R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, March 24, 2001, marks the 52nd birthday of our 1-2 esteemed colleague, the Honorable Paul Hilbert, confirming as fact 1-3 once and for all what many of us have long known--the man wasn't 1-4 born yesterday; and 1-5 WHEREAS, A native of Missouri, he earned bachelor's and 1-6 master's degrees from Xavier University in Ohio before heading down 1-7 to Texas to complete a law degree at South Texas College of Law and 1-8 shamelessly carry on year-round with the true object of his 1-9 affection--his beloved motorcycle; and 1-10 WHEREAS, Yes, underneath that staid, conservative exterior 1-11 beats the heart of a Peter Fonda wanna-be, and that hasn't lessened 1-12 throughout his long, slow sojourn into middle age; in fact, he has 1-13 assuaged his overwhelming "need for speed" with a series of macho 1-14 machines, including a Miata, a Jeep, and his present vehicles, a 1-15 Corvette convertible and a Harley Sportster, having sensibly 1-16 rejected the notion of owning a Dodge Viper as far too flashy, even 1-17 for a native of the Show Me State; and 1-18 WHEREAS, An attorney, mediator, and business development 1-19 consultant by profession, Mr. Hilbert has maintained a general 1-20 civil practice in Houston since 1975; known for his civility in 1-21 this chamber as well, he is in his 10th term in the house, where he 1-22 serves as vice chair of the Calendars Committee and as a member of 1-23 the State Affairs and Ways and Means committees and the Texas 1-24 Legislative Council, and is the leading contender for the title of 2-1 Mr. Congeniality should a contest one day ensue; and 2-2 WHEREAS, His many close friends insist that his willingness 2-3 to come to Austin now for more than 15 years to serve in the state 2-4 legislature has absolutely nothing to do with its ready access to 2-5 the winding roads of the Hill Country, where his name can be found 2-6 on the wall at Harry's on the Loop, and he has often been seen out 2-7 cruising on his bike; and 2-8 WHEREAS, Though he has hit a couple of rough bumps in the 2-9 road of late, his colleagues take pleasure in the news that he is 2-10 taking good care of himself; Representative Hilbert is rumored to 2-11 be engaging in intensive sun therapy while being chauffeured about 2-12 town in his chariot of choice and contemplating a purely medicinal 2-13 visit to the Florida Keys, and we encourage him to pursue all means 2-14 possible to make the coming year his smoothest ride yet; now, 2-15 therefore, be it 2-16 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas 2-17 Legislature hereby congratulate the Honorable Paul Hilbert on the 2-18 occasion of his 52nd birthday and extend to him heartfelt best 2-19 wishes for blue skies ahead; and, be it further 2-20 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-21 prepared for Representative Hilbert as an expression of highest 2-22 regard by his colleagues in the Texas House of Representatives. Merritt Laney Goodman Merritt Alexander Goolsby Miller Allen Gray Moreno of Harris Averitt Green Moreno of El Paso Bailey Grusendorf Morrison Berman Gutierrez Mowery Bonnen Haggerty Naishtat Bosse Hamric Najera Brimer Hardcastle Nixon Brown of Kaufman Hartnett Noriega Brown of Brazos Hawley Oliveira Burnam Heflin Olivo Callegari Hilderbran Pickett Capelo Hill Pitts Carter Hinojosa Puente Chavez Hochberg Ramsay Chisum Hodge Rangel Christian Homer Raymond Clark Hope Reyna of Bexar Coleman Hopson Reyna of Dallas Cook Howard Ritter Corte Hunter Sadler Counts Hupp Salinas Crabb Isett Seaman Craddick Janek Shields Crownover Jones of Lubbock Smith Danburg Jones of Bexar Smithee Davis of Harris Jones of Dallas Solis Davis of Dallas Junell Solomons Delisi Keel Swinford Denny Keffer Talton Deshotel King of Parker Telford Driver King of Uvalde Thompson Dukes Kitchen Tillery Dunnam Kolkhorst Truitt Dutton Krusee Turner of Coleman Edwards Kuempel Turner of Harris Ehrhardt Lewis of Tarrant Uher Eiland Lewis of Orange Uresti Elkins Longoria Villarreal Ellis Luna Walker Farabee McCall West Farrar McClendon Williams Flores McReynolds Wilson Gallego Madden Wise Garcia Marchant Wohlgemuth George Martinez Fischer Wolens Geren Maxey Woolley Giddings Menendez Yarbrough Glaze Zbranek _______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 584 was adopted by the House on March 22, 2001, by a non-record vote. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House