SR117 - Recognizing State Representative Harold V. Dutton, Jr., on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 117          WHEREAS, The 80th birthday of an esteemed legislator is   truly cause for celebration, and State Representative Harold   V. Dutton, Jr., of Houston is marking this significant milestone   in his life on February 17, 2025, to the delight of his family,   his friends, and his colleagues in the Capitol community; and            WHEREAS, A proud son of Houston's Fifth Ward, Harold Dutton   was born in 1945, and he received his diploma from Phillis Wheatley   High School at the age of 16; after earning his bachelor's degree in   accounting from Texas Southern University, he went on to graduate   from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at TSU; he held management   positions with Conoco in the areas of corporate planning and   economic analysis before becoming president of Four Star   Broadcasting and opening his law practice; and            WHEREAS, Representative Dutton was first elected to the   Texas House of Representatives in 1984, and he is presently   serving his 21st term in office; during his remarkable 40-year   tenure, he has served on numerous committees and in many   leadership roles, including as chair of the Urban Affairs and the   Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committees, and he became the   first African American chair of the Public Education Committee   during the 87th Legislative Session in 2021; moreover, he has   served as chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus and the   Harris County legislative delegation; and            WHEREAS, Among his many achievements as a lawmaker,   Representative Dutton sponsored the state's first statutory   program to assist women- and minority-owned businesses, as well   as initiatives to enhance public education, particularly   regarding alternative education and early childhood literacy; he   has also sponsored legislation to establish the annual sales tax   holiday, to compensate individuals who are wrongfully convicted,   and to create incentives to improve the availability and   affordability of property insurance in traditionally underserved   areas; the recipient of myriad accolades, he was named Legislator   of the Year by the Texas Municipal League and was recognized as a   Distinguished Alumnus by the TSU School of Business, and he has   been honored by a host of organizations and publications through   the years; and            WHEREAS, Over the course of his long and distinguished   career in the Texas Legislature, Harold Dutton has earned the   deep admiration of his colleagues and constituents alike, and he   may indeed reflect with pride on his wide-ranging contributions   as he celebrates eight decades of life well lived; now,   therefore, be it            RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th   Legislature, hereby congratulate the Honorable Harold V. Dutton,   Jr., on the occasion of his 80th birthday and extend to him   sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further            RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be   prepared for Representative Dutton as an expression of high   regard from the Texas Senate.     Miles, Alvarado, Cook, Creighton   Hinojosa of Hidalgo, Menéndez, West                             ______________________________                          Member, Texas Senate         ____________________________________________________________         Member, Texas Senate               Member, Texas Senate         ____________________________________________________________         Member, Texas Senate               Member, Texas Senate         ____________________________________________________________         Member, Texas Senate               Member, Texas Senate                 ______________________________         President of the Senate                I hereby certify that the   above Resolution was adopted by   the Senate on February 19, 2025.                 ______________________________         Secretary of the Senate