, staffers, and 2-22 committee members to opening her personal quarters for use by 2-23 legislators feeling under the weather, Mrs. Laney has established 2-24 herself as a second mother to nearly everyone in the House of 2-25 Representatives; and 2-26 WHEREAS, While most women would shy away from the demands of 2-27 more than 150 foster children, Mrs. Laney seems to take the chaos 3-1 in stride, and her resourcefulness in a crisis is nothing short of 3-2 legendary; this session's swearing-in festivities for new house 3-3 members faced certain cancellation when icy roads prevented 3-4 caterers from reaching the Capitol, but Mrs. Laney, with the help 3-5 of several other legislators' spouses, took to the kitchen and 3-6 miraculously turned out breakfast for 150 people and lunch for 75, 3-7 and she has actually been known to straighten all the shutters in 3-8 the house chamber and is rumored to have been seen weeding the rose 3-9 garden on the Capitol grounds; and 3-10 WHEREAS, A proper accounting of all of Nelda Laney's 3-11 achievements, honors, thoughtful acts, and public service projects 3-12 would fill many volumes, and each member of this chamber 3-13 undoubtedly has a favorite memory of this truly remarkable woman; 3-14 Nelda Laney embodies the finest traditions of hospitality, service, 3-15 and compassion that Texans hold dear, and in doing so, she has set 3-16 an exemplary standard for others to follow; now, therefore, be it 3-17 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas 3-18 Legislature hereby honor Nelda Laney for her outstanding work in 3-19 behalf of the people of Texas and confer on her the formal title of 3-20 First Lady of the House; and, be it further 3-21 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 3-22 prepared for Mrs. Laney as an expression of highest regard by the 3-23 Texas House of Representatives.