Austin, Texas -- Florence Shapiro (R-Plano) today was sworn in as the first Governor of Texas from Plano, following a half-century tradition allowing the President Pro-Tempore of the Texas Senate to be inaugurated as Governor for a Day.

Shapiro is second in line for the Governor's seat and, with Governor Rick Perry and Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst out of the state, she was given all gubernatorial responsibilities for the day. The Governor for a Day inauguration ceremony and ensuing activities provide the member the opportunity to showcase Texans from his or her district.

"As Governor for a Day, I am proud to represent Texas and the things that make Texas great: our people, our values, and our future," Shapiro said. "First and foremost, being Governor means standing up and speaking out for the people of Texas. And what an amazing breed the Texas people are!"

Shapiro spoke of the time-honored tradition, her appreciation of the many friendships she has forged during her tenure in the Senate, and the call to duty of Texas's elected officials.

"To outsiders looking in, today's ceremony may seem like a good deal of pomp and circumstance," she said. "But to those of us who serve in this body, the Texas Senate, we know that this event transcends party, ideology, geographic regions and backgrounds. This is not just a legislative body, it is a family of public servants who know, care about, and even love those sitting around us.

"Texans do things right; more importantly, we do the right thing. Fellow public servants, we owe it to our constituents to provide a government as good as the people we serve. We must give voice to their values and shape our policies around their principles."

Shapiro closed the ceremony by dedicating the 79th Legislative Session to the children of Texas.

"We owe the children our greatest hopes and our best efforts," she said. "We owe them hard work and the honest truth. Their interests should become our interests, and their cause must be our cause. We can agree to disagree on taxes or transportation, on the budget or on the border, but we must never disagree when it comes to our children. Let's work together to give our children the kind of Texas we all desire and they all deserve.

"How can we make Texas a more perfect state? Simple: one child at a time. Every time a child in Texas attends a better school, our state gets stronger. Every time a child in Texas gets good health care, our state gets better. And every time a child in Texas dreams big dreams, our state gets greater."

Shapiro's formal inauguration took place this morning at the Texas State Capitol. Thousands of Texans attended in support of Governor Shapiro and this historic tradition. More information, including photos, video of the ceremony and the text of Governor Shapiro's speech can be found online at www.shapiro.senate.state.tx.us/gfad.

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