Journal of the Senate of Texas: 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, Tuesday, May 7, 2013 Page: 1,510
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a Senator, but certainly as a medical doctor. I will close by saying, when I got to the
Senate in '83, I often mention how the Senators were good people, kind of crusty back
in those days, and I could give you a lineup of Oscar Mauzy and others, came on the
Senate for a couple of hours, did their business, and got out of here. It's a different
body now. I don't want to judge those gentlemen, and I think a lady back in '83, but
the fellowship and the caring that Senator Watson, Nelson, Campbell, Deuell, Dan
mentioned, is so genuine that I really don't think we could ever describe it adequately
to where our constituents and people of Texas do it, and I would also suggest there's
probably not another governing body that enjoys that. I know in Congress they don't
have it because they don't even know the person next door to them. I don't know how
they survive in that environment, but the greatest thing about serving in this body, as
we all know, and we're witnessing it today, is the personal relationships and the family
that'll be, relationships that last a lifetime. Senator Van de Putte knows that. She
described it Saturday in her Governor for the Day. And I'm just thankful to be able to
be present today and watch this outreach of love and caring for our colleague that we
would not enjoy if we were not blessed to be Members of the State Senate. Thank
you, Mr. President.
President: Thank you, Senator Whitmire. Chair recognizes Senator Zaffirini.
Senator Zaffirini: Mr. President and Members, it's unbelievable that only this
weekend we celebrated the love, the joy, the pride, the excitement of Senator
Van de Putte and her family. Baby Rex was at all the festivities, such a beautiful child,
one of six grandchildren that Pete and Leticia Van de Putte loved so very much. She
was so incredibly proud of her family, and they were so incredibly proud of her, and
we thank God that she has not only our support system in the Texas Senate but that
she also has that strong support system of an extended family. For all of you who were
here, you witnessed that love and that joy. Today, we are witnessing the disruption of
the natural order of things. Children expect to bury their parents and their
grandparents and worry about it. And parents' greatest fear, grandparents' greatest fear
is to bury a child or a grandchild. Senator Van de Putte feels that agony today. This
morning when she called me, I was presiding over Government Organization, I saw
her name on my caller ID, and something just told me that something was wrong, and
I walked out immediately. Senator Schwertner, thank you so much for taking over the
meeting with no advance notice, you did a beautiful job I know, but the agony in her
voice was just incredible. It just breaks your heart to know that she has gone from
such a wonderful high to such a depth of heartbreak, and each of us feels that with her.
I've communicated with her several times today, and repeatedly I have said that we
will all handle her bills in committee and on the floor. I repeatedly said that all of us
are ready to help, and she knows that. And all she has asked for is this, that we pray
for her and for her family. And I know that we will, and I know that it will be
heartfelt. And I know that Senator Van de Putte is so incredibly strong and such a
woman of deep faith that somehow, somehow, I can't tell you how, somehow she will
be able to bear this, only because of her love for others and their love for her, because
truly, she is loved so very much, because she is so loving. It is her love and her
strength that will help her cope. I don't know how she's going to handle coming back
Monday, but each of us needs to reach out before she comes to the floor and try to
interact before, so that she will have a slower emotional transition into this body. But1510
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/m1/6/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.