[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 71 (Tuesday, May 2, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E927]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                 TRIBUTE TO SENATOR GONZALO BARRIENTOS

                                 ______


                         HON. RONALD D. COLEMAN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 2, 1995
  Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker and Members, I rise today to pay tribute to 
my friend and former colleague from the Texas State Legislature, 
Senator Gonzalo Barrientos of Travis County. He will be honored this 
week at the Texas State Capitol as Texas Governor for a Day. This is a 
ceremonial honor bestowed on a Texas Senator every 2 years in 
recognition for his or her service to the State.
  Senator Barrientos represents senatorial District 14, encompassing 
parts of Travis and Hays Counties, which includes the capital of 
Austin. He serves as chairman of the committee of the whole senate on 
legislative and congressional redistricting and a member of the senate 
committees on education, finance, nominations and natural resources. He 
was elected as senate president pro tempore for the current legislative 
session. He also chairs the Austin transportation study policy and 
advisory committee.
  Senator Barrientos has always enjoyed and rightly deserves a 
reputation as an activist legislator with an impressive record of 
accomplishments. He is a 20-year veteran of the State legislature, 
having served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1975 to 1985 
before his current tenure in the Texas Senate.
  Notable among his accomplishments are legislative initiatives 
relating to elder abuse and high school dropouts. He has championed 
various issues during his career, including civil and constitutional 
rights, consumers and tenants' rights, environmental protection, 
benefits for State employees, efficiency in State government, education 
reform, health care, affordable housing, and historic preservation.
  Prior to his first election, Gonzalo worked as an organizer for the 
National Urban League; as a program officer for VISTA/Peace Corps; and 
as a trainer for the Leadership Institute for Community Development in 
Washington, DC. His background with community organizations has 
contributed to his sensitivity toward the disenfranchised and 
powerless, and reflects his working class upbringing in central Texas.
  He greatly values his Mexican-American heritage, and uses his 
position in the Texas Senate to be an advocate for women, the disabled, 
and all people of color. His work has benefited Hispanics across the 
country.
  Senator Barrientos is the recipient of many awards, including the 
Texas Public Employees Association Outstanding Legislator of the Year; 
the Texas Outstanding Public Servants Award; the Texas Association of 
Community Development Award of Outstanding Contributor to Community 
Development, and the Texas Rehabilitation Association's Legislative 
Excellence Award.
  He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. The university 
continues to be a major force of his work because it is one of his 
largest constituent organizations. He is proud of his associations with 
its faculty, students, and the many young people enrolled in public and 
private schools in the Austin/San Marcos area.
  Gonzalo is married to Emma Serrato of Galveston, and they are the 
parents of five children. He is a devoted husband and father, and is a 
role model for people across the State.
  I am proud to be among Senator Gonzalo Barrientos' many friends. I 
invite my colleagues in the U.S. Congress to join me in honoring this 
true Texas hero.


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