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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Tom Smith is retiring as director of the Texas |
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office of Public Citizen on February 15, 2017, drawing to a close a |
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distinguished tenure with the organization that has spanned 32 |
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years; and |
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WHEREAS, A dedicated advocate for the environment, ethics in |
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the public sphere, and campaign finance reform, "Smitty" Smith |
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joined Public Citizen in 1985; over the next three decades, he |
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helped to make Texas a national leader in renewable energy by |
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conducting studies, organizing supporters, and assembling |
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coalitions to push for wind and solar power; in addition, he worked |
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with state policy makers to develop the Texas Emissions Reduction |
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Plan, which has granted more than $1 billion for the replacement of |
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diesel engines and has cut more than 160,000 tons of smog-forming |
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nitrogen oxides; and |
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WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan also mobilized citizens to stop |
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the construction of proposed coal and nuclear power plants, and he |
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provided crucial support for the state's building energy code, a |
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piece of legislation that has brought about significant reductions |
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in energy use by new homes; moreover, he has played a key role in the |
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crafting and passage of major ethics reforms, including the |
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creation of the state's ethics commission; during his exemplary |
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tenure, he has testified before the Texas Legislature and the |
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U.S. Congress more than 1,000 times; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2001, Mr. Smith was named "Best People's |
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Lobbyist" by the Austin Chronicle, and the newspaper gave him its |
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Best Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016; his many other accolades |
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include the Environmental Excellence Award from the EPA, the |
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Achievement in Advocacy Award from the American Wind Energy |
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Association, and the prestigious Heinz Award; and |
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WHEREAS, An Illinois native, Mr. Smith holds a bachelor's |
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degree in urban studies from Valparaiso University; he moved to |
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Kingsville in 1974 to become a VISTA volunteer, and he went on to |
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serve as food bank development coordinator for Second Harvest Food |
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Bank, as director of the Houston Food Bank and of the Southwest |
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Regional Office of the Community Nutrition Institute, and as a |
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legal assistant with Texas Rural Legal Aid and Prairie State Legal |
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Services; and |
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WHEREAS, A tremendously inspiring, dynamic leader, Smitty |
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Smith has made an immeasurable impact on the Lone Star State, and in |
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so doing, he has earned the lasting respect and gratitude of his |
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fellow citizens; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Tom "Smitty" Smith on the occasion |
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of his retirement as director of the Texas office of Public Citizen |
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and extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Smith as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |