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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is pleased to |
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recognize The Arc of Texas program "Getting to the Heart of the |
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Matter" for facilitating better understanding between El Paso |
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lawmakers and their constituents with intellectual and |
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developmental disabilities; and |
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WHEREAS, The program was designed to address the fact that, |
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all too often, constituents with intellectual and developmental |
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disabilities and their families are unable to adequately |
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communicate to their elected officials the circumstances that arise |
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in their everyday lives; and |
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WHEREAS, "Getting to the Heart of the Matter," which paired |
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El Paso policy makers with constituents with intellectual and |
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developmental disabilities, was designed by The Arc of Texas, |
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supported financially by the Texas Council for Developmental |
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Disabilities, and facilitated locally by El Paso community |
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organizer Sandie Olivar; and |
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WHEREAS, Under the program, State Representative Joe Pickett |
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spent time with Matthew Collins, a Bel Air High School student who |
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has autism, and his parents, Sylvia and Tim Collins; Representative |
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Pickett also visited Matthew's class at school; and |
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WHEREAS, Ashley Bullard, a graduating senior from Chapin High |
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School who is confined to a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy, met |
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with State Representative Marisa Marquez, and the two spent time |
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together during the school day; and |
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WHEREAS, Advocate Jane Jones, who uses a wheelchair due to a |
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neuromuscular disorder, met with State Representative Joe Moody for |
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lunch; Ms. Jones is dependent on the mass transit system to get to |
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and from work, so she obtained a motorized runabout for |
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Representative Moody to use so that he could also experience the |
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challenges faced by persons with limited mobility; and |
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WHEREAS, Apolonia Alvarez-Lozano is a Volar Center for |
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Independent Living employee, a member of El Paso's Local Advocacy |
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Collaboration, and an Arc of Texas volunteer; she helped guide El |
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Paso County judge Veronica Escobar around El Paso via a motorized |
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runabout to experience the barriers that a person in a wheelchair |
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faces on a daily basis; and |
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WHEREAS, The "Getting to the Heart of the Matter" program has |
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provided an opportunity for elected officials to speak to their |
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constituents and their families in an environment in which all |
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participants are encouraged to ask questions, engage in |
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discussions, and learn from one another; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize the "Getting to the Heart of the |
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Matter" program and extend to all those associated with The Arc of |
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Texas sincere best wishes for continued success with this important |
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initiative; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the organization as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |
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Marquez |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 545 was adopted by the House on March |
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3, 2011, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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