TITLE: Posthumously honoring former state representative Paul Cruz Moreno on the 94th anniversary of his birth.

SUMMARY: Posthumously honoring former state representative Paul Cruz Moreno on the 94th anniversary of his birth.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, April 28, 2025, marks the 94th anniversary of the birth of the late Paul Cruz Moreno of El Paso, a longtime state representative and champion of social justice; and WHEREAS, Born in El Paso in 1931, Mr. Moreno was the son of Avelina Ramirez and Reyes Moreno Sr.; he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at the age of 17 and became a highly decorated Korean War veteran and Marine recruiter; following a diving accident that left him a quadriplegic, he graduated from The University of Texas at El Paso and The University of Texas School of Law; and WHEREAS, Mr. Moreno was first elected to the Texas House in 1966; over the course of more than four decades, he worked tirelessly in behalf of the most vulnerable; he pushed for legislation requiring developers to provide water and sanitation to colonias, and he strove to make public buildings and transportation more accessible to people with disabilities; in addition, he challenged the state's public school financing system, sought to regulate college tuition, and advocated for higher teacher salaries; he also worked to pass a minimum wage bill; his fierce dedication and strong moral compass earned him a reputation as the "Conscience of the House"; and WHEREAS, In 1971, Mr. Moreno was part of the "Dirty Thirty," a bipartisan group that opposed the speaker and other officials charged with corruption; as a member of the Higher Education Committee, he successfully championed greater access to opportunity and played a key role in enhancing support for The University of Texas at El Paso; he was a founding member and inaugural chair of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, and in 2007, he was acknowledged as the first Mexican American "Dean of the Texas House" when he became the longest-tenured state representative; his myriad accolades included the PUSH Excel National Award, and the El Paso Independent School District named an elementary school in his honor; moreover, the Mexican American Legislative Leadership Foundation pays tribute to his legacy with its Moreno/Rangel Legislative Leadership Program for undergraduate and graduate students; and WHEREAS, Although Paul Moreno passed away in 2017, his enormous accomplishments left a lasting imprint on the Lone Star State, and his exceptional record of service will continue to inspire future generations; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas Legislature hereby posthumously honor former state representative Paul Cruz Moreno on the 94th anniversary of his birth. Romero Burrows Guerra Morales Shaw Alders Guillen Morgan Allen Harless Mu oz Anch a Harris Noble Ashby Harris Davila Olcott Barry Harrison Oliverson Bell of Kaufman Hayes Ordaz Bell of Montgomery Hefner Orr Bernal Hernandez Patterson Bhojani Hickland Paul Bonnen Hinojosa Perez of El Paso Bowers Holt Perez of Harris Bryant Hopper Phelan Buckley Howard Pierson Bucy Hull Plesa Bumgarner Hunter Raymond Button Isaac Reynolds Cain Johnson Richardson Campos Jones of Dallas Rodr guez Ramos Canales Jones of Harris Romero Capriglione Kerwin Rose Cole King Rosenthal Collier Kitzman Schatzline Cook LaHood Schofield Cortez Lalani Schoolcraft Craddick Lambert Shaheen Cunningham Landgraf Shofner Curry Leach Simmons Darby Leo Wilson Slawson A. Davis of Dallas Little Smithee Y. Davis of Dallas Longoria Spiller Dean Lopez of Bexar Swanson DeAyala Lopez of Cameron Talarico Dorazio Louderback Tepper Dutton Lowe Thompson Dyson Lozano Tinderholt Fairly Lujan Toth Flores Luther Troxclair Frank Manuel Turner G mez Martinez VanDeaver Garcia of Bexar Martinez Fischer Vasut Garcia of Dallas McLaughlin Villalobos Garcia Hernandez McQueeney Virdell Gates Metcalf Vo Gerdes Meyer Walle Geren Meza Ward Johnson Gervin-Hawkins Money Wharton Gonz lez of Dallas Moody Wilson Gonz lez of El Paso Morales of Harris Wu Goodwin Morales of Maverick Zwiener Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 872 was adopted by the House on April 28, 2025, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House