80R776 JH-D

By: Gallego H.C.R. No. 23

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, A Texas star has forever dimmed with the passing of the Honorable Ann Richards, 45th governor of Texas, on September 13, 2006, at the age of 73; and

WHEREAS, Governor Richards once explained a profound lesson she had learned early in life: "that people liked you better if you made them laugh"; it was a truth that Ann Richards never ignored, and her engaging wit and charismatic presence, accompanied by a razor-sharp intellect, made her into a groundbreaking politician; just the second female chief executive in the state's history and the first since the 1930s, Governor Richards achieved prominence on both the state and national levels as a role model and outspoken advocate for women and other underrepresented groups seeking a voice in government affairs; and

WHEREAS, Born Dorothy Ann Willis on September 1, 1933, she was the daughter of Cecil and Ona Willis and grew up in the Waco area, first in the town of Lakeview and later in Waco itself; her abilities as a public speaker and her interest in politics emerged during her years at Waco High School; she became state debate champion during her senior year and took part in Girl's State, a mock-government assembly of Texas female students, at which she was elected lieutenant governor; and

WHEREAS, Governor Richards married while a student at Baylor University, where she earned her degree on a debate scholarship; together with her husband, she raised four children and lived in a succession of cities over the following two decades, including Washington, D.C., Dallas, and Austin, and she went on to earn a teaching certificate and to work as a middle-school educator; she was also active in Democratic party politics, helping found the North Dallas Democratic Women and assisting in several gubernatorial and senate campaigns; her first intensive involvement in government affairs occurred in the early 1970s, when she helped direct the campaign that elected Sarah Weddington to the Texas House of Representatives, and she later served as Ms. Weddington's administrative assistant; and

WHEREAS, Opting to become a candidate herself, Ann Richards was elected to the Travis County Commissioners Court in 1976, becoming its first female member, and she was reelected four years later; in 1982, she sought election as state treasurer and became the first woman to win a statewide office in Texas in 50 years; during her two terms as treasurer, she oversaw the modernization of the department's technological processes, increased state revenue, and proved that a woman could excel in the highest levels of state government; and

WHEREAS, Already a well-known figure in Texas, she stepped into the national spotlight by delivering a rousing keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention in Atlanta; building on this momentum, she entered the Texas governor's race in 1990, and after a hard-fought campaign, she became the state's chief executive, proclaiming her inauguration as "the first day of the new Texas"; and

WHEREAS, In the four years she spent in the Governor's Mansion, Ann Richards undertook a wide range of important initiatives, including changes to school financing, government oversight, insurance regulation, prison construction, and criminal sentencing; moreover, in making appointments to state boards and commissions, she chose a large number of talented women and minorities, following through on her campaign promise to make Texas government more representative of the state's population; and

WHEREAS, Her tenure as governor came to an end in 1995, but she remained an important and beloved figure in Texas and throughout the country, and her jokes and insights were on full display during her many speaking engagements; in her professional endeavors, she became a senior advisor to a Washington law firm and worked for Public Strategies, Inc., a public relations and marketing firm; a devoted civic activist, she was involved with charitable institutions such as the Save the Children Federation and helped develop the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, a public school that will open in Austin in 2007 and provide leadership training for young women, including many from economically disadvantaged families; and

WHEREAS, Commenting on the legacy she would leave behind, Governor Richards once stated that "I'd like them to remember me by saying, 'She opened government to everyone'"; that noble principle will certainly be among the hallmarks of this remarkable Texan, as will her efforts to improve the lives of the state's residents; with her endearing humor and magnetic personality, she carried forth these ideals, and her career will stand as an enduring example of inspired public service that had an enormous influence on the State of Texas and far beyond the borders of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby pay special tribute to the life of Ann Richards and that deepest condolences be paid to the members of her family: to her four children, Cecile, Daniel, Clark, and Ellen, and their spouses, to her eight grandchildren, and to the many people across the nation she made extremely proud to call Texas home; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for the members of her family and that when the Texas House of Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of Governor Ann Richards.