By: Leo-Wilson (Senate Sponsor - Creighton) H.C.R. No. 42
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 3, 2023;
  May 4, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on
  Administration; May 16, 2023, reported favorably by the following
  vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 16, 2023, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 
  WHEREAS, For over half a century, Winnie has been known far
  and wide as the host of the Texas Rice Festival, a celebration of
  the local rice harvest and the integral role that the rice industry
  has played in the area's history, development, and culture; and
         WHEREAS, First cultivated locally around 1900, rice has long
  been essential to the regional economy; the Texas Rice Festival
  originated in 1968 as a special event held by St. Louis Catholic
  Church of Winnie to commemorate the conclusion of the growing
  season; its popularity stirred further interest among area farmers,
  and they banded together to establish the Texas Rice Festival and
  obtain a charter for the celebration in October 1969; Winnie was
  selected to be the host town before the inaugural Rice Festival was
  held on October 3, 1970, and the event has continued to be organized
  each year around the first weekend of October; and
         WHEREAS, Five years after the first Rice Festival took place,
  the board of directors recognized the need for more space to
  accommodate the growth of the event, and the decision was made to
  relocate it from downtown Winnie to Winnie-Stowell Park on LeBlanc
  Road; initially a one-day affair, it has since expanded to multiple
  days of activities, including parades, musical performances, car
  and livestock shows, photography and art exhibits, and a barbecue
  cook-off; the festival also features a slate of pageants, where
  youth of all ages compete for such titles as Senior Queen, Miss
  LaPetite, and Little Rice King; moreover, awards are presented to
  honor the Farmer of the Year and other deserving members of the
  community; and
         WHEREAS, The enduring popularity of the Texas Rice Festival
  is a testament to the pride that local residents take in the rich
  agricultural heritage of the Winnie area, and the town's connection
  to the festival and to the tasty and versatile grain that inspired
  it is indeed deserving of special recognition; now, therefore, be
  it
         RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas
  hereby designate Winnie as the official Rice Capital of Texas; and,
  be it further
         RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section
  391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in effect
  until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally
  passed by the legislature.
 
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