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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Family and friends are mourning the loss of John |
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Paul Barnich of Houston, who died on February 2, 2009, at the age of |
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63; and |
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WHEREAS, John Barnich was born to Aileen and Bill Barnich, |
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Jr., of Cheboygan, Michigan, on September 25, 1945, and grew up on |
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nearby Mullett Lake; he earned a bachelor's degree in psychology |
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from Michigan State University in 1968; and |
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WHEREAS, After moving to Houston in 1969, Mr. Barnich taught |
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for 10 years in the Houston Independent School District; he was a |
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gifted and energetic teacher, designing a psychology program for |
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the district and working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation |
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to create a pilot program in police administration, which grew into |
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the HISD High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Barnich was a student council sponsor and a |
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building steward for the Houston Federation of Teachers; he was |
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recognized by Waltrip High School in 1973 as an Outstanding Young |
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Educator, and in 1978, he earned a Teacher of the Year Achievement |
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Award; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1977, Mr. Barnich spent six months in India |
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studying comparative religion as a Fulbright scholar; returning to |
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Texas, he earned his law degree from South Texas College of Law in |
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1980, and he opened his practice in 1981; he worked for Houston |
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Volunteer Lawyers and was a founder of the Bar Association for Human |
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Rights; he also lectured on the law for Thurgood Marshall School of |
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Law, Texas Southern University, the Texas Human Rights Foundation, |
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and the Houston Bar Association; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Barnich was a pioneering activist on behalf of |
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the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people; he |
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took on much pro bono work on behalf of the GLBT community, and one |
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of his cases was joined by the U.S. Department of Justice and |
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resulted in people with AIDS being included in the Americans with |
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Disabilities Act; in another case, he effected an important change |
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in the way dentists treat people with AIDS; and |
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WHEREAS, A cofounder of AIDS Foundation Houston, Mr. Barnich |
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served as chair of the organization's board from 1990 to 1994; |
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during his tenure, he helped obtain a major community development |
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grant for AIDS housing, and developed a grant for AIDS education in |
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the county Juvenile Detention Center; he also served on the board of |
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the AIDS Equity League from 1988 to 1992 and played an active role |
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in the Houston GLBT Political Caucus; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1999, Mr. Barnich was appointed to be Houston's |
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first openly gay municipal judge, and he served with distinction in |
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that post until 2007; he continued to serve as a part-time |
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adjudication hearing officer until his death; and |
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WHEREAS, For his efforts in behalf of equality and social |
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justice, Mr. Barnich was named the Texas Human Rights Foundation |
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Advocate of the Year in 1992, and two years later, he earned the |
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Humanitarian Award from the Conference on AIDS in America; he was |
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also recognized with the Houston Humanitarian Award and the |
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Humanitarian Award from the GLBT Political Caucus; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Barnich possessed a ready wit; when he was asked |
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how being gay would make him different from other municipal judges, |
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he quipped that he would upgrade the courtroom sound system to play |
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show tunes; a sign on his office door read, "Be nice or leave"; and |
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WHEREAS, An outspoken champion for the causes he believed in, |
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John Barnich worked tirelessly to improve the lives of others, and |
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his legacy will long resonate in the community that he loved; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable John |
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Paul Barnich and extend sincere condolences to the members of his |
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family: to his brothers, Rick Barnich and Bill Barnich III; to his |
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sisters, Mary Barnich and Martha Jo Vanderberg; and to his other |
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relatives and many friends; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of John |
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Barnich. |
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Cohen |
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Coleman |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 750 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on March 19, 2009. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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