In the middle of working on somewhat controversial items like imposing a sales tax on e-commerce & allowing EMS first responders to carry guns on calls, the Texas State Senate recently came to a bi-partisan consensus:  Chuck Norris should be officially declared an honorary Texan! 

Texas Monthly has details about the 77-year-old iconic martial arts expert, movie/TV actor, and internet meme sensation being saluted in a ceremony on the floor of the Capitol building in Austin last week.  Norris' Lone Star State connection is tied to his long-running series Walker, Texas Ranger, filmed in various locations all over Texas between 1993 & 2001 (along with a tv movie special in 2005).

This is actually the second time he's been officially honored by our state government:  former Governor Rick Perry named Chuck Norris an honorary member of the Texas Rangers in 2010.

While the TV show had solid national ratings for the 8+ years new episodes aired on CBS, Walker, Texas Ranger maintained "through the roof" numbers in markets across our state.  The show was based in Dallas and if you've ever had occasion to stop into a Metroplex-area restaurant, odds are pretty good you've seen an autographed picture of Chuck Norris & the Walker cast displayed prominently.

When I lived there in the mid-2000s, it didn't matter if we hit an IHOP on I-35 in Lewisville, a Chili's on Belt Line in Addison, or The Palm downtown in the West End, there was a Chuck Norris/Cordell Walker photo on the wall!  And why not?  Every Texan knows, "when you're in Texas look behind you, 'cause that's where the Ranger's gonna be"!

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