H.R. No. 1269

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The passing of former state representative Ruth
	Jones McClendon of San Antonio on December 19, 2017, at the age of
	74, brought a great loss to the people of Texas, whom she so
	commendably served over the course of her remarkable career in
	public life; and
	WHEREAS, Born in Houston on October 5, 1943, Ms. McClendon
	attended Texas Southern University and went on to earn a master's
	degree from Webster University in Missouri; before entering
	politics, she worked for 17 years as a juvenile probation officer;
	she was later elected to the San Antonio City Council and served
	from 1993 until 1996, when she won a seat in the state legislature
	as the representative for House District 120 in East San Antonio, a
	seat she held for the next two decades; and
	WHEREAS, A dynamic, tenacious legislator, Ruth McClendon won
	not only the high regard but also the genuine affection of members
	on both sides of the aisle for her unfailing integrity, her joyous
	spirit, and her ability to never make a hard-fought struggle
	personal; intently focused on serving her constituents and the
	people of Texas, she worked assiduously to build consensus and
	advance measures for the common good; and
	WHEREAS, In particular, Representative McClendon was a
	staunch advocate for education, for children's programs, and for
	laws protecting the elderly and the infirm; she also authored
	legislation approved by the 84th Legislature that established a
	commission to study wrongful convictions in the Texas criminal
	justice system; possessed of a keen business sense, she
	additionally sought to strengthen the state's transportation
	infrastructure; in 2005, she proposed a constitutional amendment,
	subsequently approved by voters, to dedicate a fund for rail
	relocation and improvement, and in every legislature thereafter,
	she filed bills to create a consistent means for financing such
	work; during her lengthy tenure in the house, Ms. McClendon served
	as a senior member of the Transportation and Appropriations
	Committees and as chair of budget and oversight for agencies under
	the jurisdiction of the Pensions and Investments Committee; she
	also chaired the Rules and Resolutions Committee; and
	WHEREAS, Along with other causes that were dear to her heart,
	helping young people learn about the political system that impacted
	their daily lives became a focus of her attention, leading her to
	establish the McClendon Legislative Scholars Program through a
	partnership with The University of Texas at San Antonio; this
	accomplished lawmaker received a Lifetime Achievement Award from
	Capitol Inside and was named by Texas Monthly to its list of the 10
	Best Legislators in 2015; in 2016, in recognition of her efforts,
	the Ruth Jones McClendon Learning Academy, a charter campus for
	middle school students, opened in San Antonio; and
	WHEREAS, Representative McClendon balanced the
	responsibilities of her office with the rewarding family life she
	shared with her husband, Denver McClendon, her children, Thaddies
	and Vanessa, and her stepchildren, Mark, Angela, and Meredith; she
	considered motherhood to be one of her proudest achievements and
	greatest joys, and in her later years, she had the pleasure of
	seeing her family grow to include 11 grandchildren, Maliyah,
	Elizabeth, Thaddies, Bomani, Reseun, Remi, Alade, Nicholas,
	Preston, Sydney, and Lawrence; and
	WHEREAS, Ruth Jones McClendon devoted a distinguished
	legislative career to bettering the lives of her fellow Texans,
	particularly those whose voices are seldom heard, and she will long
	be remembered and revered for exemplifying the highest ideals of
	public service; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas
	Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of the Honorable Ruth
	Jones McClendon and extend deepest sympathy to her loved ones, to
	her many friends, and to all those who mourn her passing; and, be it
	further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
	prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of
	Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of the
	Honorable Ruth Jones McClendon.
	Gervin-Hawkins
	Bonnen of Brazoria Guerra Noble
	Allen Guillen Oliverson
	Allison Gutierrez Ortega
	Anchia Harless Pacheco
	Anderson Harris Paddie
	Ashby Hefner Parker
	Bailes Hernandez Patterson
	Beckley Herrero Paul
	Bell of Kaufman Hinojosa Perez
	Bell of Montgomery Holland Phelan
	Bernal Howard Price
	Biedermann Huberty Ramos
	Blanco Hunter Raney
	Bohac Israel Raymond
	Bonnen of Galveston E. Johnson of Dallas Reynolds
	Bowers J. Johnson of Dallas Rodriguez
	Buckley Johnson of Harris Romero, Jr.
	Bucy Kacal Rose
	Burns King of Hemphill Rosenthal
	Burrows King of Parker Sanford
	Button King of Uvalde Schaefer
	Cain Klick Shaheen
	Calanni Krause Sheffield
	Canales Kuempel Sherman, Sr.
	Capriglione Lambert Shine
	Clardy Landgraf Smith
	Cole Lang Smithee
	Coleman Larson Springer
	Collier Leach Stephenson
	Cortez Leman Stickland
	Craddick Longoria Stucky
	Cyrier Lopez Swanson
	Darby Lozano Talarico
	Davis of Dallas Lucio III Thierry
	Davis of Harris Martinez Thompson of Brazoria
	Dean Martinez Fischer Thompson of Harris
	Deshotel Metcalf Tinderholt
	Dominguez Meyer Toth
	Dutton Meza Turner of Dallas
	Farrar Middleton Turner of Tarrant
	Fierro Miller VanDeaver
	Flynn Minjarez Vo
	Frank Moody Walle
	Frullo Morales White
	Geren Morrison Wilson
	Gervin-Hawkins Muñoz, Jr. Wray
	Goldman Murphy Wu
	González of Dallas Murr Zedler
	González of El Paso Neave Zerwas
	Goodwin Nevárez Zwiener
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 1269 was unanimously adopted by a rising
	vote of the House on April 25, 2019.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House