Title: Governor Bob Martinez/25th Anniversary

Summary: Commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the inauguration of Bob Martinez as Florida's 40th Governor, etc.

Full Text:
WHEREAS, Bob Martinez attended Tampa Bay Boulevard Elementary School, MacFarland Junior High, and Thomas Jefferson High School in Tampa, and WHEREAS, in 1957, Bob Martinez earned an undergraduate degree in Social Science from the University of Tampa and, in 1964, received a postgraduate degree in Labor and Industrial Relations from the University of Illinois, and WHEREAS, in 1979, Bob Martinez was elected Mayor of Tampa and, in 1983, was reelected to a second term, and WHEREAS, on September 6, 1986, Bob Martinez received the majority of votes in a crowded Republican primary, and on November 4, 1986, he became the first Hispanic Governor of Florida and only the second Republican Governor of this state since Reconstruction, and WHEREAS, on January 6, 1987, Bob Martinez was inaugurated as Florida s 40th Governor, serving this state honorably throughout his years in office, and WHEREAS, the accomplishments of Governor Bob Martinez are numerous and include the creation of Preservation 2000, the largest land acquisition program in the nation, now known as Florida Forever; the creation of the Governor s Commission on Space, the Florida Turnpike Authority, and the Florida Prepaid College Program; implementation of Florida s first comprehensive growth management law and the Florida Lottery; and advocacy on behalf of Florida s 10th public university, Florida Gulf Coast University, and WHEREAS, Governor Bob Martinez has left an indelible impact on the State of Florida, NOW, THEREFORE, Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: That the members of the Senate recognize January 6, 2012, as the 25th Anniversary of the inauguration of Governor Bob Martinez and pay tribute to this dedicated public servant.