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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Laurie Ezzell Brown, editor and publisher of the |
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Canadian Record, has announced that this venerable newspaper is |
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suspending operations in March 2023, and this development provides |
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a fitting opportunity to honor Ms. Brown's exceptional work in |
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guiding the publication; and |
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WHEREAS, Established in 1893, the Canadian Record was |
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purchased by Ms. Brown's parents, Ben and Nancy Ezzell, in the |
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1940s; the paper gained renown through bold investigative reporting |
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and strong editorial stances, as well as the chronicling of local |
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events in Hemphill County; Ms. Brown became editor upon the death |
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of her father in 1993 and sole publisher when her mother retired in |
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2010; building on a legacy of excellence, she has overseen the |
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Record's watchful coverage of the daily workings of government, and |
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like her father, a member of the Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame, she |
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has not shied from addressing controversial topics of public |
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interest; and |
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WHEREAS, The Canadian Record has received myriad accolades, |
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including the 2007 Tom and Pat Gish Award from the University of |
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Kentucky Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, which |
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acknowledged the paper's courage, tenacity, and integrity in |
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journalism; Ms. Brown has earned personal recognition from such |
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organizations as the Panhandle Press Association in numerous |
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categories, from spot news photography to column writing, and in |
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2009, she was inducted into the PPA Hall of Fame; in 2022, she |
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garnered the Frank W. Mayborn Award for Community Leadership from |
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the Texas Press Association; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the years, Ms. Brown has given generously of |
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her time and expertise to support good journalism across the state; |
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she has served as president of both the TPA and PPA, and she has been |
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active in the West Texas Press Association; moreover, she has |
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worked to raise national awareness of the challenges facing rural |
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newspapers; that mission has been elevated through the release of |
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the documentary For the Record, which premiered at the Big Sky |
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Documentary Film Festival in Montana in February 2023; it follows |
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Ms. Brown's battle to secure the future of the newspaper after her |
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retirement; while her efforts to find a new owner for the Record are |
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ongoing, she has announced that the paper is closing its doors until |
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a buyer can be found; and |
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WHEREAS, Laurie Ezzell Brown has devoted her career to the |
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vital task of informing and enlightening her fellow citizens, and |
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as she embarks on the next chapter of her life, she may indeed |
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reflect with pride on her wide-ranging contributions; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor Laurie Ezzell Brown for her |
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accomplishments as editor and publisher of the Canadian Record and |
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extend to her sincere best wishes for continued happiness; and, be |
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it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Ms. Brown as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |