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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The State of Texas has traditionally designated a |
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variety of official state symbols that embody the proud spirit and |
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rich heritage of our state; and |
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WHEREAS, The bluebonnet, the Guadalupe bass, and the |
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mockingbird serve to represent the great diversity of the flora and |
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fauna of Texas, while the state dish, chili, aptly evokes our shared |
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culinary culture; and |
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WHEREAS, In keeping with this custom, the designation of the |
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western honey bee as the official state pollinator of Texas |
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constitutes an appropriate recognition of the importance of this |
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highly productive species found in the state; and |
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WHEREAS, Known to scientists as Apis mellifera, the western |
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honey bee is the most widely domesticated of the several honey bee |
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species that exist in the world and is a familiar sight in Texas, |
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where its distinctive black-and-yellow abdomen and its zigzagging |
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flight from flower to flower make the insect instantly |
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recognizable; referred to simply as the honey bee, it is renowned |
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for its ability to make its signature sweetener and, along with |
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other members of its genus, is the only insect that produces a food |
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eaten by humankind; and |
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WHEREAS, Even more significant than the production of honey, |
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however, is the honey bee's essential role in the pollination of |
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crops; this industrious insect enables the production of at least |
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90 commercially grown crops in North America, including 75 percent |
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of all fruits, nuts, and vegetables, contributing more than $15 |
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billion to the nation's economy every year; pollination by the |
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honey bee accounts for approximately 80 percent of all insect |
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pollination, far exceeding that of butterflies, beetles, and wasps; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The honey bee is critical to the agriculture and |
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commerce of this state, where the economic impact of the food and |
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fiber sector totals more than $100 billion annually; to take but one |
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example, the bee helps Texas farmers to produce more cotton than |
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farmers anywhere else in the country; cash receipts from Texas |
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cotton in 2012 alone amounted to $2.2 billion; and |
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WHEREAS, In recognition of this insect's importance, the City |
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of Austin passed a resolution forbidding the destruction of feral |
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bees within its city limits, instead allowing colonies to be |
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sustainably relocated by Central Texas Bee Rescue; and |
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WHEREAS, A creature as beautiful and memorable as the Texas |
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sky, the western honey bee works each day to preserve the balance of |
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nature, allowing our crops to flourish, the agriculture of Texas to |
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thrive, and our economy to grow, and its unique relationship to the |
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welfare of this land makes it a truly fitting symbol for the |
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majestic spirit of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate the western honey bee as the official state |
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pollinator of Texas. |
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Naishtat |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.C.R. No. 65 was adopted by the House on May |
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5, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 142, Nays 1, 3 present, not |
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voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.C.R. No. 65 was adopted by the Senate on May |
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20, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: __________________ |
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Date |
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__________________ |
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Governor |