SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 106
	In Memory
	of
	Sheila Jackson Lee
	WHEREAS, Residents of Houston lost a political icon and
	fierce champion of social justice with the passing of U.S.
	Representative Sheila Jackson Lee on July 19, 2024, at the age of
	74; and
	WHEREAS, The daughter of Ezra Jackson and Ivalita Bennett
	Jackson, the former Sheila Jackson was born in New York City on
	January 12, 1950, and grew up in the borough of Queens; she earned
	a bachelor's degree in political science as a member of Yale
	University's first coed class and went on to complete her law
	degree at the University of Virginia; following her marriage to
	Elwyn Lee, a Houston native, she became the proud mother of two
	children, Jason and Erica; and
	WHEREAS, In 1978, Congresswoman Jackson Lee moved to the
	Bayou City with her husband and began working for the Fulbright &
	Jaworski law firm; appointed as a municipal judge in 1987, she
	later became a highly effective member of the city council; she
	won her first congressional race in 1994 and was reelected 14
	times, never with less than 70 percent of the vote; known for her
	formidable work ethic, she filed scores of bills addressing the
	needs of the most vulnerable, and she did not hesitate to work
	across the aisle to pass them; after the Violence Against Women
	Act expired in 2019, she fought for its reenactment and authored
	the legislation that achieved that goal; she was also the author
	and lead sponsor of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act,
	which established the first new federal holiday in nearly four
	decades; her many other major initiatives included the
	Sentencing Reform Act, Paycheck Fairness Act, and George Floyd
	Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act; known for her passionate
	speeches on the House floor, she advocated for gay rights long
	before mainstream acceptance of the movement and continued to
	serve as a powerful voice for progressive causes, including Black
	Lives Matter and gun control; she took her message to innumerable
	media outlets as well; most recently, she lent her support to a
	federal version of the CROWN Act to prevent discrimination based
	on hairstyles favored by people of color; and
	WHEREAS, Congresswoman Jackson Lee held numerous
	leadership roles, including chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee
	for Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security and senior member of
	the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Budget Committees; she was
	the House Democrats' chief deputy whip, chair of the
	Congressional Black Caucus Energy Braintrust, co-chair of the
	Justice Reform Task Force, and a founder and chair of the
	Congressional Pakistan Caucus and the Congressional Children's
	Caucus; Congressional Quarterly ranked her among the 50 most
	effective members of Congress; and
	WHEREAS, Devoted to her constituents, Congresswoman
	Jackson Lee was instrumental in directing billions of federal
	dollars to under-resourced communities; she helped her city
	recover fromnumerousnaturaldisastersandothercrises,even
	personally directing traffic to a COVID-19 testing site at the
	height of the pandemic and unloading food and supplies for
	residents during the 2021 freeze; over the years, she appeared at
	countless local meetings and events, and she demonstrated deep
	compassion to those suffering loss, attending funerals,
	extending words of comfort, and connecting the bereaved with
	support services; and
	WHEREAS, Sheila Jackson Lee was a fearless warrior in
	behalf of freedom, democracy, and positive change, and although
	she will be greatly missed, her exceptional contributions will
	continue to resonate in the years to come; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th
	Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the life of Sheila Jackson Lee
	and extend sincere condolences to the members of her family: to
	her husband, Elwyn Lee; to her children, Jason and Erica Lee; to
	her grandchildren, Ellison Bennett Carter and Roy Lee Carter III;
	and to her other relatives, her many friends, and all who mourn
	her passing; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be
	prepared for her family and that when the Texas Senate adjourns
	this day, it do so in memory of Sheila Jackson Lee.
	Miles
	Alvarado Eckhardt Menéndez
	Blanco Gutierrez West
	Cook Hinojosa of Hidalgo Zaffirini
	Johnson
	Patrick, President of the Senate
		________________________________
		President of the Senate
		I hereby certify that the
		above Resolution was adopted by
		the Senate on February 25, 2025,
		by a rising vote.
		________________________________
		Secretary of the Senate
		________________________________
		Member, Texas Senate