83R3766 JWI-D

By: Alvarado 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.