81S10086 JGH-D

By: Hodge H.R. No. 17

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, The State of Texas lost a distinguished native son and legendary champion of the underdog with the passing of Jim Mattox of Dripping Springs on November 20, 2008, at the age of 65; and

WHEREAS, Born in Dallas on August 29, 1943, James Albon Mattox was the oldest child of a union sheet-metal worker and a waitress; he worked his way through Baylor University, initially intending to enter the ministry; when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in his own hometown, he felt called to public service, and after earning his law degree from Southern Methodist University, he became an aide to U.S. Representative Earle Cabell in the Fifth Congressional District; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Mattox went on to join the Dallas County district attorney's office as a criminal prosecutor; in 1973, he began the first of two terms in the Texas House of Representatives, where he helped draft the state's first open-records law as a member of the bipartisan reform group "the Dirty 30" and was instrumental in the passage of consumer protection laws; after winning the Fifth Congressional District seat in 1976, he was elected to the powerful House Budget Committee, a singular achievement for a freshman, and during his three terms, this dynamic legislator chaired that committee's Task Force on National Security and Veterans Affairs and served on the Banking and Finance and Corporate Affairs Committees; and

WHEREAS, In 1982, Mr. Mattox was elected to the first of two remarkable terms as Texas attorney general; fearless in the face of controversy and unrelenting in his commitment to consumer rights, he took on airlines, automakers, insurance companies, and more; he made Texas a national leader in prosecuting deceptive advertising practices and won millions of dollars in settlements for the state; in addition, he battled for struggling single parents and their children, bringing sweeping change to the system for collecting child support, and he greatly increased gender and racial diversity in the attorney general's office; and

WHEREAS, Even after beginning a private law practice, Mr. Mattox remained a lion in Democratic politics and continued to strive for progressive causes and reform; he served as a delegate at numerous national conventions and contributed in myriad ways during the 2008 election cycle; most recently, he testified at a hearing on his party's "Texas two-step" system for nominating presidential candidates and drew a standing ovation for his rousing words; and

WHEREAS, Devoted to his family, Mr. Mattox helped support and nurture his young brother and sister after his mother's untimely death; moreover, he enjoyed a rewarding marriage of 18 years to Marta Mattox and cherished their two children, Jim and Janet; as engaging and generous as he was outspoken, he will be deeply mourned by those who knew him, from his childhood neighbors to his colleagues in public office; a Texan who cast a long shadow, Jim Mattox raised his voice loudly for working Americans, and his achievements will continue to resonate in this state for many years to come; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby pay special tribute to the memory of Jim Mattox and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Marta; to his son, Jim; to his daughter, Janet; to his sister, Janice; to his brother, Jerry; and to his other friends and admirers across the country; 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 Jim Mattox.