SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 309

WHEREAS, On March 6, 2019, proud residents, civic leaders, and businesspeople from Richardson and the North Texas high-tech community are gathering at the State Capitol for Richardson/Telecom Corridor Legislative Day; and

WHEREAS, North Texas boasts the seventh-greatest concentration of high-tech jobs in the nation and more than one-third of all the high-tech jobs in the state; home to over 100,000 people, Richardson has a large number of technology and telecommunications companies, as well as financial services and insurance firms and corporate headquarters, and it ranks as a major technology center with global reach; the city is also home to Tech Titans, the largest technology trade association in Texas, representing a quarter-million employees in more than 300 member companies and serving as an innovation hub for entrepreneurs, universities, and corporations; and

WHEREAS, The collaboration between business and government that characterizes the area is due in large part to the committed efforts of the Richardson Chamber of Commerce, a five-star accredited member of the United States Chamber of Commerce, as well as the vital support provided by the City of Richardson and the Richardson Economic Development Partnership, the first accredited economic development organization in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex; and

WHEREAS, Richardson has been among the most successful cities in the nation in promoting economic development, having attracted such nationally and internationally renowned companies as Texas Instruments, State Farm, AT&T, Verizon, Fujitsu Network Communications, RealPage, GEICO, Ericsson, Cisco, Raytheon, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, Fossil, and Lennox International; and

WHEREAS, The exceptional quality of life in Richardson contributes to making this community an especially desirable location; residents benefit from highly regarded educational institutions like Richland College and dynamic mixed-use urban developments such as CityLine, and they can enjoy nearly 1,000 acres of parkland and the nationally known Cottonwood Art Festival and the Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival; and

WHEREAS, The University of Texas at Dallas, a Texas Tier One research university located in Richardson, graduates 90 percent of its students with degrees in either the sciences or business, and it is home to a number of highly ranked schools, including the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science and the Naveen Jindal School of Management, which is consistently rated as one of the top business programs in the United States; and

WHEREAS, The Richardson Independent School District was one of only seven Texas Honor Roll Districts in 2018 and one of only 26 districts across Texas to earn distinction from the Texas Education Agency for postsecondary readiness; all schools meet agency standards and have received the agency's "Recognized" rating for six consecutive years, and Richardson Independent School District campuses have exceeded the average STAAR passage rates in every subject; the district boasts 23 United States Department of Education National Blue Ribbon campuses, and all four of its high schools were named among the nation's best by Newsweek; and

WHEREAS, The Richardson Chamber of Commerce and the area's technology leadership have made Richardson's Telecom Corridor one of the showplaces of modern Texas, and the city's residents may take great pride in their many accomplishments as they look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 86th Legislature, hereby recognize March 6, 2019, as Richardson/Telecom Corridor Legislative Day at the State Capitol and extend a warm welcome to the visiting delegation.

Paxton, Johnson

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on March 4, 2019.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate

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Member, Texas Senate