Bill Text: TX SR196 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Recognizing February 22, 2023, as Rio Grande Valley Day.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-02-22 - Reported enrolled [SR196 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SR196-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Recognizing February 22, 2023, as Rio Grande Valley Day.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-02-22 - Reported enrolled [SR196 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SR196-Introduced.html
| 88R12973 TBO-D | ||
| By: LaMantia, Hinojosa, Zaffirini | S.R. No. 196 | |
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| WHEREAS, A distinguished delegation from South Texas is | ||
| visiting Austin on February 22, 2023, to celebrate Rio Grande | ||
| Valley Day at the State Capitol; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Enjoying a strategic location on the Gulf of Mexico | ||
| and along the Mexican border, the Rio Grande Valley was an important | ||
| ranching region when Texas became the nation's 28th state in 1845; | ||
| over time, the economy shifted from ranching to agriculture, and | ||
| the Valley became the state's center of citrus and vegetable | ||
| production; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In the 1960s, industry flourished and international | ||
| trade became increasingly prominent; the region has contributed | ||
| significantly to the tremendous increase in commerce across the | ||
| United States-Mexico border, with more than 1,152,000 trucks, 11.7 | ||
| million cars carrying 24.3 million passengers, 28,000 buses | ||
| carrying over 300,000 passengers, and 6.2 million pedestrians | ||
| crossing Rio Grande Valley ports of entry each year; commerce | ||
| across the border averages more than $140 million in goods and | ||
| services per day, with over $51 billion in commercial trade per year | ||
| flowing across various land ports of entry; the Rio Grande Valley is | ||
| an economic powerhouse for the State of Texas with approximately | ||
| $12.5 billion in taxable sales recorded in reporting year 2022; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The Valley has 1.4 million residents, with | ||
| approximately 600,000 individuals under the age of 25, and local | ||
| and state officials have focused on the need to expand access to | ||
| higher education and health care, strengthen the workforce, | ||
| increase transportation and ports of entry infrastructure, and | ||
| increase funding for public education; The University of Texas Rio | ||
| Grande Valley serves some 30,000 students; the UTRGV School of | ||
| Medicine is in its seventh year of operation with numerous GME | ||
| programs and patient care sites; in addition, the Texas A&M | ||
| University System recently opened its Higher Education Center at | ||
| McAllen, which is linked to the campus in College Station and will | ||
| offer programs in engineering, technology, biomedical sciences, | ||
| agriculture, and laboratory sciences; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The six higher education institutions in the Rio | ||
| Grande Valley, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Texas A&M | ||
| University Higher Education Center at McAllen, Texas A&M University | ||
| Health Science Center, South Texas College, Texas Southmost | ||
| College, and Texas State Technical College, serve a student | ||
| population of over 70,000; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Major sponsors for the day's legislative event | ||
| include the Cities of Brownsville, San Benito, Primera, Palm | ||
| Valley, McAllen, and Edinburg, ERO Architects, Gulf Aviation, the | ||
| Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority, M&S De Leon Enterprises | ||
| LLC, RGV Grant Consultants LLC, Cameron County Drainage District | ||
| No. 5, Hidalgo County Precinct No. 4, JL Powers & Associates, Alamo | ||
| Chamber of Commerce, the Weslaco, Edinburg, Pharr, Mission, | ||
| Harlingen, and San Benito Economic Development Corporations, | ||
| Prairie View A&M University, Supporting World Hope, the Rio Grande | ||
| Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization, VTX1 Companies, Texas | ||
| State Technical College, the Port of Harlingen Authority, Driscoll | ||
| Children's Hospital, the Brownsville Community Improvement | ||
| Corporation, Killam Development, Texas Gas Service, the Greater | ||
| Chamber of Harlingen, the Texas Oil & Gas Association, Texas | ||
| Regional Bank, AT&T, and Atlas Hall & Rodriguez, all of which are | ||
| promoting greater regional cooperation in the 21st century; and | ||
| WHEREAS, A vibrant region with a rich heritage, the Rio | ||
| Grande Valley is poised to take advantage of tremendous | ||
| opportunities for continued economic development, and it is indeed | ||
| most fitting to honor Valley residents for their dedication to | ||
| building a bright and prosperous future for the area; now, | ||
| therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature | ||
| hereby recognize February 22, 2023, as Rio Grande Valley Day at the | ||
| State Capitol and extend to all participants sincere best wishes | ||
| for a productive and enjoyable visit. | ||
