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  H.R. No. 140
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
 
         WHEREAS, The life and achievements of the Honorable José
  Tomás Canales, a former state representative and civil rights
  trailblazer, are being honored on the 100th anniversary of his
  landmark 1919 investigation of the Texas Rangers; and
         WHEREAS, Born into a prominent Nueces County ranching family
  in 1877, J. T. Canales earned his law degree from the University of
  Michigan; from 1900 to 1903, he practiced in Corpus Christi and
  Laredo before settling in Brownsville, where he spent the next two
  decades as a lawyer and a public official; and
         WHEREAS, In addition to serving as superintendent of the
  Cameron County public schools and as a county judge, Mr. Canales
  spent five terms as a member of the Texas House of Representatives,
  holding office from 1905 to 1911 and from 1917 to 1921; the only
  Hispanic state representative at the time, he provided an important
  voice for the diverse populations living in the Lower Rio Grande
  Valley; and
         WHEREAS, One of Representative Canales's most notable
  accomplishments was his 1919 investigation into the Texas Rangers
  for their actions during the 1910s, in particular the massacre of 15
  unarmed ethnic Mexican men and boys; the Canales Investigation, as
  it became known, shined a light on the excessive violence carried
  out by the Rangers against residents of Mexican descent, which
  resulted in as many as 5,000 deaths between 1914 and 1919; though he
  faced opposition and death threats for his efforts, Representative
  Canales outlined numerous instances of misconduct by members of the
  law enforcement agency, and the investigation ultimately resulted
  in the force being reorganized and reduced in number; and
         WHEREAS, Representative Canales decided not to seek
  reelection in 1920 and retired from state office, but he remained
  active in Hispanic civil rights initiatives; he was integral to the
  founding of the League of United Latin American Citizens, and he
  served as Brownsville city attorney and chaired the Texas Council
  on Human Rights; a lifelong believer in the importance of
  accessible, high-quality education, he wrote numerous articles and
  books about Mexican American history and the development of South
  Texas; he passed away in Brownsville on March 30, 1976, at the age
  of 99; and
         WHEREAS, J. T. Canales was a pioneering figure in the
  struggle for social justice in the Lone Star State, and his vision
  and leadership remain a continuing source of inspiration; now,
  therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas
  Legislature hereby pay tribute to the legacy of José Tomás Canales
  and commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Canales Investigation.
 
  Canales
 
 
Bonnen of Brazoria Guerra Oliverson
 
Allen Guillen Ortega
 
Allison Gutierrez Pacheco
 
Anchia Harless Paddie
 
Anderson Harris Parker
 
Ashby Hefner Patterson
 
Bailes Hernandez Paul
 
Beckley Herrero Perez
 
Bell of Kaufman Hinojosa Phelan
 
Bell of Montgomery Holland Price
 
Bernal Howard Ramos
 
Biedermann Huberty Raney
 
Blanco Hunter Raymond
 
Bohac Israel Reynolds
 
Bonnen of Galveston E. Johnson of Dallas Rodriguez
 
Bowers J. Johnson of Dallas Romero, Jr.
 
Buckley Johnson of Harris Rose
 
Bucy Kacal Rosenthal
 
Burns King of Hemphill Sanford
 
Burrows King of Parker Schaefer
 
Button King of Uvalde Shaheen
 
Cain Klick Sheffield
 
Calanni Krause Sherman, Sr.
 
Canales Kuempel Shine
 
Capriglione Lambert Smith
 
Clardy Landgraf Smithee
 
Cole Lang Springer
 
Coleman Larson Stephenson
 
Collier Leach Stickland
 
Cortez Leman Stucky
 
Craddick Longoria Swanson
 
Cyrier Lozano Talarico
 
Darby Lucio III Thierry
 
Davis of Dallas Martinez Thompson of Brazoria
 
Davis of Harris Martinez Fischer Thompson of Harris
 
Dean Metcalf Tinderholt
 
Deshotel Meyer Toth
 
Dominguez Meza Turner of Dallas
 
Dutton Middleton Turner of Tarrant
 
Farrar Miller VanDeaver
 
Flynn Minjarez Vo
 
Frank Moody Walle
 
Frullo Morrison White
 
Geren Muñoz, Jr. Wilson
 
Gervin-Hawkins Murphy Wray
 
Goldman Murr Wu
 
González of Dallas Neave Zedler
 
González of El Paso Nevárez Zerwas
 
Goodwin Noble Zwiener
 
  ______________________________
  Speaker of the House     
 
         I certify that H.R. No. 140 was adopted by the House on January
  30, 2019, by a non-record vote.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House