H.R. No. 2159

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The Honorable D. R. Uher of Bay City is being
	recognized on May 18, 2009, by Bay City Masonic Lodge No. 865 with
	that organization's Community Builder Award; and
	WHEREAS, The Community Builder Award was adopted by the Grand
	Lodge of Texas in 1991 to serve as a means by which local Masonic
	lodges might recognize non-Masons who have distinguished
	themselves through their service to the community; and
	WHEREAS, "Tom" Uher is well known in Bay City for his
	outstanding service in the Texas House of Representatives, his
	staunch support of local community and church undertakings, and his
	significant encouragement of Masonic projects; and
	WHEREAS, Initially elected to the 60th Texas Legislature,
	this esteemed Texan represented the people of Matagorda County and
	its vicinity for some 3-1/2 decades; during that time, his
	committee chairmanships included those of the state affairs and
	redistricting committees and the higher education subcommittee on
	budget and oversight; his laid-back style, disciplined work ethic,
	and independent thinking served him well as he successfully passed
	important legislation that impacted almost every aspect of our
	society and that continues to benefit his district and this state;
	and
	WHEREAS, The longest continually serving member of the house
	during his last 10 years in office, Mr. Uher held the post of
	speaker pro tempore from 1993 until 2003; as an elder statesman in
	the legislature, he reached out to new members regardless of their
	party affiliation and offered them guidance and assistance; and
	WHEREAS, Widely acclaimed as the embodiment of a true public
	servant, Mr. Uher has received many statewide accolades, including
	selection as one of the 10 best legislators by Texas Monthly and one
	of the top 11 legislators by the Texas Civil Justice League; he was
	also designated as the Outstanding House Chairman by the Texas
	Lawman, Representative of the Year by the Texas Game Warden
	Association, and Outstanding Legislator by the Texas Junior College
	Association; among the many other tributes conferred on him have
	been the Legislative Leadership Award of the Texas Chamber of
	Commerce, the Distinguished Service Award of the Vocational
	Agriculture Teachers Association of Texas, and the White Hat Award
	of the Texas Farmers Union; and
	WHEREAS, Just as Mr. Uher was always available to his
	constituents, he has always given generously of his time and
	talents to a host of church and community projects in the Bay City
	area; a longtime member of the First Presbyterian Church of Bay
	City, he serves his fellow congregants as a Sunday school teacher
	and elder; moreover, he remains deeply interested in the state's
	educational system and sits on the board of directors of the Wharton
	County Junior College Foundation; and
	WHEREAS, In his professional life, Mr. Uher maintains an
	active legal practice and serves as a member of the Prosperity
	Bank--South Texas Board of Directors; and
	WHEREAS, Tom Uher is the devoted husband of Ann Uher, his wife
	of 46 years, and the proud father of three children, Robert, Christi
	Jo, and Catherine; he delights in spending time with his grandson,
	Christopher, and coaches his basketball squad and minor league
	Astros baseball team; and
	WHEREAS, Mr. Uher has consistently supported the work of Bay
	City Masonic Lodge No. 865 and is especially admired by the members
	of that lodge for his sterling character and for his immeasurable
	contributions to Bay City and to the Lone Star State; now,
	therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
	Legislature hereby congratulate the Honorable Tom Uher on his
	receipt of the Community Builder Award from Masonic Lodge No. 865
	and commend him for his exceptional record of public service; and,
	be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
	prepared for Mr. Uher as an expression of high regard by the Texas
	House of Representatives.
	Bonnen
	Straus Gattis Menendez
	Allen Geren Merritt
	Alonzo Giddings Miklos
	Alvarado Gonzales Miller of Comal
	Anchia Gonzalez Toureilles Miller of Erath
	Anderson Guillen Moody
	Aycock Gutierrez Morrison
	Berman Hamilton Naishtat
	Bohac Hancock Oliveira
	Bolton Hardcastle Olivo
	Bonnen Harless Orr
	Branch Harper-Brown Ortiz, Jr.
	Brown of Kaufman Hartnett Otto
	Brown of Brazos Heflin Parker
	Burnam Hernandez Patrick
	Button Herrero Paxton
	Callegari Hilderbran Peña
	Castro Hochberg Phillips
	Chavez Hodge Pickett
	Chisum Homer Pierson
	Christian Hopson Pitts
	Cohen Howard of Fort Bend Quintanilla
	Coleman Howard of Travis Raymond
	Cook Hughes Riddle
	Corte Hunter Rios Ybarra
	Crabb Isett Ritter
	Craddick Jackson Rodriguez
	Creighton Jones Rose
	Crownover Keffer Sheffield
	Darby Kent Shelton
	Davis of Harris King of Parker Smith of Tarrant
	Davis of Dallas King of Taylor Smith of Harris
	Deshotel King of Zavala Smithee
	Driver Kleinschmidt Solomons
	Dukes Kolkhorst Strama
	Dunnam Kuempel Swinford
	Dutton Laubenberg Taylor
	Edwards Legler Thibaut
	Eiland Leibowitz Thompson
	Eissler Lewis Truitt
	Elkins Lucio III Turner of Tarrant
	England Madden Turner of Harris
	Farabee Maldonado Vaught
	Farias Mallory Caraway Veasey
	Farrar Marquez Villarreal
	Fletcher Martinez Vo
	Flores Martinez Fischer Walle
	Flynn McCall Weber
	Frost McClendon Woolley
	Gallego McReynolds Zerwas
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 2159 was adopted by the House on May
	15, 2009, by a non-record vote.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House