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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The people of Texas have lost one of their |
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staunchest advocates with the untimely, tragic passing of the |
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Honorable Frank Madla of San Antonio on November 24, 2006; and |
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WHEREAS, A 33-year veteran of the Texas Legislature, Senator |
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Madla served 20 years in the house of representatives and 13 in the |
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senate before his resignation in May 2006; during that time he hewed |
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steadfastly to deeply held principles about the values of fairness, |
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civility, and bipartisanship as he worked, quietly but skillfully |
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and tenaciously, to better the lives of Texans in his district and |
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throughout the state; and |
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WHEREAS, Frank Madla was born in Helotes on January 23, 1937, |
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and became steeped in the ranching culture of South Texas; he earned |
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B.A. and M.A. degrees in government at St. Mary's University, in |
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1959 and 1963, respectively, and early in his career he spent 10 |
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years teaching junior high school students; and |
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WHEREAS, While a young man, Senator Madla moved to the South |
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Side of San Antonio, an area whose citizens had long endured neglect |
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by local authorities; surveying the challenges that faced his |
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community, he determined to work through the political system to |
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redress inequities and expand opportunities for those on the |
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margins of society; and |
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WHEREAS, Shortly before winning his first term in the |
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legislature in 1972, he won election to the South San Antonio |
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Independent School District Board of Trustees; over the ensuing |
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years, he joined Frank Wing and Frank Tejeda as one of the most |
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influential political figures on the city's South Side; and |
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WHEREAS, At the same time, Senator Madla was establishing a |
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reputation as an effective legislator and as an expert in a number |
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of key policy areas; recognized for his broad understanding of |
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public education and school finance, he was appointed to the blue |
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ribbon commission established in 1984 by Governor Mark White and |
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chaired by H. Ross Perot; the commission's report led to major |
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reforms that dramatically improved the state's educational |
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standing; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to his deep involvement in educational |
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matters, Senator Madla worked extensively on issues related to |
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health and human services, water policy, and rural affairs; he |
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played an instrumental role in the creation of the Epilepsy Center |
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of South Texas, the In-Home and Family Support Program, and the |
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Office of Rural Health Care, as well as in expanding the scope of |
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practice permitted to physician assistants in rural areas; and |
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WHEREAS, Many of his most visible achievements centered on |
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San Antonio; Senator Madla secured $20 million to redevelop Kelly |
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Air Force Base, helped to make possible a new arena for the San |
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Antonio Spurs, and provided critical assistance in bringing a |
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Toyota truck plant to the Alamo City; in recent years, he also |
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scored significant victories in his determined campaign to make |
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higher education more accessible to area students, winning |
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authorization and the approval of $40 million in bond funding for |
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the establishment of a Texas A&M University campus in South San |
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Antonio; and |
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WHEREAS, A master of the legislative process, Frank Madla |
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succeeded in passing more than 100 house bills and 570 senate bills |
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over the course of his political career; among the members of the |
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upper chamber, he ranked first in the percentage of bills he was |
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able to pass and have signed by the governor; and |
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WHEREAS, In his final legislative term, this esteemed Texan |
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was honored with election as senate president pro tempore; his |
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outstanding work won him many other accolades through the years, |
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including awards from the Texas Hospital Association, the Texas |
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Academy of Family Physicians, Texas Medicine Magazine, the |
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Association of Rural Communities in Texas, the Texas Police Chiefs |
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Association, the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association, and The |
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University of Texas at San Antonio; and |
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WHEREAS, In his life away from the legislature, Senator Madla |
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devoted his energies to various business endeavors, to his duties |
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as a part-time instructor at Incarnate Word University, and to the |
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craft of nature photography, an avocation he pursued with a joyful |
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enthusiasm; and |
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WHEREAS, He took the greatest delight of all in his |
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family--in his beloved wife, Helen, in their two adored children, |
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and in their cherished granddaughter, Aleena; and |
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WHEREAS, Anchored by a deep and abiding religious faith, |
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Senator Madla continued to believe that government should serve all |
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of the people, protecting especially the weak and powerless, and |
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that the best solutions were achieved when everyone worked |
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together; he leaves behind numerous loved ones whose lives were |
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blessed by his presence, countless friends who treasured his |
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decency and tireless commitment to public service, and a shining |
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legacy that will enrich his fellow citizens for generations to |
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come; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable Frank |
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Madla and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to |
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his mother, Epimena Madla; to his wife, Helen Madla; to his son, Dr. |
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Frank Madla III and his wife, Nenette; to his daughter, Marci Madla; |
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to his step-granddaughter, Crystal Torres; to his brother, Ralph |
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Madla; to his sister, Mary Ellen Ibarra and her husband, Joe; and to |
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his many other relatives and friends; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of the |
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Honorable Frank Madla. |