H.C.R. No. 67

	HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
	WHEREAS, The State of Texas continues to endure substantial
	economic losses due to a prolonged drought that has crippled the
	state for nearly two years; the loss of crops and livestock and
	drought-induced fires have left the state's farmers and ranchers in
	desperate need of continued federal assistance to offset the losses
	suffered as a result of this natural disaster; and
	WHEREAS, The drought has cost the state nearly $2.5 billion
	in total crop loss, more than $1 billion of which is attributed to a
	decrease in the cotton harvest, the state's number one cash crop; in
	addition, the latest forecasts for 2006 show the state's wheat
	harvest has decreased by more than 60 percent, corn production is
	down by 26 percent, soybean production has decreased by more than 30
	percent, and the state's production of peanuts and sorghum is
	expected to be down by 40 percent; and
	WHEREAS, An estimated $1.6 billion in livestock losses, as
	well as the rising cost of hay and supplemental feed, have forced
	many ranchers to sell their cattle earlier than anticipated, which
	will undoubtedly cause a decrease in the beef supply for several
	years; all told, the total agricultural loss to the state stands at
	more than $4 billion; and
	WHEREAS, This dire economic impact is shared by the
	businesses that support the agriculture community, specifically
	those in rural areas, where projections estimate the loss to be
	nearly $8 billion; the businesses affected include those that
	provide equipment or machinery, supplies, feed, and professional
	services such as veterinarians; and
	WHEREAS, Adding insult to injury, the drought has resulted in
	more than 21,000 fires, burning in excess of two million acres
	between January and November, 2006, and contributing to the loss of
	5,000 miles of fence and 5,000 cattle in the Panhandle alone; the
	fires in the northern regions of the state have certainly
	contributed to the diminution in hay production, and the United
	States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that 77 percent
	of Texas' hay production was lost during the same period; and
	WHEREAS, To alleviate this financial burden, the Texas
	Department of Agriculture will administer a total of $16.1 million
	in assistance received from the USDA to eligible livestock
	producers in 216 drought-stressed counties, but with more than $12
	billion in total economic loss as a direct result of the drought,
	more assistance is needed; the devastation to crops and livestock
	in the number two agricultural state in the nation has put a
	financial strain on Texas farmers and ranchers, and it is
	imperative that the federal government continue to assist the
	individuals and families that have suffered during this time; now,
	therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas
	hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to
	provide further drought relief to Texas; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
	copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
	the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the
	senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of the
	Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this
	resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a
	memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.
	Leibowitz Chisum Swinford
	Heflin Hardcastle Allen
	Alonzo Anchia Anderson
	Aycock Bailey Berman
	Bohac Bolton Bonnen
	Branch Brown of Kaufman Brown of Brazos
	Burnam Callegari Castro
	Chavez Cohen Coleman
	Cook of Colorado Corte Crabb
	Creighton Crownover Darby
	Davis of Harris Davis of Dallas Delisi
	Deshotel Driver Dukes
	Dunnam Dutton Eiland
	Eissler Elkins England
	Escobar Farias Farrar
	Flynn Frost Gallego
	Geren Gonzales Gonzalez Toureilles
	Guillen Hamilton Harless
	Harper-Brown Hernandez Herrero
	Hilderbran Hill Hodge
	Homer Hopson Howard of Fort Bend
	Howard of Travis Hughes Jackson
	Jones Keffer King of Taylor
	King of Zavala Kolkhorst Kuempel
	Mallory Caraway Martinez Fischer Martinez
	McClendon McReynolds Menendez
	Merritt Miles Miller
	Moreno Mowery Murphy
	Naishtat Noriega O'Day
	Oliveira Orr Ortiz, Jr.
	Otto Paxton Pena
	Phillips Pickett Pitts
	Puente Quintanilla Raymond
	Riddle Ritter Rodriguez
	Rose Smith of Tarrant Smith of Harris
	Smithee Solomons Strama
	Straus Talton Taylor
	Truitt Van Arsdale Vaught
	Veasey Villarreal Vo
	West Woolley Zedler
	Zerwas
	______________________________	______________________________
	President of the Senate	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.C.R. No. 67 was adopted by the House on March
	12, 2007, by a non-record vote.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House
	I certify that H.C.R. No. 67 was adopted by the Senate on May
	22, 2007, by a viva-voce vote.
	______________________________
	Secretary of the Senate
	APPROVED: __________________
	Date
	__________________
	Governor