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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Honorable John Raney retired from the Texas |
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House of Representatives in January 2025, following an exemplary |
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tenure spanning seven terms in office; and |
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WHEREAS, First elected in December 2011 to fill an unexpired |
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term, Mr. Raney demonstrated a strong commitment to education; he |
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worked successfully to secure funding for Texas A&M University and |
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mobile STEM labs, and he sought to make community college reporting |
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more transparent and remove barriers to accessing workforce |
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development; in addition, he focused on student veteran |
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protections, as well as veteran job transition; he also advocated |
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for individuals with developmental disabilities and promoted the |
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safety and quality of child care; his efforts extended as well to |
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energy efficiency savings for state buildings and a Good Samaritan |
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protection for anyone who calls 9-1-1 in behalf of an individual |
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appearing to have experienced a drug overdose; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Raney was appointed by the Speaker to the Energy |
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Council, and he was a member of numerous legislative caucuses; |
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among other leadership roles, he served as vice chair of the |
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Transportation, Higher Education, and Economic Development and |
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Regulatory Committees; during multiple terms on the Higher |
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Education and Appropriations Committees, he shared his expertise |
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with numerous important subcommittees; and |
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WHEREAS, A sixth-generation Texan, Mr. Raney was born in |
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Huntsville in 1947 and grew up on land his family had farmed in |
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Madison County for over 125 years; while completing his bachelor's |
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degree in marketing at Texas A&M University, he established Texas |
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Aggieland Bookstore, which is still in operation today; he served |
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as a first lieutenant in the Texas Army National Guard from 1969 to |
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1975; entering politics in the early 1970s, he served as chair of |
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the Republican Party of Brazos County and Senatorial District 5 |
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Caucus; he benefited the business community as a longtime member of |
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the board of the Texas Retailers Association, and he was especially |
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involved in its Tax and Legislative Committee and Executive |
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Committee; in 2010, the association named him its Outstanding |
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Member; he was also a member of the board of the National Federation |
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of Independent Business; and |
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WHEREAS, Through his exemplary public service, John Raney |
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earned the lasting respect of his colleagues and the appreciation |
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of his fellow citizens, and he may reflect with justifiable pride on |
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his many contributions; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor former state representative John Raney for |
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his service and extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Raney as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |