Journal of the Senate of the State of Texas, Regular Session of the Sixty-First Legislature, Volume 1 Page: 23
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1969
time an independent management
agency for water pollution control.
-We established the Texas Air
Control Board in 1965, to undertake
important responsibilities in the field
of air pollution.
TOURISM
"As we reflect on the growing im-
portance of tourism to our economy,
it seems incredible that Texas wasn't
really in the tourist business until a
little more than five years ago.
"In my first address to a Joint Ses-
sion, I urged your immediate crea-
tion of an agency to move our State
into that booming market. Again, you
responded, and on September 1, 1963,
the Texas Tourist Development Agen-
cy began operating.
-Since 1964, when the agency be-
gan promoting Texas as a tourist
attraction, out-of-state visitors have
increased from just over 14 million
to over 21 million.
-Tourist dollars spent in the state
have increased from $680 million to
nearly $1.5 billion last year.
-State taxes paid by tourists have
increased from $54.4 million in 1964
to well over $100 million last year.
-lemisFair '68, the San Antonio
World's Fair, resulted in incalculable
nationwide publicity, and increased
Texas' tourism potential for years to
come. The highway department's
state-line welcome stations reported
a rise of 30% in traffic during 1968
over the previous year, and during
the three summer months of last year
alone, 2,000 more visitors toured the
State Capitol than during the entire
previous year.
RECREATION AND
CONSERVATION
"Upon my recommendation, the Leg-
islature in 1963 combined the State
Parks Board with the Game and Fish
Commission to form the Parks and
Wildlife Commission to chart a course
of improved recreational opportunities
for Texans. Progress in this area has
been gratifying.
-Since 1963, the number of visi-
tors to State parks has increased
from around 7 million annually to 13
million annually.
-Funds available for State parks
improvements have increased from
$700,000 in the 1962-63 biennium to
$5.4 million in the current biennium.
-Plans have been completed for
expansion of our parks system from
60,000 acres to over 200,000 acres.
-A $75 million bond program for
park acquisition was assured by vot-er approval of a constitutional
amendment in 1967.
-New wildlife management areas
have been added and more are in
process of being acquired.
-Creation of Padre Island Na-
tional Seashore, to serve unborn gen-
erations, has become a reality dur-
ing this administration.
INDUSTRIAL GROWTH
"The rush of the transition of Tex-
as from a rural to an urban State
accelerated during the 1960's. In
1959, just over 62% of our citizens
lived in urban areas. Now that figure
is up to 801,C.
"I recommended to the Legislature
in 1963 that the State embark im-
mediately on a vigorous industrial
development program to provide more
jobs for our growing population as
the rural opportunities diminished.
"At that time, the State had a total
of 488,250 persons employed in man-
ufacturing. The Texas Industrial
Commission, given new support by
the Legislature, set a goal of 802,250
persons employed in manufacturing
by 1977.
-At the end of 1968, we already
had 708,600 employed in manufactur-
ing-or 88% of the goal completed.
-At the present rate of growth,
we expect to reach the goal set for
1977 during March, 1971, or six years
and five months ahead of schedule.
-During 1968 alone, a total of 52,-
900 new jobs was created through ex-
pansions and new industries. The av-
erage increase over the previous five
years had been 36,735 per year.
-Total new plants and major ex-
pansion in Texas during 1968 came
to 735, compared to 666 a year ago.
HIGHWAYS AND TRAFFIC
SAFETY
"Despite rising costs, Texas has con-
tinued to build better highways for
less money than any other State in
the nation. Our portion of the new
3,158-mile interstate system is now
two-thirds complete-2,005 miles open
to traffic, and another 440 miles un-
der construction.
"To help advance highway safety
and to combat the tragic deaths, suf-
fering and economic loss of traffic
accidents, we have taken a number
of important steps.
-We implemented a statewide pro-
gram to make driver education avail-
able to all students.
-We provided stiffer penalties for
driving without a license.23
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Texas. Legislature. Senate. Journal of the Senate of the State of Texas, Regular Session of the Sixty-First Legislature, Volume 1, legislative document, 1969; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth145999/m1/23/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.