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                                                                  H.R. No. 733



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The Hispanic Issues Section of the State Bar of 
Texas will observe the 25th anniversary of its organizational 
meeting at the annual state bar gathering in 2004, which will be 
held in San Antonio, the city where the section was founded; and
	WHEREAS, It is fitting to recall the history of the founding 
of the Hispanic Issues Section, formerly known as the Section on 
Concerns of the Spanish Speaking Community of Texas, the first 
state bar section organized specifically for the study of issues 
affecting a particular ethnic community; and
	WHEREAS, Organizational efforts began with a meeting of the 
Chicano Bar Association of South Texas held in Alice in 1978 and led 
by its president, Mañuel Bañales, now a judge of the 105th District 
Court; James W. Wray, the state bar director of the Eleventh Bar 
District, offered to sponsor the organization of a section 
dedicated to focusing the legal community's attention on issues 
affecting the Spanish-speaking community; an organizational 
committee was recruited, met in San Antonio, and elected Frank 
Herrera of the Alamo City as chair; and
	WHEREAS, The Mexican American Legislative Caucus of the Texas 
House of Representatives supported the section; caucus chair State 
Representative Paul Moreno of El Paso, and State Representatives 
Irma Rangel of Kingsville, Matt Garcia of San Antonio, and Melchor 
Chavez of Brownsville, with Frank Herrera, Mañuel Bañales, and Jose 
Rodriguez, who succeeded Mr. Bañales as president of the Chicano 
Bar Association of South Texas, appeared at the January 1979 
meeting of the State Bar of Texas board to urge adoption of the 
motion to establish the section, and the motion was approved 
unanimously; and
	WHEREAS, The Hispanic Issues Section was organized that year 
at the annual meeting of the State Bar of Texas, held in San 
Antonio; Pete Torres, Jr., of that city was chosen as its first 
chair; and
	WHEREAS, By endorsing the Hispanic Issues Section, the State 
Bar of Texas took a giant step toward addressing a greater variety 
of issues, including those affecting persons who may have limited 
access to the legal community and limited ability to influence the 
legal processes that affect their daily lives; today, the state bar 
includes numerous sections devoted to societal issues, making it of 
greater service to its members and to the people of Texas; now, 
therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas 
Legislature hereby recognize the Hispanic Issues Section of the 
State Bar of Texas on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the 
section's organizational meeting, to be observed at the annual 
meeting of the state bar in 2004 in San Antonio; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
presented to Maria Luisa "Lulu" Flores, chair of the Hispanic 
Issues Section of the State Bar of Texas, for presentation to its 
members.

                                                                          Capelo

                                                  ______________________________
                                                       Speaker of the House     

	I certify that H.R. No. 733 was adopted by the House on May 2, 
2003, by a non-record vote.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House