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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 117
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WHEREAS, A distinguished delegation from South Texas is |
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visiting Austin on February 5, 2019, to celebrate Rio Grande |
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Valley Day at the State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, Enjoying a strategic location on the Gulf of |
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Mexico and along the Mexican border, the Rio Grande Valley was an |
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important ranching region when Texas became the nation's 28th |
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state in 1845; over time, the economy shifted from ranching to |
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agriculture, and the Valley became the state's center of citrus |
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and vegetable production; and |
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WHEREAS, In the 1960s, industry flourished and |
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international trade became increasingly prominent; the region |
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has contributed significantly to the tremendous increase in |
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commerce across the United States-Mexico border; each year, more |
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than 946,000 trucks, 11.7 million cars with 24.3 million |
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passengers, thousands of buses and bus passengers, and 6.2 |
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million pedestrians cross Rio Grande Valley ports of entry; an |
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average of over $51 billion of commercial trade per year, |
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amounting to more than $140 million in goods and services per |
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day, flows across the region's 13 land ports of entry; the Rio |
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Grande Valley is an economic powerhouse for the State of Texas, |
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with approximately $12.5 billion in taxable sales recorded in |
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Reporting Year 2018; and |
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WHEREAS, The Valley has over 1.5 million residents, and |
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approximately 600,000 of these are individuals under the age of |
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25; local and state officials have focused on the need to expand |
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access to higher education and health care, strengthen the |
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workforce, increase transportation and ports of entry |
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infrastructure, and increase funding for public education; and |
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WHEREAS, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley serves |
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over 28,600 students; the School of Medicine is in its third year |
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of operation and has 155 medical students and 169 medical |
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residents in 10 Graduate Medical Education programs and over 20 |
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patient care sites; and |
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WHEREAS, The Texas A&M University System recently opened |
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its Higher Education Center in McAllen, which will be linked to |
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the campus in College Station and will offer programs in |
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engineering, technology, biomedical sciences, agriculture, and |
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the laboratory sciences; and |
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WHEREAS, There are six higher education institutions in |
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the Rio Grande Valley, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, |
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Texas A&M University Higher Education Center, Texas A&M |
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University Health Science Center McAllen, South Texas College, |
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Texas Southmost College, and Texas State Technical College, and |
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they serve a combined student population of over 70,000; and |
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WHEREAS, The focus for today's special legislative event is |
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to advocate for additional investments in public education and |
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workforce development through industry-driven youth |
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apprenticeship programs in Texas high schools, transportation |
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and port of entry infrastructure, economic and business |
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development, funding for The University of Texas Rio Grande |
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Valley School of Medicine, access to health care and other |
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community services, and securing a Level 1 trauma center; major |
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sponsors include The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Texas |
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A&M University, Texas Southmost College, the City of McAllen, the |
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City of Edinburg, the City of Weslaco, the City of Pharr, the City |
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of Brownsville, the Port of Brownsville, the Lower Rio Grande |
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Valley Development Council, the Starr County Industrial |
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Foundation, Willacy County, and the Rio Grande Valley |
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Partnership, as well as several private sector businesses, such |
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as Pathfinder Public Affairs, Atlas, Hall and Rodriguez, IBC |
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Bank, Texas Gas Service, UBER, and Coca-Cola, all of which are |
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promoting greater regional cooperation in the 21st century; and |
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WHEREAS, A vibrant region with a rich heritage, the Rio |
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Grande Valley is poised to take advantage of tremendous |
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opportunities for continued economic development, and it is |
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indeed most fitting to honor Valley residents for their |
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dedication to building a bright and prosperous future for the |
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area; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 86th |
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Legislature, hereby recognize February 5, 2019, as Rio Grande |
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Valley Day at the State Capitol and extend to all participants |
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sincere best wishes for a productive and enjoyable visit. |
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Hinojosa, Lucio, Zaffirini |
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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 February 5, 2019. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |