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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, February 5-9, 2007, is being celebrated as Texas |
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Technology Week in order to create public awareness of the |
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extraordinary achievements of these industries and the vital role |
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they play in the prosperity of the Lone Star State; and |
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WHEREAS, Sponsoring Texas Technology Week are the AeA Texas |
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Council, the Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute, the |
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Metroplex Technology Business Council, and TechNet Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, The state's technology and life-sciences industries |
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and research institutions are revolutionizing the world we live in, |
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achieving leading-edge advances in medicine, space exploration, |
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computing, communications, energy, and transportation; these |
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industries employ more Texans than the oil, natural gas, and |
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agriculture industries combined, and their high-wage, high-skill |
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jobs contribute to a diverse and growing economy; and |
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WHEREAS, People around the globe have benefited immeasurably |
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from the medical treatments and devices developed by Texas |
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companies; the Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute, whose |
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membership includes universities and private research |
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institutions, as well as biotechnology, medical device, and |
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pharmaceutical companies, acknowledges that between 2000 and 2004, |
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approximately 2,700 Texas biotechnology patents were issued and |
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that the state's biotechnology-related patent growth is outpacing |
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the national average; and |
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WHEREAS, The life-sciences industry constitutes a |
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significant pillar of the Texas economy; including approximately |
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3,000 establishments employing more than 75,000 Texans, with the |
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promise of continued job growth for many years to come; and |
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WHEREAS, AeA, the nation's largest high-tech trade group, |
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reports that Texas ranks second in the country in high-tech |
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employment, with some 436,000 jobs and with 57 of every 1,000 |
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private sector workers in our state employed by high-tech firms; |
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moreover, Texas ranks 12th among all the states in terms of its |
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high-tech average wage, a wage that is nearly double that of the |
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average private sector worker, allowing the industry to provide an |
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aggregate high-tech payroll of $31.5 billion; the importance of |
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this industry to Texans is further underscored by the fact that |
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high-tech products account for 26 percent of the state's |
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international exports; and |
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WHEREAS, All sectors of the high-technology and |
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life-sciences community are joining together this week to discuss |
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the major issues facing their industries and to affirm their |
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support for a strong system of public and higher education, a |
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critical factor in providing the highly skilled workforce on which |
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these industries depend; and |
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WHEREAS, The technology and life-sciences industry have |
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become a tremendous engine of economic growth in the State of Texas, |
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and the benefits of their research and production enrich people the |
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world over; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 5-9, 2007, as Texas |
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Technology Week and commend its sponsors for their outstanding |
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efforts in promoting research, development, products, services, |
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and manufacturing in the State of Texas. |
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Morrison |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 256 was adopted by the House on |
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February 7, 2007, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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