SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 294

In Memory

of

Michael Hardee Driscoll

WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas joins the residents of the Lone Star State in mourning the loss of former Harris County Attorney Michael Hardee Driscoll, who died February 19, 2013, at the age of 66; and

WHEREAS, This revered gentleman leaves behind a legacy of political cooperation and bipartisanship; he was admired by his peers for consistently putting the public interest before his own personal gain; and

WHEREAS, A Democrat who had friends on both sides of the aisle, Mr. Driscoll worked to limit sexually oriented businesses in Harris County, and he was a conservationist at a time when few public figures championed environmental protections; and

WHEREAS, Throughout his career, this man of integrity fought to maintain balance and justice in his native Houston; he was admired for his refusal to sidestep challenging issues, even when those issues were politically controversial; and

WHEREAS, A nephew of both former United States Senator Ralph Yarborough and former Houston Mayor Neal Pickett, Mr. Driscoll began his own career in public service after he graduated from law school at the University of Houston; and

WHEREAS, He was elected Justice of the Peace for Precinct 8, Position 1, in 1973, and held that post until 1978; three years later, he became Harris County Attorney, a position in which he served honorably until 1996, when he learned he had Parkinson's disease and chose not to run for reelection; and

WHEREAS, Born in Houston in 1946 to Victor and Inez Driscoll, Mr. Driscoll was intrigued by politics early on; he worked as a congressional page in Washington, D.C., when he was a teenager; that trajectory of public service continued throughout his career, and the many achievements of this exemplary Texan will be long remembered; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the family of former Harris County Attorney Michael Hardee Driscoll; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas Senate, and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Mike Driscoll. Ellis

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on February 25, 2013, by a rising vote.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate