88R16462 BPG-D
 
  By: King of Hemphill H.R. No. 528
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, Laurie Ezzell Brown, editor and publisher of the
  Canadian Record, has announced that this venerable newspaper is
  suspending operations in March 2023, and this development provides
  a fitting opportunity to honor Ms. Brown's exceptional work in
  guiding the publication; and
         WHEREAS, Established in 1893, the Canadian Record was
  purchased by Ms. Brown's parents, Ben and Nancy Ezzell, in the
  1940s; the paper gained renown through bold investigative reporting
  and strong editorial stances, as well as the chronicling of local
  events in Hemphill County; Ms. Brown became editor upon the death
  of her father in 1993 and sole publisher when her mother retired in
  2010; building on a legacy of excellence, she has overseen the
  Record's watchful coverage of the daily workings of government, and
  like her father, a member of the Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame, she
  has not shied from addressing controversial topics of public
  interest; and
         WHEREAS, The Canadian Record has received myriad accolades,
  including the 2007 Tom and Pat Gish Award from the University of
  Kentucky Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, which
  acknowledged the paper's courage, tenacity, and integrity in
  journalism; Ms. Brown has earned personal recognition from such
  organizations as the Panhandle Press Association in numerous
  categories, from spot news photography to column writing, and in
  2009, she was inducted into the PPA Hall of Fame; in 2022, she
  garnered the Frank W. Mayborn Award for Community Leadership from
  the Texas Press Association; and
         WHEREAS, Over the years, Ms. Brown has given generously of
  her time and expertise to support good journalism across the state;
  she has served as president of both the TPA and PPA, and she has been
  active in the West Texas Press Association; moreover, she has
  worked to raise national awareness of the challenges facing rural
  newspapers; that mission has been elevated through the release of
  the documentary For the Record, which premiered at the Big Sky
  Documentary Film Festival in Montana in February 2023; it follows
  Ms. Brown's battle to secure the future of the newspaper after her
  retirement; while her efforts to find a new owner for the Record are
  ongoing, she has announced that the paper is closing its doors until
  a buyer can be found; and
         WHEREAS, Laurie Ezzell Brown has devoted her career to the
  vital task of informing and enlightening her fellow citizens, and
  as she embarks on the next chapter of her life, she may indeed
  reflect with pride on her wide-ranging contributions; now,
  therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
  Legislature hereby honor Laurie Ezzell Brown for her
  accomplishments as editor and publisher of the Canadian Record and
  extend to her sincere best wishes for continued happiness; and, be
  it further
         RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
  prepared for Ms. Brown as an expression of high regard by the Texas
  House of Representatives.