1-1 1 1-2 SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 304 1-3 WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas takes pleasure 1-4 in joining the residents of Fort Bend County in declaring 1-5 Wednesday, February 21, 2001, as Fort Bend County Capitol Day; 1-6 and 1-7 WHEREAS, Fort Bend County was named in honor of the old 1-8 Fort Bend, a frontier outpost established on a bend of the 1-9 Brazos River in 1821; and 1-10 WHEREAS, Created in 1837, the county was a major 1-11 settlement site for Stephen F. Austin's first colony of settlers, 1-12 the Old Three Hundred, who farmed land and established homes along 1-13 the Brazos River and the Oyster Creek area; and 1-14 WHEREAS, Fort Bend County is a popular area for fishing, 1-15 hunting, and vacationing; yet it has recently been named the 1-16 number two location in the United States for manufacturing by 1-17 the National Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives; 1-18 and 1-19 WHEREAS, Fort Bend County is currently gaining national 1-20 recognition for its quality of human resources, amazing growth, 1-21 and economic vibrance; the county enjoyed the third fastest 2-1 population growth of any United States county through the first 2-2 half of the nineties; and 2-3 WHEREAS, The county is leading the state in job creation 2-4 at three times the state average for new manufacturing jobs, and 2-5 American Demographics named Fort Bend County the nation's third 2-6 best address for managerial and professional workers; and 2-7 WHEREAS, An analysis of data from the United States 2-8 Department of Commerce shows that the size of the economy, 2-9 earnings, and employment have grown at a rate much faster than 2-10 99 percent of all economies in the country over the last 10 years; 2-11 and 2-12 WHEREAS, The University of Houston Center for Public Policy 2-13 Institute for Regional Forecasting indicates dynamic growth for 2-14 the future of Fort Bend, with the current population more than 2-15 doubling by the year 2020; and 2-16 WHEREAS, Fort Bend County residents have an award-winning 2-17 school system and a strong economy, and they provide much of 2-18 the state's rice, corn, and nursery crops; and 2-19 WHEREAS, While Fort Bend County offers the opportunities 2-20 generated by fast growing communities, its natural beauty and 2-21 rural charm have been retained, and the residents of Fort Bend 2-22 County deserve to be proud of their efforts and planning; now, 2-23 therefore, be it 3-1 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 3-2 77th Legislature, hereby extend best wishes to the people of 3-3 Fort Bend County for a joyous and celebratory Fort Bend County 3-4 Capitol Day; and, be it further 3-5 RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared 3-6 for the residents of Fort Bend County as an expression of 3-7 esteem from the Texas Senate. 3-8 Brown, Armbrister, 3-9 Ellis 3-10 ______________________________ _______________________________ 3-11 Member, Texas Senate Member, Texas Senate 3-12 ______________________________ 3-13 Member, Texas Senate 3-14 _______________________________ 3-15 President of the Senate 3-16 I hereby certify that the 3-17 above Resolution was adopted by 3-18 the Senate on February 20, 2001. 3-19 _______________________________ 3-20 Secretary of the Senate