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HONORING TEXAS STATE HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE EDDIE LUCIO, III
______
HON. FILEMON VELA
of texas
in the house of representatives
Friday, February 18, 2022
Mr. VELA. Madam Speaker, l rise to recognize The Honorable Eddie Lucio, III, who has admirably represented the people of southwestern Cameron County in the Texas House of Representatives for the past 15 years.
Eduardo Andres ``Eddie'' Lucio, III was born in Brownsville, TX, on December 19, 1978, to Andres ``Eddie'' Lucio, Jr., and Herminia Cerda Lucio. He graduated from James Pace High School in 1997 and attended Texas Tech University for a year before transferring to the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2001 and a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 2005.
After law school Eddie was called to public service, a value instilled in him at a young age by his parents. He worked for the Texas Comptroller for Public Accounts before running for Texas State Representative of District 38 in 2006, a position he won and to which he was re-elected in every consecutive election until he announced his retirement in 2022.
Eddie worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for residents of Cameron County during his tenure in the Texas House of Representatives and through his work as a lawyer. His efforts have made an indelible impact on the Rio Grande Valley, especially in the areas of children and families, education, and the environment.
As a state representative, he found a way to make Pre-K education cost-neutral for Cameron County school districts, giving young children a better chance to succeed in school; and championed legislation that gave foster children a voice in their placement. Eddie also aided in the creation of the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) in 2013, which came into being through the merging of the University of Texas-Pan American and the University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College. UTRGV has had a transformative influence on the community thanks to its affordable tuition, its diverse academic curriculum, and the establishment of a new medical school that fills a void in an area of the country that is medically underserved.
Eddie's concern for the environment is evident in his work to pass legislation to preserve Texas' access to water for future generations through the creation of a regulator system for seawater desalination, and his efforts to secure funding for the State Water Plan. He also led the effort in the Texas House to make it illegal to buy or sell shark fins in Texas, receiving special recognition for the bill's passage by the Discovery Channel during its annual Shark Week programming.
In addition to his work in the Texas House of Representatives and his law practice, Eddie's commitment to the community is widely reflected through his volunteer work for the Brownsville Independent School District, the City of Brownsville's ``Just Say No'' Program, Meals on Wheels, Survivors of Domestic Violence Program, Good Neighbor Settlement House, the Optimist Club, and Help One Student to Succeed Program. He is also a local Orangetheory Fitness franchise owner, providing good jobs at his two locations in Brownsville and Harlingen and promoting a healthy lifestyle in the region.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me, his wife, Jaime, and his children, Olivia Rose and Eduardo Andres `Luc' Lucio IV, in recognizing Texas State Representative Eddie Lucio, III, for his many years of public service and his personal contributions to the success, happiness, and well-being of the residents of the Rio Grande Valley.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 33
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