By Danburg                                              H.R. No. 53
         77R3625 JKB-D                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, The Honorable Helen Giddings has been elected
 1-2     president of the National Order of Women Legislators (NOWL), and
 1-3     her achievement is a great source of pride to her fellow Texans;
 1-4     and
 1-5           WHEREAS, NOWL is a nonpartisan organization that has been
 1-6     serving women legislators and supporting effective government for
 1-7     more than 60 years; with her swearing in on November 20, 2000,
 1-8     Representative Giddings became both the first Texan and the first
 1-9     African American to lead the organization as president; the 1999
1-10     vice president of NOWL, she was elected to her current position by
1-11     a unanimous vote of the group's 1,000 members; and
1-12           WHEREAS, Representing constituents in portions of Dallas,
1-13     Lancaster, and DeSoto for her fifth consecutive term, Ms. Giddings
1-14     has long distinguished herself as a member of this body, most
1-15     recently through her service on the House Appropriations Committee,
1-16     the House Business and Industry Committee, and the House
1-17     Administration Committee; additionally, she is the second vice
1-18     chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus and a former regional
1-19     vice president of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators;
1-20     and
1-21           WHEREAS, During her tenure as a state representative, she has
1-22     worked diligently to improve public education in Texas by leading
1-23     efforts to create the acclaimed "Read to Succeed" program and by
1-24     authoring legislation prohibiting liquor stores from being located
 2-1     next to public schools; two scholarships have been formed in her
 2-2     name as well:  the Helen Giddings Scholarships for Exemplary
 2-3     Students from South Africa at Prairie View A&M University and the
 2-4     Helen Giddings Scholarship for high-achieving students in the
 2-5     DeSoto area, both of which will positively affect the lives of many
 2-6     deserving young people; and
 2-7           WHEREAS, A small-business owner, community leader, and
 2-8     experienced legislator, this esteemed woman has much to share with
 2-9     her fellow legislators, and her tenure as president of NOWL will
2-10     undoubtedly usher in a period of great success and achievement for
2-11     both its members and the constituents they so ably represent; now,
2-12     therefore, be it
2-13           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
2-14     Legislature hereby congratulate the Honorable Helen Giddings on her
2-15     election as president of the National Order of Women Legislators
2-16     and extend to her sincere best wishes for continued success and
2-17     happiness; and, be it further
2-18           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
2-19     prepared for Ms. Giddings as an expression of high regard by her
2-20     colleagues in the Texas House of Representatives.