1-1                                     1
 1-2                         SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 1225
 1-3           WHEREAS, Since his election in 1992, Senator Gregory Luna
 1-4     has become one of the most beloved and respected members of the
 1-5     Texas Senate; and
 1-6           WHEREAS, Few people have worked so passionately and so
 1-7     tenaciously on behalf of public education as Gregory Luna; a man of
 1-8     great integrity, he remains steadfast in his resolve that all the
 1-9     children of Texas deserve a quality education; in pursuit of this
1-10     goal, he has been an influential part of the movement to equalize
1-11     the state's school finance system; and
1-12           WHEREAS, It is a distinct pleasure for the members of
1-13     the Texas Senate to rise to pay tribute to a cherished colleague
1-14     and trusted friend who has been with us in spirit during the
1-15     76th Legislative Session, most particularly during the deliberations
1-16     over Senate Bill 4; now, therefore, be it
1-17           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
1-18     76th Legislature, hereby honor a true statesman, Gregory Luna,
1-19     and that the following senatorial tributes be offered to him as
1-20     expressions of love and best wishes from his fellow members:
 2-1           Senator Truan:  Senator Luna was elected to his first term
 2-2     in the Texas Senate in 1992 after serving four terms in the
 2-3     Texas House of Representatives.  He has served on many important
 2-4     committees, but the committee that stands out is the Education
 2-5     Committee, where our Lieutenant Governor had appointed him vice
 2-6     chair, and he has served as vice chair of the Education Committee
 2-7     with previous lieutenant governors as well.  He was one of the
 2-8     founding members of the Mexican American Legal Defense and
 2-9     Educational Fund, better known as MALDEF, that has promoted equal
2-10     rights and representation for the children of our state and our
2-11     country who deserve a first-class system of public education.  He
2-12     has served admirably in the Legislature, both the House and the
2-13     Senate, on the important issues of public school finance.  He was
2-14     very instrumental in putting together the legislation that we had
2-15     two years ago and he was on the conference committee, Senator Bivins,
2-16     that wrote the final bill as you well know.  Senator Luna has been
2-17     most concerned about education in general for all of our citizens.
2-18     He served on the select Committee on Education, on dropouts with
2-19     Senator Barrientos.  He has been a professional attorney very
2-20     dedicated to his profession.  He has been one of those individuals
2-21     dedicated to public service.  There is no doubt but that we have
2-22     missed him; his contributions, Senator Shapiro, to our body would
2-23     have been immeasurable.  He would have contributed so much more to
2-24     the dialogue and the debate.  But we know that his heart has been
2-25     with us.  I saw him at the Methodist Hospital in San Antonio and
2-26     tears rolled down his eyes as he told me how much he wanted to be
2-27     here with us.
 3-1           Senator Bivins:  Thank you Mr. President and Members.  I rise
 3-2     in support of Senate Resolution 1225.  Mrs. Luna and family, I want
 3-3     to tell you that I miss my vice chairman.  Greg Luna has served as
 3-4     vice chairman of the Education Committee since Bob Bullock told me,
 3-5     "Bivins, it's your turn in the barrel."  I worked with Greg for two
 3-6     sessions and I know that among his many passions within the subject
 3-7     of education maybe his greatest passion was equity and funding for
 3-8     public education.  So that as Senator Shapleigh said, every student
 3-9     in Texas can have a place at the starting line along with everyone
3-10     else in the race for education and have an equal opportunity to get
3-11     what will definitely be the key to success for every Texan in the
3-12     next millennium.  All through our deliberations on Senate Bill 4 I
3-13     was mindful of Senator Luna and his commitment to equity, and I want
3-14     to share with you, Mrs. Luna, and please take this back to Greg, he
3-15     probably has figured it out already, but Senate Bill 4 as it passed
3-16     the Senate last night and the House, and I anticipate will be signed
3-17     by the Governor, will create the most equitable funding system in
3-18     the history of the State of Texas for public education.  And
3-19     probably the most equitable public education system in the entire
3-20     United States.  In a state that is as economically diverse, as well
3-21     as socially and culturally and every other way, as Texas to have
3-22     accomplished that goal is a huge accomplishment.  Senator Luna's
3-23     efforts ever since I arrived in this Senate in 1989 one year after
3-24     Edgewood v. Kirby 1 had been decided have always been tireless in
3-25     trying to close the gap and create an equal educational funding
3-26     opportunity for every school district in Texas.  The bill we passed
3-27     yesterday is a tribute to Greg Luna and his work and I want to thank
 4-1     you for being here with us today.  Like I said, I miss having my
 4-2     vice chairman with us on Sine Die but I am glad you could be here.
 4-3     Mr. President I, too, support adoption of Senate Resolution 1225.
 4-4           Senator Carona:  Mr. President and Members, I've known
 4-5     Greg Luna through circumstances a bit different, Senator Bivins,
 4-6     than you would.  For many of us, the Senator Luna that we've known,
 4-7     particularly in the early part of this session, as a rather quiet
 4-8     very devoted, dedicated individual, but rather quiet as he would
 4-9     work steadily on the issues of great importance to him.  But I had
4-10     the good fortune of knowing him both as a House Member and also as
4-11     a freshman last session in the Senate.  I got to see the side of
4-12     Greg Luna that you all perhaps don't.  He and I share some of the
4-13     same illnesses if you will, and last December when I was ill and
4-14     hospitalized I received not only a very personal and touching card
4-15     with a note from Senator Luna but a phone call afterward.  He and I
4-16     had numerous discussions in the lounge during the early part of the
4-17     session about the things that I had been through and about some of
4-18     the trials and tribulations that he too had been through from that
4-19     standpoint of his health and some of the things that he knew he
4-20     would still have to deal with.  I got to see not only the side of
4-21     Greg Luna that you talk about today--the tenacious individual
4-22     fighting in pursuit of a better system of public education for the
4-23     students across this state--but I got to see Greg Luna the very
4-24     personal, very private man.  I cannot tell you what a kind heart and
4-25     what a good person is that of Greg Luna.  We all in this small body
4-26     of 31 get to know each other pretty well, but I can tell you that
 5-1     there's not a gentler, there's not a more gracious, and there's not
 5-2     a kinder person in this entire body than you'd find in Greg Luna.
 5-3     God speed Greg Luna, and we look forward to your recovery.  Thank
 5-4     you.
 5-5           Senator Zaffirini:  Thank you Mr. President.  Mr. President
 5-6     and Members, I too have known Greg Luna for so long, as I have also
 5-7     known his wife and daughter and other members of the family, two of
 5-8     whom are with us today, and he is not only a great Senator, he was
 5-9     also a great state representative.  But this is a man who has also
5-10     excelled in the courtroom.  In San Antonio he is known not only as
5-11     an outstanding legislator but also as a very, very effective attorney.
5-12     On that behalf I share a dual relationship:  one, my own friendship;
5-13     and second, my husband's friendship with him because they have faced
5-14     each other in the courtroom both against each other and at other
5-15     times on the same side.  Greg Luna is always a worthy opponent and a
5-16     fabulous supporter and I just look forward to the day that he will
5-17     rejoin us in the Texas Senate.  To his wife and his daughter we
5-18     all say thank you and we will keep him in our prayers.  Welcome
5-19     to the Texas Senate.  Governor Perry did you notice the color of
5-20     Mrs. Luna's dress?
5-21           Senator Shapleigh:  Thank you Mr. President.  Mrs. Luna,
5-22     if Greg Luna were here today he would be smiling because in the
5-23     Texas Senate and in the Texas Legislature this year, as
5-24     Senator Bivins said, Texas has passed the most equalized educational
5-25     system in the country today.  I've followed Greg's career now for
5-26     about six years from the time he got into MALDEF early on as one of
 6-1     the organizers with the vision of every Texas child having an
 6-2     opportunity to get an education and to get to the starting line of
 6-3     opportunity.  I think there's few people on the floor of the Senate
 6-4     that when they get up to talk people turn to listen to them.
 6-5     Remember the other day when Senator Ratliff got up and began a
 6-6     colloquy with Senator Nixon and his voice was a little bit raised
 6-7     from what it normally is?  I think most of the people in this
 6-8     Texas Senate started following that debate in a way that they don't
 6-9     normally.  But when Greg Luna gets up in the Texas Senate people
6-10     track what he says because he is a man of quiet courage and when
6-11     Greg Luna has a point there isn't anyone in the Texas Senate that
6-12     doesn't know what Greg Luna is saying and who he speaks for.  I just
6-13     want to thank you for the dignity that Greg Luna has brought to this
6-14     Senate and the issues that he's brought forth because Greg Luna's
6-15     courage and his quiet way of getting things done really have made
6-16     this a better place.  Thank you.
6-17           Senator Barrientos:  Mr. President, Members, I rise to join
6-18     my voice with yours to pay tribute to a good and great man who is
6-19     going to be joining us soon I hope.  He is a fighter.  I was sitting
6-20     here thinking over the years.  I have known Greg Luna for 20 or 25
6-21     years that we've worked together.  Conviction, devotion, defender of
6-22     the poor, defender of the children, defender of the ill--all done in
6-23     his gentle mild-mannered way.  Senator Carona, you got that just right,
6-24     a gentle person, a gentle man.  And yet, Gregory Luna is one of the
6-25     fiercest fighters I've ever known.  You know he was a police officer
6-26     in San Antonio for about 10 years and you know what kind of fortitude
 7-1     and physical strength it sometimes takes to be peace officer,
 7-2     especially in a large city.  He helped to establish MALDEF, the
 7-3     Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, an organization
 7-4     that has made some changes for Texas that were way overdue.  Those
 7-5     people who benefitted from the work of those attorneys in that
 7-6     organization are indebted and so are we and so will our children
 7-7     and our grandchildren be, to Greg Luna.  House Member, we served
 7-8     together over there also.  Senator Truan, Matt Garcia, Greg Luna,
 7-9     Orlando Garcia, and all served well there.  Senator, gentle,
7-10     persuasive person, he is still fighting.  I couldn't stand some
7-11     of that fight for my mother who was a diabetic on dialysis for
7-12     too many years, but it helps when your colleagues and your friends
7-13     write, call.  Gregory, Como estas camarada?  No te dejes.  We are
7-14     with you now.  We were with you yesterday and we will be with you
7-15     tomorrow and with Helen and the whole family.  God bless you.
7-16     God speed.  Thank you Mr. President.
7-17           Senator Ellis:  Thank you Mr. President, I rise to in a way to
7-18     apologize because Greg Luna was also a member of the Jurisprudence
7-19     Committee with me for the two previous sessions, and this session he
7-20     was here in the beginning.  One of the things, Helen, that he always
7-21     argued against was any bill that would raise the fee on filing any
7-22     document that would raise money to help the judicial system.  In
7-23     fact, they were known as "Luna bills" because he would kill them.
7-24     He would tag them or raise a point of order to keep the bill from
7-25     passing.  Because he wasn't here for the last couple of months, you
7-26     would be amazed what an impact it had on the committee.  All of a
 8-1     sudden O'Candy over here, Chris Harris, stopped trying to pass all
 8-2     of those fee bills.  I just want to tell you that, if he doesn't
 8-3     watch this on tape, I held those bills as long as I could.  If there
 8-4     had been a point of order in them, I would have slipped them to
 8-5     Gallegos or someone else to try to kill the bills.  It was a real
 8-6     privilege to work with Gregory Luna on the judicial selection plan,
 8-7     or so called bullet plan, when he was in the Senate.  Robert Duncan
 8-8     carried it, of course, in the House, but it didn't make it.  I did
 8-9     call him to ask him whether or not I ought to let Senator Duncan lop
8-10     off the top half of that plan and send it over there.  Robert was
8-11     wondering whether or not I had something up my sleeves.  We'll do
8-12     something if a bill ever makes it back.  The truth of the matter is,
8-13     that Luna and I hadn't figured it out.  But when he comes back next
8-14     session, if Senator Duncan wants to pass the top half of that plan
8-15     again, we'll pull something out of our sleeves then.  Tell him we
8-16     miss him, our love is with him, I'll never forget that night we were
8-17     at that NCSL Conference.  He'd been in the hospital for about a
8-18     month or so and had gotten his color back; he was looking good and
8-19     was with you at that Italian restaurant, dancing to the wee hours
8-20     of the morning, and there was no music at that restaurant.  I know
8-21     Greg Luna will get well.
8-22           Senator Lucio:  Thank you Mr. President, I too rise with my
8-23     colleagues in honor of a great Texan and a very, very good friend
8-24     in support of S.R. 1225.  I've known Greg since 1986 when I first
8-25     got elected and started my legislative work in the
8-26     House of Representatives.  It's amazing how everyone would look at
 9-1     Greg when the issue of education would come up and everybody would
 9-2     go up to him so to get his opinion on what was right for the children
 9-3     of our great state.  I was one of those in this chamber that really
 9-4     saw Greg and Helen on their way home that last time I saw Greg on
 9-5     the floor.  I was pretty hungry and my Chief of Staff and I stopped
 9-6     in San Marcos.  We just drove into the first little Mexican
 9-7     restaurant we saw, and who was in the restaurant?  It was Greg and
 9-8     Helen.  Greg was having some huevos rancheros and frijoles refritos.
 9-9     I went to the table where they were sitting and sat down.  I was
9-10     really saddened in a way.  I told my Chief of Staff, "You know Paul,
9-11     I think he's really hurting and he's eating that high cholesterol
9-12     mean meal.   I think he wants to feel good, he wants to eat
9-13     something that tastes good."  I did something Senator Whitmire, I
9-14     picked up the tab because I wanted to buy my friend and his lovely
9-15     wife a meal.  He came over to thank me and I didn't say anything,
9-16     but when he walked away I told Paul that I could never repay Greg
9-17     for all he did for me as a freshman legislator and in the Senate.
9-18     We all really looked at Greg to see what he was thinking and to see
9-19     what advice he had to offer.  We still call on him.  He is much more
9-20     than an elected official.  I think all of us put him into the
9-21     category of statesman.  He knows what state government and the
9-22     workings of government are all about.  He knows the issues.  A very
9-23     serious individual, a hard worker, and no nonsense is the way I like
9-24     to describe him, even though he likes to joke around once in awhile
9-25     and get a laugh in, but most of the time he is really thinking hard
9-26     about what he should do as a legislator.  He is more than just a
9-27     one-issue legislator.  But he loved education, he loves education,
 10-1    and I think until the end he's going to make sure that he goes
 10-2    every day of his life searching for what he can do to make it better
 10-3    for the children that we represent.  One of the things that I think
 10-4    we all agree on is that we learn from one another.  Every day there
 10-5    is something new we learn from one another, and we learned a lot
 10-6    from Greg.  We learned respect and honor, we learned to work hard
 10-7    and to take our work very seriously.  I join with all of you in
 10-8    saying that we miss him, and I think that the valley misses him
 10-9    because he's a frequent traveler to the valley.  His son lives
10-10    there.  A very fine young attorney in the Harlingen area in my
10-11    district, so he is my constituent.  I feel real close to Greg just
10-12    as some of you who have known him through the years.  I join with all
10-13    of you in dedicating Senate Bill 4 to him today in this legislative
10-14    session.  Thank you Mr. President.
10-15          Senator Moncrief:  Mr. President thank you, and Helen thank
10-16    you for the many years that you and your family have allowed Greg
10-17    to serve the public.  We in this body consider this to be sort of
10-18    a family.  Members, we all depend on each other.  We all experience
10-19    frustration, we all experience the happy times, the sad times.  I
10-20    don't think any of us, not a one of us, myself included, could
10-21    really appreciate, Senator Lucio, just how much Greg was hurting or
10-22    just how determined he was to stay as long as he could.  This Senate
10-23    is a grind; it's tough.  There are some long hours here.  It involves
10-24    a lot of homework and you have to love what you do to stay here and
10-25    enjoy it and he does.  He is a voice of reason and has been so many
10-26    times, Members, on both sides of this aisle.  Certainly we respect
 11-1    him for his knowledge, for his vast knowledge in the field of
 11-2    education, and for the time and energies he has so unselfishly given.
 11-3    But he also was always at middle ground when there was a tough issue,
 11-4    when votes where hard to come by.  You would go to Greg and ask him
 11-5    for his support.  He would grill you, grill you hard.  "Why is this
 11-6    a good idea?"  or "I don't think this such a great idea."  And you
 11-7    respect someone like that.  I think all of us have missed him this
 11-8    session, but let me tell you Members, he's here today.  He is here
 11-9    today.  His priorities have been here all session long as they will
11-10    continue to be.  So we certainly wish him God's speed.  You will all
11-11    remain in our prayers and we look back to the good times together
11-12    and we look forward to many more times together when he returns.
11-13    Thank you and God bless.
11-14          Senator Madla:  Thank you Mr. President.  I too want to join
11-15    Dean Truan and my colleagues in support of Resolution 1225.  I would
11-16    imagine that of all the members here I've probably known Greg the
11-17    longest I think.  I've known Greg all my adult life--prior to the
11-18    time both of us were members of the legislature.  Senator Barrientos
11-19    referred to the fact that he was a police officer and that was many
11-20    years ago.  Later on he became an attorney; he ran for public office
11-21    in '84 and was elected to the legislature.  The other side of Greg
11-22    that we never hear about though is that he was a public servant in a
11-23    different way.  Greg was very involved in several organizations in
11-24    San Antonio.  One was the Inman Christian Center.  I had a lot of
11-25    respect for him at the time because I worked for him.  He gave a
11-26    lot of his time, his money, his efforts.  He represented that
 12-1    organization free whenever it became necessary for an attorney.
 12-2    Greg was involved with project SER, which is really a nationwide
 12-3    organization, but he was involved with the San Antonio chapter which
 12-4    assisted less fortunate individuals in trying to find employment in
 12-5    Bexar County.  He was also very involved with United Way.  Greg not
 12-6    only preached at the state level here in the halls of the Texas House
 12-7    or the Texas Senate about his caring about people, but he went back
 12-8    and actually practiced it.  I've had the privilege of watching Greg
 12-9    since 1984 with respect and admiration.  I think he has done a superb
12-10    job, especially in speaking to the less fortunate of this state.
12-11    All of us know about what and where his heart was when he came to
12-12    public education.  I think the fact that we have passed a very
12-13    respectable bill, Senator Bivins, is a great tribute to Greg Luna.
12-14    I think the greatest tribute eventually is going to be Greg's success
12-15    in being able to bring to San Antonio The University of Texas
12-16    downtown campus.  It was something that he championed, that he
12-17    dreamed of, and that is now a reality.  Let me just say in closing
12-18    to both Helen and their daughter Leticia, thank you for lending Greg
12-19    to the people of Texas because the people of this state are far
12-20    better off today because of a very quiet giant.  Thank you
12-21    Mr. President.
12-22          Senator Gallegos:  Thank you Mr. President.  I too want to
12-23    agree with everything my colleagues have said about Greg Luna.
12-24    There was an issue earlier in Senate Finance where, Mr. President
12-25    you remember, I did a little amendment and took $50 million away
12-26    from San Antonio.  By the way Helen they pulled my invitation to
 13-1    Fiesta because of that.  Right after I was prepared to debate the
 13-2    merits on taking that $50 million from San Antonio for M. D. Anderson
 13-3    and in talking with President Perry, but then Leticia Van de Putte
 13-4    came over and said that she had a message for me and it was from
 13-5    Greg Luna.  He wanted the $50 million back and I know the seat is
 13-6    filled, but it wasn't these last few weeks.  I just want to tell
 13-7    you, Helen and Leticia, that we have differences in opinion on this
 13-8    floor.  Vouchers.  You know, he was one of our votes on vouchers.
 13-9    There's no doubt in my mind, health permitting, that we would have
13-10    flown him in here on a helicopter, if we needed to block any kind of
13-11    voucher program.  I just want to tell you that after Leticia sent me
13-12    that message along with Ed Garza the City Council member there, I
13-13    told Governor Perry I was willing to back off and let that $50
13-14    million go back to San Antonio.  It probably would have gone back
13-15    but how can you fight a request like that.  So I just want to join
13-16    Dean Truan and the rest of my colleagues in honoring a good man,
13-17    Senator Luna.
13-18          Senator Wentworth:  Thank you Mr. President.
13-19    Senator Zaffirini, Senator Madla, Senator Luna, and I are the
13-20    four members of this body that represent either all or part of
13-21    Bexar County.  I don't claim to have known Senator Luna as long as
13-22    Senator Madla.  Senator Madla said that he had met him before he
13-23    began running for the legislature back in 1943, or something like
13-24    that and that Frank ran the first.  But the interesting thing is
13-25    Frank Madla, Gregory Luna, and I came to the Senate together from
13-26    the House--Frank had been there about 20 years, Gregory had been
 14-1    there about eight, and I had been there five.  We came over here
 14-2    and, according to the custom, we drew straws.  Gregory came in
 14-3    first in seniority, I was second, and Frank is the Junior Senator
 14-4    from Bexar County which Gregory kept reminding both Frank and me
 14-5    his entire time that he was the senior member from Bexar County.
 14-6    Senator Luna and I served on the House Judicial Affairs Committee
 14-7    together because we both practice law.  Although the newspapers
 14-8    sometimes like to make a lot of distinction and difference between
 14-9    members because of their party affiliation, let me tell you that
14-10    Senator Luna and I worked hand-in-hand on both the House Judicial
14-11    Affairs Committee and then when we came to the Senate we both served
14-12    together on the Senate Jurisprudence Committee.  He was a wonderful
14-13    member.  I didn't always agree with him on those fee bills but we
14-14    worked very well together and I'm sure that he's very grateful for
14-15    the fact that we have added five new district courts to Bexar County
14-16    after several sessions of getting no district court for Bexar County.
14-17    It was interesting to me to listen to Senator Lucio say that he ran
14-18    into Helen and Gregory at a Mexican restaurant in San Marcos.  My
14-19    wife, Carla and I eat lunch nearly every Saturday that we are in
14-20    San Antonio at El Merador, which is a favorite restaurant in downtown
14-21    San Antonio.  It's miles from where we live but it has some of the
14-22    best caldo anywhere in the State of Texas.  And nearly every Saturday
14-23    that we were there, Gregory and Helen would be there as well.  We
14-24    became very close friends of the Lunas.  I remember particularly
14-25    the trip to Honolulu in 1998 when Texas was trying to get a whole
14-26    bunch of folks to come to San Antonio in 1999 at the Council of State
14-27    Governments meeting.  Gregory and Helen manned the Texas booth in
 15-1    Hawaii that year and we had an even better conference in '99 as a
 15-2    result of him inviting folks to come over.  I'm not sure that
 15-3    Jane Nelson and Buster Brown dancing the macarena helped a lot of
 15-4    people decide to come, but it was a great trip and I will always
 15-5    treasure that.  We have missed Gregory this session.  We were really
 15-6    happy he was here at the first, the first few weeks, and I know that
 15-7    we will see him soon and in better health.  Thank you Mr. President.
 15-8          Senator Brown:  Thank you  Mr. President.  Members, I
 15-9    too rise in support of this resolution for our great friend
15-10    Gregory Luna.  You have heard about his distinguished career in the
15-11    House of Representatives and in the Texas Senate and how he has
15-12    done an outstanding job and has had many, many achievements since
15-13    he has been in public office, but I know that he has achieved
15-14    something that I could never achieve, he got Senator Lucio to pick
15-15    up the tab.  You know Ms. Luna, we had a meeting in San Antonio and
15-16    I really can't remember the specific meeting, but I remember it was
15-17    at the restored theater in Greg's district and we went there for
15-18    that occasion and you and he were there.  On a number of occasions
15-19    after that when I would start talking to him about that theater and
15-20    about his district, his eyes would light up and he was so proud, not
15-21    only of that particular restoration and how neat it was, but proud
15-22    of his entire district.  I don't think there is any member of the
15-23    Senate who can claim more pride in the people that he represents
15-24    and the district that he represents and that is an outstanding
15-25    characteristic.  I appreciate that in Greg and I appreciate his
15-26    devotion and his loyalty in representing his district in this
 16-1    Texas Senate and look forward to seeing him back.  Thank you.
 16-2          Senator Sibley:  Thank you Mr. President.  Gregory Luna is
 16-3    a dignified man who happens to be a senator whose conscience is
 16-4    his only guide.  His voice was listened to and the only way to
 16-5    quiet that voice was his illness.  Because I know if he had been
 16-6    here, his voice would not have been quietened by any force or any
 16-7    person or anything that men might do to try to make him quiet.
 16-8    Senator Wentworth, we do take sides from time to time and I don't
 16-9    think it's necessary in this body for us to alter our opinions before
16-10    we can pay tribute to a man like Gregory Luna.  There are some
16-11    people in the Senate that go by first name, I can go down the list
16-12    of people and Senator Luna is one of those people I just can't call
16-13    Greg.  He's too dignified and too much of a figure at least in my
16-14    eyes and my respect for him won't allow me to do that.  So we do
16-15    look forward to him coming back and returning to us.  It is a family
16-16    and we miss him greatly and it is a privilege to pay homage to him.
16-17          Senator Cain:  Thank you very much Mr. President.  As have
16-18    many members of this body, I had the great privilege to serve with
16-19    Gregory Luna.   I'm sorry I have to call him Gregory.  I served with
16-20    Gregory Luna over in the House of Representatives and I followed him
16-21    some several years later over to the Senate, and in each body, he's
16-22    been a rock.  He has been a man of conscience.  He believes very
16-23    strongly in his constituents and he is a major voice and will remain
16-24    a major voice in public education.  More than that, he is my friend
16-25    and he is a friend of each and every one of us here on the floor of
16-26    the Texas Senate.  I know I have missed him and I have missed his
 17-1    good counseling and his guidance the latter part of this session.
 17-2    But Helen I want you to know that my fondest wish is that you and I
 17-3    and Sally and Greg can get back on the river and have a little food
 17-4    traveling down as we have done in the past.  We are very glad that
 17-5    you are here with us today and please send our best wishes back to
 17-6    Greg and wish him Godspeed.
 17-7          Senator West:  Thank you very much Mr. President.  Helen, I am
 17-8    not going to repeat everything everyone has said, but I do want to
 17-9    say this, Senate District 26 was represented this session on
17-10    important issues that I know and many of Greg's colleagues know he
17-11    would have addressed for that Senate district.  I want you to carry
17-12    that message back home.  I can think of a couple of instances where
17-13    Greg's presence was felt.  The Luna letter was an important letter.
17-14    He wanted to be here if there was going to be a vote for sending
17-15    that particular letter and we honor that because we are in fact a
17-16    family.  I can think about a vote on an amendment that Senator Duncan
17-17    and I had on some statewide gang database bill, but never before in
17-18    the four sessions that I served here, have I ever seen a vote go down
17-19    15 to 15.  That was on a local option.  I know how Greg would have
17-20    voted on that particular amendment.  When we got ready to do, under
17-21    the leadership of Teel Bivins, Senate Bill 4,  I wish we would have
17-22    been thinking.  Just as we had attempted to name the hate crimes
17-23    bill after James Byrd, I think it would have been very appropriate
17-24    to name Senate Bill 4 after Gregory Luna given his passion for the
17-25    schoolchildren in the State of Texas.  With Senate District 26
17-26    interest safeguarded in that bill, you bet it was because I know
 18-1    Gregory Luna probably would have wanted us to put more money into
 18-2    prekindergarten, kindergarten, and dropout programs.  He probably
 18-3    would have wanted us to put more money into teacher pay raises, but
 18-4    I think he recognized and would be satisfied with what we have done
 18-5    for public education in the State of Texas.  We have a lot of work
 18-6    to do this interim and I know and I look forward to working with him
 18-7    on issues that still must be addressed not only in public education
 18-8    but also higher education.  We salute Greg Luna, a great Texan.
 18-9          Senator Whitmire:  Mr. President, members.  I will be brief,
18-10    I wanted to stress to Helen how we missed him not being here.  He
18-11    often turned around and told me to behave.  So tell him because he
18-12    was gone, they got the full force of me this session.  He has such
18-13    a calming effect on all of us, didn't say much but when, as others
18-14    have said, he spoke we all listened.  And I was sitting here
18-15    thinking I just think if someone can enter a public office, and
18-16    maintain the normalcy that they have when they got in it assuming
18-17    they were normal when they started, it's a real tribute to his
18-18    family to his upbringing and Greg you are such a normal person in
18-19    the greatest sense of that word.  He came from humble beginnings,
18-20    was a public servant, a civil servant when he came over here, and
18-21    was the same guy today that he was when he got here, so I wanted to
18-22    speak to what a calming effect he was to all of us.  I wanted to
18-23    make certain that because he felt so strongly on teachers' salaries
18-24    and benefits, that you really ought to incorporate some bill signing
18-25    with some opportunity for Greg to be a part of that great occasion
18-26    that he helped commence.  I think that he would want to be recognized
 19-1    as someone that blocked the vouchers, unless you passed it and didn't
 19-2    tell us anything.  Unless it's in some bill and you are going to tell
 19-3    us after we get out of here, but I believe we blocked vouchers.  I
 19-4    think the Lord works in strange ways.  I truly believe and, not to
 19-5    debate the issue today but it will be debated in the future, if Greg
 19-6    would have been here, I think the fight would have been more
 19-7    confrontational.  I think his absence put a calming effect on that
 19-8    issue because we were using him and he wanted us to use him in the
 19-9    signing of the letter, the notice to the chair, to give 24-hour
19-10    notice.  That was all strategy presented by Greg.  Actually one time
19-11    we were going to issue a video from him from his hospital bed, so I
19-12    am here to tell you that he would want us to give him credit for
19-13    blocking vouchers.  And you can tell him that that fight is not over.
19-14    In fact it will be discussed in future sessions.  So tell Greg that
19-15    he did more on the hospital bed to block vouchers than any one of us
19-16    did on the Senate floor, and we desperately need him in the future
19-17    and look forward to him providing that leadership because a lot of
19-18    those other members, members that are not familiar with the ins and
19-19    outs of education and even in that particular issue he has convinced
19-20    me to listen to him on the need to block it, need his assistance and
19-21    influence to do that in the future.  So tell him what he did and
19-22    that we need him to help us in the future.
19-23          Senator Harris:  Thank you Mr. President.  Helen there have
19-24    been wonderful accolades said about our friend Gregory Luna, and
19-25    they don't even remotely begin to say and to express the truly
19-26    wonderful things he has done and I won't try to compete with what
 20-1    my brothers here in the Senate have said today.  My wife, Tammy, and
 20-2    I, if you remember Tammy from Puerto Rico, Tammy and I were talking
 20-3    this morning about the Senate, about the friendships and she
 20-4    immediately brought up our experience with you and Greg in Puerto Rico
 20-5    and the enjoyment that afternoon and that evening.  Just learning to
 20-6    chat with each other, learning each other's ambitions and desires,
 20-7    learning how important your daughters are to you and Greg.  That
 20-8    is something that is very special to Tammy and me.  You have a very
 20-9    exceptional husband in every respect and I really look forward to
20-10    the day that he is again sitting in that chair.  Senator Ellis
20-11    jokingly said that there was some bills stopped in Judiciary
20-12    Committee or delayed in Judiciary Committee waiting for Greg to get
20-13    back.  Helen you can tell him they were not stopped, they were killed
20-14    because we knew how he would have voted.  On the controversial bills
20-15    we cast his votes for him and we acted accordingly.  Tell him from
20-16    me and Tammy, Godspeed.  Thank you.
20-17          Senator Ratliff:  Helen there have been a number of
20-18    references to the fact that Greg was vice chair of education under
20-19    Senator Bivins.  As you know he was my vice chair before that.  Greg
20-20    and I, Greg sat by my right side as we rewrote the public Education
20-21    Code for the State of Texas.  Let me tell you he took no credit for
20-22    that effort, but he was as much as any one the person that kept me
20-23    straight, many times because he was such a wealth of knowledge about
20-24    this educational system and frankly I was almost new to.  We miss
20-25    him and we want you to tell him that we are ready for him to be back
20-26    and God bless him; and, be it further
 21-1          RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
 21-2    Senator Luna as an expression of the heartfelt esteem, respect, and
 21-3    admiration of the Texas Senate.
 21-4          Armbrister           Gallegos            Ogden
 21-5          Barrientos           Harris              Ratliff
 21-6          Bernsen              Haywood             Shapiro
 21-7          Bivins               Jackson             Shapleigh
 21-8          Brown                Lindsay             Sibley
 21-9          Cain                 Lucio               Truan
21-10          Carona               Madla               Wentworth
21-11          Duncan               Moncrief            West
21-12          Ellis                Nelson              Whitmire
21-13          Fraser               Nixon               Zaffirini
21-14                      Perry, President of the Senate
21-15                                 ______________________________________
21-16                                         President of the Senate
21-17                                      I hereby certify that the above
21-18                                 Resolution was adopted by the Senate
21-19                                 on May 31, 1999.
21-20                                 ______________________________________
21-21                                         Secretary of the Senate