H.R. No. 72

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The State of Texas lost a devoted public servant and
	powerful advocate for the common good with the death of Senator
	Mario Valentin Gallegos, Jr., on October 16, 2012, at the age of 62;
	and
	WHEREAS, A lifelong Houstonian, Mario Gallegos was born on
	September 8, 1950, and grew up in the Magnolia Park neighborhood; he
	graduated from Milby High School and later completed his bachelor's
	degree at the University of Houston-Downtown; at the age of only 18,
	he joined the Houston Fire Department, where he served with
	distinction for 22 years before retiring as a senior captain; it was
	during this time, when he was active in the firefighter's union,
	that he developed the interest in politics that eventually led him
	from the red engines of the fire station to the pink dome of the
	State Capitol; and
	WHEREAS, Beginning his notable 22-year tenure in the Texas
	Legislature when he was elected to the house of representatives in
	1990, he became the first Hispanic to represent Harris County in the
	state senate when he took the oath of office in 1995; and
	WHEREAS, Senator Gallegos consistently supported measures
	that he saw as crucial for the well-being of the predominantly
	working-class residents of his district, and he was the author of a
	number of bills relating to economic development and community
	revitalization; he was a strong voice for the University of Houston
	and was always a leader in issues of concern to emergency services
	and law enforcement personnel; and
	WHEREAS, To say nothing would keep Senator Gallegos from
	defending the causes in which he believed was proved an
	understatement in an unforgettable event in 2007; just weeks after
	receiving a liver transplant, and against his doctor's orders, he
	returned to Austin and had a hospital bed installed in the office of
	the senate sergeant-at-arms to ensure that he could cast his vote
	during debate on a voter ID bill; and
	WHEREAS, Senator Gallegos received many awards over the
	years; he was honored by the Texas State Association of Fire
	Fighters and was named Legislator of the Year by the Justice of the
	Peace and Constables Association of Texas and Senator of the Year by
	the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas; he also received
	the Sierra Club's State Legislative Service Award for Clean Air,
	the Texas Women's Political Caucus Good Guy Award, and the Texas
	Municipal League's Distinguished Legislative Service Award;
	additionally, he was named the Fiestas Patrias Distinguished
	Hispanic of the Year and the Mexican-American Bar Association of
	Texas' Legislator of the Year; and
	WHEREAS, Mario Gallegos was committed to creating a brighter
	future for people throughout the Lone Star State; while it is
	difficult to imagine the legislature without him, his legacy as a
	tireless champion of his constituents' interests remains to inspire
	those he left behind; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
	Legislature hereby pay tribute to the Honorable Mario Valentin
	Gallegos, Jr., and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his
	family: to his wife, Theresa Gallegos; to his children, Ali
	Templer, Melissa Gallegos, and Mario Elias Gallegos; to his
	grandchildren, Jake Gallegos, Hollis Templer, Jesse Gallegos,
	Teresa Hernandez, and Cristina Hernandez; to his mother, Olga
	Gallegos; to his sisters and brothers, Maria Gallegos, Olga McGee,
	Lillian Villarreal, Joel Gallegos, Michael Gallegos, and Cynthia
	Trevino; and to his other relatives and many friends; 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 Senator
	Mario Gallegos.
	Alvarado
	Straus M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira
	Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr
	Alonzo Gooden Otto
	Alvarado Guerra Paddie
	Anchia Guillen Parker
	Anderson Gutierrez Patrick
	Ashby Harless Perez
	Aycock Harper-Brown Perry
	Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips
	Bohac Herrero Pickett
	Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts
	Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price
	Branch Huberty Raney
	Burkett Hughes Ratliff
	Burnam Hunter Raymond
	Button Isaac Reynolds
	Callegari Johnson Riddle
	Canales Kacal Ritter
	Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar
	Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis
	Clardy King of Parker Rose
	Coleman King of Taylor Sanford
	Collier King of Zavala Schaefer
	Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets
	Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell
	Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell
	Creighton Krause Simmons
	Crownover Kuempel Simpson
	Dale Larson Smith
	Darby Laubenberg Smithee
	Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer
	J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson
	S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland
	Deshotel Longoria Strama
	Dukes Lozano Taylor
	Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria
	Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris
	Elkins Martinez Toth
	Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin
	Farias McClendon Turner of Harris
	Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant
	Farrar Miles Villalba
	Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal
	Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo
	Frank Moody Walle
	Frullo Morrison White
	Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman
	Giddings Murphy Wu
	Goldman Naishtat Zedler
	Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 72 was unanimously adopted by a rising
	vote of the House on January 15, 2013.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House