HR46 - Recognizing Senator Judith Zaffirini for her contributions as a state legislator.

      H.R. No. 46       R E S O L U T I O N          WHEREAS, Senator Judith Zaffirini became the first female   dean of the Texas Senate on December 31, 2023; and          WHEREAS, The first Mexican American woman elected to the   chamber and now its first Latina dean, Senator Zaffirini took   office in 1987; setting a high standard of productivity, she has   cast more than 72,000 consecutive votes and passed nearly 1,400   bills, historic records unlikely to be matched by any legislator;   her ability to work across the aisle was especially evident during   the last five Republican-dominated legislative sessions, during   which she has been the highest bill-passer; and          WHEREAS, Senator Zaffirini has held numerous leadership   roles in the Senate, including chair of the Higher Education,   Health and Human Services, and Government Organization Committees   and vice chair of the Committee on Natural Resources and Economic   Development and of Finance; she also was appointed to the special   committees on Grid Reliability Legislative Oversight and on   Hurricane and Tropical Storm Preparedness, Recovery, and   Electricity, and she has chaired the Eagle Ford Shale Legislative   Caucus; among many other committees, she has served as a member of   Business and Commerce, Finance, State Affairs, and Redistricting;   since 2015 she also has served on the Texas Judicial Council and   since 2017 in the Texas Access to Justice Commission; and          WHEREAS, In 2024 the Webb County Justice Center was renamed   the Dean Senator Judith Zaffirini Justice Center, becoming the   first local Texas courthouse named for a woman; Senator Zaffirini   is the namesake of a number of other public buildings and   facilities, as well as grant programs and scholarships at   educational institutions across the state; the recipient of more   than 1,200 accolades for her legislative, civic, and professional   achievements, she most recently garnered such honors as the Star of   Justice Award from the Texas Access to Justice Commission, the   Orgullo Latino Legacy Award from Webb County LULAC Council No.   22387, and the Champion of Medicine Award from the Texas Medical   Association Border Health Caucus; she was inducted into the Texas   Women's Hall of Fame by Governor Greg Abbott in 2018; and          WHEREAS, Senator Zaffirini is a former educator, the owner of   Zaffirini Communications, and the president of the Mr. South Texas   Foundation and the D&J Alexander Foundation; named a Distinguished   Alumna of The University of Texas at Austin in 2003, she earned her   bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from the institution;   and          WHEREAS, Above all, she is inspired by her family, namely her   husband of 60 years, Carlos Sr.; their son, Carlos Jr., and daughter   by marriage, Audrey; and her two darling grandsons, Asher (7) and   George (5); and          WHEREAS, Over the course of her remarkable legislative   career, Judith Zaffirini has made a positive difference in the   lives of countless Texans, and she has set an example of effective   public service to which all may aspire; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas   Legislature hereby recognize the Honorable Judith Zaffirini for her   contributions as a state legislator and congratulate her on being   named dean of the Texas Senate; and, be it further          RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be   prepared for Senator Zaffirini as an expression of high regard by   the Texas House of Representatives.     Morales Shaw   Hunter   Raymond   Flores   Guillen     Burrows Guerra Morales Shaw   Alders Guillen Morgan   Allen Harless Muñoz   Anchía Harris Noble   Ashby Harris Davila Olcott   Barry Harrison Oliverson   Bell of Kaufman Hayes Ordaz   Bell of Montgomery Hefner Orr   Bernal Hernandez Patterson   Bhojani Hickland Paul   Bonnen Hinojosa Perez of El Paso   Bowers Holt Perez of Harris   Bryant Hopper Phelan   Buckley Howard Pierson   Bucy Hull Plesa   Bumgarner Hunter Raymond   Button Isaac Reynolds   Cain Johnson Richardson   Campos Jones of Dallas Rodríguez Ramos   Canales Jones of Harris Romero   Capriglione Kerwin Rose   Cole King Rosenthal   Collier Kitzman Schatzline   Cook LaHood Schofield   Cortez Lalani Schoolcraft   Craddick Lambert Shaheen   Cunningham Landgraf Shofner   Curry Leach Simmons   Darby Leo Wilson Slawson   A. Davis of Dallas Little Smithee   Y. Davis of Dallas Longoria Spiller   Dean Lopez of Bexar Swanson   DeAyala Lopez of Cameron Talarico   Dorazio Louderback Tepper   Dutton Lowe Thompson   Dyson Lozano Tinderholt   Fairly Lujan Toth   Flores Luther Troxclair   Frank Manuel Turner   Gámez Martinez VanDeaver   Garcia of Bexar Martinez Fischer Vasut   Garcia of Dallas McLaughlin Villalobos   Garcia Hernandez McQueeney Virdell   Gates Metcalf Vo   Gerdes Meyer Walle   Geren Meza Ward Johnson   Gervin-Hawkins Money Wharton   González of Dallas Moody Wilson   González of El Paso Morales of Harris Wu   Goodwin Morales of Maverick Zwiener     ______________________________   Speaker of the House                 I certify that H.R. No. 46 was adopted by the House on February   27, 2025, by a non-record vote.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House