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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The year 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the |
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birth of Lady Bird Johnson, and that occasion provides a fitting |
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opportunity to remember the former first lady for her tireless |
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efforts to preserve the natural beauty of our state and nation; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on December 22, 1912, in Karnack, the former |
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Claudia Alta Taylor spent many hours of her childhood paddling on |
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Caddo Lake under ancient cypress trees, and those early experiences |
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awakened in her a lifelong love of nature; she earned bachelor's |
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degrees in history and journalism from The University of Texas at |
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Austin and met Lyndon Baines Johnson shortly after graduating; they |
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married on November 17, 1934; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Johnson distinguished herself as a successful |
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businesswoman and political campaigner in the ensuing years; she |
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helped her husband immensely in his bids for a seat in Congress and |
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then in the U.S. Senate; along the way, she became the mother of two |
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daughters, Lynda Bird and Luci Baines; Mrs. Johnson's graceful |
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presence at her husband's side when he was thrust into the |
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presidency in November 1963 after the Kennedy assassination helped |
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to reassure a deeply saddened nation facing an unexpected |
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transition; and |
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WHEREAS, Soon after President Johnson was elected to his |
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first full term in 1964, Mrs. Johnson began her work in the area of |
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conservation and beautification; one of the most important results |
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of her work was the Highway Beautification Act of 1965, which |
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encouraged scenic enhancement and wildflower planting along |
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roadsides, and paved the way for today's requirement that at least |
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one-quarter of one percent of funds spent on landscaping projects |
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in the highway system be used to plant native wildflowers; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1964, Mrs. Johnson sought to make our nation's |
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capital a garden city and a model for the rest of the country, |
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planting flowers on the National Mall and throughout parks in |
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low-income neighborhoods and persuading private businesses to |
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undertake similar efforts; she also focused the country's attention |
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on America's natural treasures by visiting historic sites, national |
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parks, and scenic areas; and |
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WHEREAS, Among the major legislative initiatives passed |
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during the Johnson administration were the Wilderness Act of 1964, |
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the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Wild and Scenic Rivers |
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program, additions to the National Park system, and 200 |
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environmental laws; in a tribute to his wife's work, President |
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Johnson presented her in 1968 with 50 pens used to sign 50 laws |
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related to conservation and beautification; and |
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WHEREAS, After returning to her home state with her husband |
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in 1969, Mrs. Johnson devoted herself to the landscape of Texas; she |
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was a leading force behind the establishment of Austin's hike and |
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bike trail, and for two decades she supported beautification by |
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personally giving awards to districts that used native Texas plants |
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and scenery to the best advantage in their planning; and |
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WHEREAS, With her friend, actress Helen Hayes, Mrs. Johnson |
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founded in 1982 what is now the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center; |
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a component of The University of Texas at Austin, the center is a |
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national leader in research, education, and the development of |
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projects that promote sustainability and the use of native plants |
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that help to conserve water, minimize the use of fertilizers and |
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pesticides, and convey a unique sense of place; the center sponsors |
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a national, voluntary rating system for sustainable landscapes, |
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collects millions of seeds for preservation and restoration, and |
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consults on related issues with corporations, national parks, and |
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urban developments; and |
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WHEREAS, A deeply engaged citizen and visionary, Mrs. Johnson |
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passed away on July 11, 2007, but her legacy lives on in the scenic |
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vistas of wildflowers that line so many of the Lone Star State's |
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roadways, and we, as Texans, are fortunate beneficiaries of her |
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devotion to the natural world; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate the year 2012 as the Lady Bird Johnson Centennial |
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Year in observance of the 100th anniversary of the birth of this |
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beloved First Lady. |