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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 1077
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WHEREAS, For more than a century, the Legislative Reference |
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Library has provided invaluable assistance to Texas lawmakers; and |
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WHEREAS, Signaling to the world that the Texas Legislature |
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early on understood the value of a reference library, leaders of |
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this state reserved a special place at the core of the 1888 |
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Capitol to house this vital resource for current and future |
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generations; the Legislative Reference Library was established |
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on the second floor in the north wing to assist members of the |
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legislature and their staff, and its resources are also available |
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to the lieutenant governor, speaker, and their staffs, to the |
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staff of the governor's office, to legislative officers, agencies, |
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and committees, to state agencies and commissions, to librarians |
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and legislators from other states, to members of the press, and |
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to Texas citizens; and |
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WHEREAS, The tools may change through the decades, but the |
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need for information endures, and the library's electronic data |
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systems currently expedite the delivery of knowledge to the |
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legislative community in both direct and indirect ways; the creation, |
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compilation, and utilization of information in a reliable and |
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timely fashion are provided today in a manner unimaginable by |
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the legislature in 1888, yet the importance of the Legislative |
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Reference Library's continued proximity to the seat of Texas |
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government was reaffirmed during the restoration of the Capitol |
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in the 1990s, thus underscoring the intrinsic value of this |
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treasured institution; and |
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WHEREAS, The effectiveness of the library would not be |
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possible without the talented people who staff it; these individuals |
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provide in-depth analyses of legislation from all 50 states, |
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respond to historical legislative queries, and create ad hoc |
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legislative statistical reports for staff in the speaker's and |
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lieutenant governor's offices; during legislative sessions, the |
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library plays an integral part in the legislative process; staff |
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develop electronic records in the Texas Legislative Tracking |
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system for each bill or resolution filed and furnish real-time |
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information to the legislative community, to executive agencies, |
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and to citizens of this state through such proprietary |
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applications as TLIS and TLO; and |
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WHEREAS, Stationed on the floor of the house and senate |
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chambers, library staff enter legislative actions as they occur, |
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and they work closely with the senate and house parliamentarians, |
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senate and house journal clerks, chief clerk of the house, secretary |
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of the senate, and their staffs to ensure that records are accurate |
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and complete; library staff members are also responsible for |
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assigning and entering subject terms and companion relationships, |
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and they review enrolled legislation for effective dates of each |
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measure; in addition, the library operates a toll-free bill status |
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hotline; and |
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WHEREAS, The Legislative Reference Library maintains the |
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most comprehensive physical repository of information relating |
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to the Texas Legislature, including original legislative bill |
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files from the 63rd Legislature to present, historical and |
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current publications of legislative committees, state agencies, |
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and institutions of higher education, legislative legal |
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resources, journals, law reviews, and periodicals; a circulating |
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collection of materials is also made available to the legislative |
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community; and |
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WHEREAS, Each business day, the library compiles select |
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articles from newspapers statewide for the legislative community, |
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and it generates weekly listings of important journal articles |
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and quarterly listings of newsworthy additions to the library's |
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collection; the Legislative Reference Library strives to provide |
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accurate and up-to-date legislative information electronically |
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through a number of databases; the Texas Appointment System |
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contains information on members of state councils, boards, and |
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committees appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor, and |
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speaker; the Legislative Archive System holds the only |
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electronic version of original legislative bill files and |
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documentation, while the Index to Sections Affected is the sole |
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source of information detailing the proposed statutory effect of |
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bills; moreover, the library maintains Texas Legislators: Past & |
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Present, highlighting legislative membership information from |
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1846 to today, as well as a legislative reports database covering |
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that same period, and it archives gubernatorial executive orders, |
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messages, and proclamations; and |
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WHEREAS, Guided skillfully by director Mary Camp, the library |
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staff includes assistant director Catherine Wusterhausen, |
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administrative-legislative staff Donald Brower, Jay Young, Julia |
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Walden, Michelle Martinez, PJ Ellison, and Lindsey Johns, |
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clipping service staffers David Wood, Karen Wright, and Kathy |
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Powell, librarians Adrienne Sonder, Ana Sifuentes-Martinez, |
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Becky Johnson, Brandon Vasquez, Ia Wood, Jesse Saunders, Karen |
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McBurney, Kay Schlueter, Lindsay Wickham, Melanie Harshman, |
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Nancy Watson, Penelope Dukes-Williams, Rona Mertink, and Sally |
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Harlow, library clerks Leah Alejandro and Vincent Cowan, and bill |
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status clerks Emily Fankell, Kali Palmer, Katie Oncken, and Leo |
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Casanova; and |
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WHEREAS, These hardworking professionals demonstrate an |
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unyielding commitment to excellence as they carry on the long and |
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storied tradition of their agency, and they may take justifiable |
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pride in the important services they provide to the legislature |
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and to the citizens of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 84th |
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Legislature, hereby honor the Legislative Reference Library and |
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extend to the staff members sincere appreciation for their |
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outstanding contributions; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of the Resolution be |
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prepared for the library as an expression of high regard from the |
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Texas Senate. |
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Hancock |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on June 1, 2015. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |