[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 104 (Tuesday, July 22, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1472]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             TRIBUTE IN HONOR OF TEXAS SENATOR FRANK MADLA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CIRO D. RODRIGUEZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 22, 1997

  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, in my hometown of San Antonio, TX, 
tomorrow, a close friend and colleague in the Texas Legislature will be 
honored for 25 years of extraordinary public service to our community 
and State. Texas State Senator Frank Madla started life on a family 
ranch in the small town of Helotes, TX. His career stands as a 
testament to his values: helping others, dedication to family, and hard 
work. I am proud to know him, his wife, Helen Cruz Madla, and his 
children Frank III and Marci Morgan.
  First elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1972, Frank 
Madla has distinguished himself as an advocate for improving our 
education system, protecting the public health, preserving our 
environmental resources, helping others with the ravages of alcoholism 
and drug abuse, and relieving the challenges of mental retardation. 
After 20 years of service in the Texas House, he moved to the Texas 
Senate in 1993. His accomplishments include authoring legislation to 
increase health care access in rural areas and for indigent women and 
children, facilitate the delivery of services to persons with 
disabilities, create a gifted and talented program for Texas schools, 
find solutions to avert a water crisis in central Texas, and strengthen 
the child abuse reporting system. These are but examples of his many 
endeavors to increase public safety, streamline the delivery of 
essential services, and bring health care to those without it.
  Unlike the Federal legislature, service in the Texas Legislature 
requires outside employment. Senator Madla prepared himself well by 
securing a strong education. He graduated from my alma mater of St. 
Mary's University in San Antonio with a bachelor and masters of arts 
degrees in government. From Our Lady of the Lake University, another of 
my alma mater's, he received certification in public school 
administration. Senator Madla is a teacher. His first job out of 
college was teaching history and civics at Escobar Junior High School. 
Senator Madla, since the beginning of his legislative career, has 
shared his academic and practical knowledge as an instructor in 
government and political science at Incarnate Word College and St. 
Mary's University. Beyond the classroom, he has been a teacher to his 
friends and colleagues, instructing us in the positive values he 
embodies.
  I am not the only one who thinks highly of Senators Madla. His list 
of honors is too long for me to recount here. But the variety of groups 
that has recognized his accomplishments speaks volumes. Organizations 
representing education, the medical community, law enforcement, and 
public employees have honored Senator Madla with Legislator of the Year 
and other outstanding accolades. As someone who served with him, I can 
state with confidence that these awards are well deserved and hard 
earned. Senator Madla has dedicated his life to public service, to 
helping those who cannot always help themselves, to create 
opportunities for diverse communities. A quarter century of service is 
in itself a worthy accomplishment, but when done with such dedication 
and commitment, it is an outstanding achievement.

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