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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Many notable citizens of Lubbock are visiting Austin |
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on February 27, 2019, to pay tribute to their city's rich heritage |
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and to celebrate Lubbock Day at the State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, A thriving region of the state, the Lubbock area is |
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one of the oldest inhabited places in Texas; archaeologists have |
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discovered evidence of some 12,000 years of continuous habitation |
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at the Lubbock Lake Landmark site, a national historic and state |
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archaeological preserve; and |
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WHEREAS, The City of Lubbock was incorporated on March 16, |
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1909; the railroads stimulated the city's growth as a trade center, |
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but residents also wanted the benefits of an institution of higher |
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learning; when legislation creating Texas Technological College |
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was finally passed in 1923, the site selection committee was |
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impressed by the enthusiasm and hospitality of the city's residents |
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and chose Lubbock for the college's location; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, the city with its surrounding area has a |
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population of more than 300,000 people, and it is home to the Texas |
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Tech University System and its flagship institution, Texas Tech |
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University, a school well deserving of its Tier One status; and |
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WHEREAS, The Texas Tech Health Sciences Center attracts |
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nearly 5,000 students from around the world, and it is currently |
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ranked as the number one health university in the nation by the SR |
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Education Group; and |
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WHEREAS, Lubbock's three universities and one public |
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community college annually draw more than 50,000 students to the |
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area and refresh the local economy with around 10,000 new graduates |
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each year, creating a community where 30 percent of residents over |
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the age of 25 hold a college degree or higher; and |
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WHEREAS, Texas Tech's athletic programs have recently |
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achieved historic successes; the men's basketball team reached its |
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first Elite Eight last season, and the baseball team has appeared |
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three times in the College World Series in the past five years, |
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while the track and field team has won indoor and outdoor Big 12 |
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championships; in addition, the women's basketball team at Lubbock |
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Christian University won a national championship in 2016; and |
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WHEREAS, Lubbock's metropolitan area labor force numbers |
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more than 165,000, and the cost of doing business continues to rank |
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as one of the lowest in the nation, due to low costs for electric and |
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natural gas utilities, as well as affordable land, wage rates, and |
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cost of living; and |
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WHEREAS, Lubbock is consistently recognized by national |
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organizations for its business-friendly atmosphere, and it has been |
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named the number one city for professional women, ranked in the top |
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20 for young entrepreneurs to start a business, and named seventh in |
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the 2014 Forbes list of "Opportunity Cities" based on the city's low |
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cost of living, its cultural offerings, and the strength of its |
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business community; and |
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WHEREAS, Lubbock enjoys a diverse economy that draws its |
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strength from agribusiness, manufacturing, and commerce, as well as |
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from educational and health care services, and the city boasts the |
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largest medical infrastructure to be found between Dallas and |
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Phoenix; with the growth of cotton culture on the High Plains, |
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Lubbock has become one of the world's primary centers for the |
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processing of cottonseed and hybrid grain sorghum seed; and |
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WHEREAS, The Lubbock economy is deeply rooted in cotton |
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farming; the area is home to the world's largest contiguous |
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cotton-growing region and also features several major, |
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award-winning wineries and vineyards, which produce more than 80 |
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percent of all the state's wine grapes; the region north of Lubbock |
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also has the highest density of cattle in the entire country; and |
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WHEREAS, Lubbock offers a wealth of cultural institutions and |
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recreational opportunities, including the Lubbock Symphony |
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Orchestra, the Lubbock Civic Ballet, the Museum and Planetarium and |
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other offerings at Texas Tech University, and the Silent Wings |
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Museum; a new, state-of-the-art performing arts center is under |
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construction and is to be named after local legend and Rock 'n' Roll |
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Hall of Fame inductee Buddy Holly; Lubbock County voters have also |
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approved the construction of the new Lubbock County Expo Center to |
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serve as a multipurpose event center for the region; and |
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WHEREAS, Through meticulously planned infrastructure, city |
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leaders have created a low-traffic community with the number one |
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ranked commute in the state and more neighborhood parks per capita |
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than any other city in Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Those wanting a glimpse of the frontier can find it |
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in the restored structures at the Ranching Heritage Center, a |
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15-acre site tracing the evolution of ranch architecture and the |
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history of the cattle industry; the region's history is also |
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celebrated at the Bayer Museum of Agriculture; and |
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WHEREAS, Many talented musicians have come from the Lubbock |
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area; they include Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, the Maines family, |
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Virgil Johnson and the Velvets, Waylon Jennings, Tanya Tucker, Joe |
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Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock, Pat Green, and Josh |
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Abbott; their rich and diverse contributions have earned Lubbock |
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and West Texas recognition as the "Music Crossroads of Texas"; and |
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WHEREAS, Lubbock's thriving business community is |
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represented by the largest business federation on the Texas South |
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Plains, the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, which grows and guards the |
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prosperity of the Lubbock area; and |
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WHEREAS, Early major achievements propelled by the chamber |
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during more than a century of service include recruiting |
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out-of-state farmers to populate the area and make productive the |
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fertile soils of the Llano Estacado, working to bring the railroad |
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to Lubbock, founding the South Plains Fair, and drafting and |
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delivering the application to the Texas Capitol that would result |
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in establishing Texas Technological College, which today thrives as |
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the heart of the Texas Tech University System; and |
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WHEREAS, The Lubbock Chamber of Commerce was also |
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instrumental in establishing Lubbock Preston Smith International |
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Airport, Reese Air Force Base, and the area's outstanding |
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transportation infrastructure, and it recently introduced an |
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Association Health Plan for its small-business members in 34 West |
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Texas counties and is the first chamber in Texas to launch such a |
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plan; and |
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WHEREAS, Among the delegation visiting the Capitol today are |
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proud members of the chamber's 43rd Leadership Lubbock Class, who |
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represent the business and community leaders of Lubbock; and |
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WHEREAS, The citizens of Lubbock have truly kept faith with |
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the founders of their West Texas community; renowned for their |
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friendliness and warmth as well as their hardiness and |
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determination, they have helped to build a vital urban center that |
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serves not only a large part of West Texas but also eastern New |
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Mexico; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 27, 2019, as Lubbock Day at |
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the State Capitol and extend to the members of the visiting |
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delegation and all their fellow citizens sincere appreciation for |
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the bright luster they add to the Lone Star State. |