Bill Text: TX HCR61 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Designating Port Arthur as the official Cajun Capital of Texas for a 10-year period ending in 2033.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2023-06-09 - Signed by the Governor [HCR61 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HCR61-Enrolled.html
H.C.R. No. 61 |
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WHEREAS, The City of Port Arthur has been steeped in Cajun | ||
culture for nearly a century; and | ||
WHEREAS, Located in the southeastern corner of Texas, Port | ||
Arthur is a close neighbor to the Louisiana bayou region where the | ||
Acadians, or Cajuns, settled in the mid-1700s after being forced | ||
out of Nova Scotia; in 1927, the Great Mississippi Flood drove tens | ||
of thousands from their homes in the Acadiana parishes of | ||
Louisiana, and many of those displaced made their way to Port | ||
Arthur, drawn by the ample employment opportunities in the | ||
burgeoning petroleum industry and other sectors of the coastal | ||
economy; and | ||
WHEREAS, Louisiana Cajuns brought their distinctive culture, | ||
which took root and flourished in their adopted city; local cuisine | ||
acquired a Cajun flavor, with a boost from the family that opened | ||
Judice's French Market in 1927; the restaurant helped popularize | ||
such delicacies as crawfish, gumbo, and hot boudin, and its | ||
longtime spokesman, A. J. Judice, "the Crazy Frenchman," became a | ||
beloved ambassador of Cajun heritage; among other achievements, he | ||
served as the impresario of the improbable pastime of crawfish | ||
racing, which led to his tongue-in-cheek appointment as the sport's | ||
commissioner by Texas governor Preston Smith in the early 1960s; | ||
Port Arthur's Cajun community was also home to whiskey distiller | ||
and entrepreneur Jack LaBove, who helped the city survive the dark | ||
days of Prohibition; and | ||
WHEREAS, Renowned for their love of music, Port Arthur | ||
residents danced to such artists as Harry Choates, the "Godfather | ||
of Cajun Music" and the "Fiddle King of Cajun Swing," whose 1946 | ||
recording of "Jole Blon" is considered iconic; favorite venues | ||
included the Rodair Club, which showcased the music and nurtured | ||
aspiring musicians such as accordionist Jude Moreau; today, younger | ||
players like Donovan Bourque continue the tradition, keeping the | ||
infectious Cajun rhythm part of the city's soundtrack; and | ||
WHEREAS, Warm and friendly Cajun hospitality thrives | ||
everywhere in Port Arthur, from fais-dodo house parties to major | ||
events, among them the annual Cajun Heritage Fest; moreover, the | ||
Museum of the Gulf Coast does its part to preserve and focus | ||
attention on Cajun history and traditions; and | ||
WHEREAS, Port Arthur takes great pride in the Cajun influence | ||
that pervades so many aspects of life in the city, and residents of | ||
all backgrounds enjoy celebrating these distinctive elements of | ||
their culture; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
hereby designate Port Arthur as the official Cajun Capital of | ||
Texas; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section | ||
391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in effect | ||
until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally | ||
passed by the legislature. | ||
Manuel | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.C.R. No. 61 was adopted by the House on April | ||
28, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 146, Nays 0, 2 present, not | ||
voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.C.R. No. 61 was adopted by the Senate on May | ||
17, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: __________________ | ||
Date | ||
__________________ | ||
Governor |