Leaders attend Plano Courthouse Dedication
Sam Johnson pushed initiative through Congress
Washington,
Aug 14 -
After years of tireless work behind the scenes to secure a federal courthouse in Plano, Texas, U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas) attended the public dedication ceremony for the new facility located at 7940 Preston Road in Plano. Dignitaries attending the event included: U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), U.S. Congressman Ralph Hall (4th Dist.-Texas) and The Honorable Judge Richard Schell, among others. Johnson first started his campaign to erect a federal courthouse in Collin County in 1991.
“The role of the federal government is to serve the people. This common-sense solution is a perfect example of good government, constituent service, civic activism and people coming together to get things done,” said Johnson.
In 1991, during the 102nd Congress, Johnson backed H.R. 3666, legislation to establish a federal courthouse in Plano, making the bill one of his first legislative priorities. (Johnson won a special election in May 1991.) That year, the first bill introduced by then-Texas Congressman Jack Brooks (9th Dist.-Texas) passed the House and failed to gain momentum in the U.S. Senate. Once Brooks left Congress, Johnson took the mantle as the lead sponsor and ushered the measure through Congress. The House would pass the legislation and the Senate failed to move on the bill.
In 2003 that all changed when U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) championed the idea in the U.S. Senate as a vocal advocate for Texas on the Judiciary Committee. Congress finally passed a version of Johnson’s initiative in 2003; the Senate followed suit soon after and President Bush signed the measure into law. For years Collin County residents had to drive within a few miles from the Oklahoma border to address any federal legal matters.
Judge Richard Schell will relocate full time to Collin County and serve as the head judge for the Collin County federal courthouse. Johnson praised the efforts of Judge Shell, who worked to secure a federal Courthouse in Collin County. “Make no mistake. We would not be here without the persistence of Judge Schell,” continued Johnson.
Johnson also hailed Senator Cornyn’s activism in the Senate and commended his strong leadership as a then-newly elected Senator. “Year after year the Plano courthouse bill would pass the House only to die in the Senate. Thankfully John Cornyn stepped up to bat and used his seat on the Judiciary committee to help move this bill forward. John really saved the day in the Senate and broke the 12-year logjam,” said Johnson.
“Collin County represents one of the fastest growing areas in the state and the nation. It only makes sense that one of the most populated areas receives a federal courthouse,” continued Johnson, who represents portions of Dallas and Collin Counties.
“Thanks to the leadership and perseverance of Congressman Sam Johnson, a new federal courthouse in Plano will be dedicated on Wednesday, August 13th. Located on Preston Road in northwest Plano, the new courthouse is proximate to a large and growing population in southern Collin and Denton Counties. The United States Courthouse in Plano will for the first time afford the judges on our court the opportunity to hold court in the largest city within our district, and it will provide the public with another convenient venue for the resolution of their disputes,” said Richard Schell, United States District Judge, Eastern District of Texas.
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