1-1     By:  Shapleigh                                        S.C.R. No. 40
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 3, 1999; March 4, 1999, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Special Committee on Border Affairs;
 1-4     April 23, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 5,
 1-5     Nays 0; April 23, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                        SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 1-7           WHEREAS, Texas legislators participate in the National
 1-8     Conference of State Legislatures, the Southern Legislative
 1-9     Conference, and certain other interstate forums as a means of
1-10     discussing issues and exchanging information on issues common to
1-11     this state and counterpart U.S. state governments; and
1-12           WHEREAS, Collaboration with Texas' other neighbors, the four
1-13     Mexican states along the Rio Grande border, has likewise been a
1-14     part of our governing tradition, and yet those conferrals have been
1-15     less formalized and have occurred less frequently than has been the
1-16     case with our domestic legislative colleagues; and
1-17           WHEREAS, With the advent of NAFTA, the governments of Texas
1-18     and the Mexican border states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon,
1-19     and Tamaulipas share challenges relating to education, health,
1-20     infrastructure, trade and economic development, workforce
1-21     development, and environmental protection, and it is consequently
1-22     imperative that international relations be cemented not just at the
1-23     federal but at the state level; and
1-24           WHEREAS, The foreseeable goal of such legislative discourse
1-25     would be to establish a multilevel governmental framework through
1-26     which the five states could launch, coordinate, and complete
1-27     projects to develop the border region and improve the quality of
1-28     life for residents of both countries; and
1-29           WHEREAS, The Texas Legislature finds such a goal to be
1-30     commendable and consequently beckons its presiding officers to
1-31     approach their Mexican border state counterparts to explore a forum
1-32     for productive international legislative discussion; now,
1-33     therefore, be it
1-34           RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas
1-35     hereby request the lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of
1-36     representatives to initiate efforts toward convening joint sessions
1-37     among members of the appropriate legislative committees in this
1-38     state and their counterparts in the legislatures of Chihuahua,
1-39     Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas to establish communications on
1-40     issues pertinent to the region.
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