Journal of the Senate of Texas: 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, Tuesday, May 7, 2013 Page: 1,508
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And I think the greatest tribute that we can pay to Senator Van de Putte is to continue
on with our business of passing legislation. In fact, this morning in Health and Human
Services Committee, I was, I'd just found out about Rex and was going down the list
of bills to hear, and the first bill that the Senator was there to take up the bill was
Senator Deuell. And it just happened that that bill was a newborn screening bill, and
we had testimony from parents who lost children who asked us to pass that legislation.
And we're going to hear many, many other pieces of legislation that will help our
children and our grandchildren, and I think the thing that we can do best for Senator
Van de Putte is to carry on about our business. And I want Senator Van de Putte and
her family to know that our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family and that
we're going to carry on and make this state a good place for our kids. Thank you, Mr.
President.
President: Thank you, Senator Nelson. I'm going to go to Senator Deuell. Senator
Deuell, thanks for trying to reach out to me this morning and, Senator Zaffirini, thanks
for reaching out. Just to pick up on what you all just said, when I spoke to Senator
Van de Putte a little while ago, she said, Senator Campbell, she was feeling our
prayers, she was feeling our love. And it's tough for her; she was looking forward to
seeing Rex in the future. So, she thanks all of her colleagues for picking up her
legislation this week, and she said she plans to be back on Monday, as tough as that
may be, because she needs to get on. But, Chair recognizes Senator Deuell.
Senator Deuell: Thank you, Mr. President. As our founding fathers used the word
providence that, as we had come to order in the Health and Human Services
Committee, we did a newborn screening bill for congenital heart disease. And we
don't know yet why Rex passed away, but congenital heart disease, undetected
congenital heart disease is a reason that children die unexpectedly. You know,
Leticia's a very special person. I helped her along with many others celebrate her
Governor of the Day Saturday, and that child was there, and we've always had a
special bond. Her daughter, my son, one of our sons graduated from medical school at
the same time, and we follow their residencies. And her daughter practices in San
Antonio. Our son is finishing up and getting ready to move to San Antonio. And our
first grandson was born November 16. Rex was born November 19. And we
exchanged pictures through the telephone of those kids, and we talked about a day
when they'd both have their photographs on the composite, and they'd perhaps come
here as adults and look at our pictures up there and, you know, Rex won't participate
in that dream now. And that's pretty tough, but I go back and think about this state we
call Texas and this nation, and Senator West and I grew up in South Oak Cliff in
different worlds, and I think about the fact that the memorial service, the celebration
of his son's life was at a church across the street from the elementary school that I
attended in the early '60s, it was segregated. And I think about where Leticia and our
other Latino Members were and African American Members were as children and
how things have changed. And I think, much as Abraham Lincoln asked the people of
Gettysburg, when he gave the Gettysburg Address, to dedicate their lives to the
nation, recognizing that the men who died at that battle were really the ones that
consecrated the land. And I would just hope that we can dedicate our work in the next
three weeks to the State of Texas and to Rex. Thank you.1508
83rd Legislature- Regular Session
54th Day
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Texas. Legislature. Senate. Journal of the Senate of Texas: 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, Tuesday, May 7, 2013, legislative document, May 7, 2013; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth640927/m1/4/?q=%22%22~1&rotate=90: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.