H.R. No. 99

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The people of Texas have lost one of their
	staunchest advocates with the untimely, tragic passing of the
	Honorable Frank Madla of San Antonio on November 24, 2006; and
	WHEREAS, A 33-year veteran of the Texas Legislature, Senator
	Madla served 20 years in the house of representatives and 13 in the
	senate before his resignation in May 2006; during that time he hewed
	steadfastly to deeply held principles about the values of fairness,
	civility, and bipartisanship as he worked, quietly but skillfully
	and tenaciously, to better the lives of Texans in his district and
	throughout the state; and
	WHEREAS, Frank Madla was born in Helotes on January 23, 1937,
	and became steeped in the ranching culture of South Texas; he earned
	B.A. and M.A. degrees in government at St. Mary's University, in
	1959 and 1963, respectively, and early in his career he spent 10
	years teaching junior high school students; and
	WHEREAS, While a young man, Senator Madla moved to the South
	Side of San Antonio, an area whose citizens had long endured neglect
	by local authorities; surveying the challenges that faced his
	community, he determined to work through the political system to
	redress inequities and expand opportunities for those on the
	margins of society; and
	WHEREAS, Shortly before winning his first term in the
	legislature in 1972, he won election to the South San Antonio
	Independent School District Board of Trustees; over the ensuing
	years, he joined Frank Wing and Frank Tejeda as one of the most
	influential political figures on the city's South Side; and
	WHEREAS, At the same time, Senator Madla was establishing a
	reputation as an effective legislator and as an expert in a number
	of key policy areas; recognized for his broad understanding of
	public education and school finance, he was appointed to the blue
	ribbon commission established in 1984 by Governor Mark White and
	chaired by H. Ross Perot; the commission's report led to major
	reforms that dramatically improved the state's educational
	standing; and
	WHEREAS, In addition to his deep involvement in educational
	matters, Senator Madla worked extensively on issues related to
	health and human services, water policy, and rural affairs; he
	played an instrumental role in the creation of the Epilepsy Center
	of South Texas, the In-Home and Family Support Program, and the
	Office of Rural Health Care, as well as in expanding the scope of
	practice permitted to physician assistants in rural areas; and
	WHEREAS, Many of his most visible achievements centered on
	San Antonio; Senator Madla secured $20 million to redevelop Kelly
	Air Force Base, helped to make possible a new arena for the San
	Antonio Spurs, and provided critical assistance in bringing a
	Toyota truck plant to the Alamo City; in recent years, he also
	scored significant victories in his determined campaign to make
	higher education more accessible to area students, winning
	authorization and the approval of $40 million in bond funding for
	the establishment of a Texas A&M University campus in South San
	Antonio; and
	WHEREAS, A master of the legislative process, Frank Madla
	succeeded in passing more than 100 house bills and 570 senate bills
	over the course of his political career; among the members of the
	upper chamber, he ranked first in the percentage of bills he was
	able to pass and have signed by the governor; and
	WHEREAS, In his final legislative term, this esteemed Texan
	was honored with election as senate president pro tempore; his
	outstanding work won him many other accolades through the years,
	including awards from the Texas Hospital Association, the Texas
	Academy of Family Physicians, Texas Medicine Magazine, the
	Association of Rural Communities in Texas, the Texas Police Chiefs
	Association, the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association, and The
	University of Texas at San Antonio; and
	WHEREAS, In his life away from the legislature, Senator Madla
	devoted his energies to various business endeavors, to his duties
	as a part-time instructor at Incarnate Word University, and to the
	craft of nature photography, an avocation he pursued with a joyful
	enthusiasm; and
	WHEREAS, He took the greatest delight of all in his
	family--in his beloved wife, Helen, in their two adored children,
	and in their cherished granddaughter, Aleena; and
	WHEREAS, Anchored by a deep and abiding religious faith,
	Senator Madla continued to believe that government should serve all
	of the people, protecting especially the weak and powerless, and
	that the best solutions were achieved when everyone worked
	together; he leaves behind numerous loved ones whose lives were
	blessed by his presence, countless friends who treasured his
	decency and tireless commitment to public service, and a shining
	legacy that will enrich his fellow citizens for generations to
	come; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas
	Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable Frank
	Madla and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to
	his mother, Epimena Madla; to his wife, Helen Madla; to his son, Dr.
	Frank Madla III and his wife, Nenette; to his daughter, Marci Madla;
	to his step-granddaughter, Crystal Torres; to his brother, Ralph
	Madla; to his sister, Mary Ellen Ibarra and her husband, Joe; and to
	his many other relatives and friends; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
	prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
	Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of the
	Honorable Frank Madla.
	Gallego
	Craddick Gattis Miles
	Allen Geren Miller
	Alonzo Giddings Moreno
	Anchia Gonzales Morrison
	Anderson Gonzalez Toureilles Mowery
	Aycock Goolsby Murphy
	Bailey Guillen Naishtat
	Berman Haggerty Noriega
	Bohac Hamilton Oliveira
	Bolton Hancock Olivo
	Bonnen Hardcastle Orr
	Branch Harless Ortiz, Jr.
	Brown of Kaufman Harper-Brown Otto
	Brown of Brazos Hartnett Parker
	Burnam Heflin Patrick
	Callegari Hernandez Paxton
	Castro Herrero Pena
	Chavez Hilderbran Phillips
	Chisum Hill Pickett
	Christian Hochberg Pierson
	Cohen Hodge Pitts
	Coleman Homer Puente
	Cook of Navarro Hopson Quintanilla
	Cook of Colorado Howard of Fort Bend Raymond
	Corte Howard of Travis Riddle
	Crabb Hughes Ritter
	Creighton Isett Rodriguez
	Crownover Jackson Rose
	Darby Jones Smith of Tarrant
	Davis of Harris Keffer Smith of Harris
	Davis of Dallas King of Parker Smithee
	Delisi King of Taylor Solomons
	Deshotel King of Zavala Strama
	Driver Kolkhorst Straus
	Dukes Krusee Swinford
	Dunnam Kuempel Talton
	Dutton Latham Taylor
	Eiland Laubenberg Thompson
	Eissler Leibowitz Truitt
	Elkins Lucio III Turner
	England Macias Van Arsdale
	Escobar Madden Vaught
	Farabee Mallory Caraway Veasey
	Farias Martinez Villarreal
	Farrar Martinez Fischer Vo
	Flores McCall West
	Flynn McClendon Woolley
	Frost McReynolds Zedler
	Gallego Menendez Zerwas
	Garcia Merritt
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 99 was unanimously adopted by a rising
	vote of the House on January 23, 2007.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House