SR106 - In memory of U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston.

        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