Tom Moore, Jr.

Tom Moore, Jr. was a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1967 to 1973 from McLennan County. Moore is most notable for an April Fool's Day prank he played to demonstrate that his fellow legislators often did not read the legislation they were approving. Moore introduced legislation on 1 April 1971 commending Albert de Salvo — more commonly known as the Boston Strangler — with wording such as this:

This compassionate gentleman's dedication and devotion to his work has enabled the weak and the lonely throughout the nation to achieve and maintain a new degree of concern for their future. He has been officially recognized by the state of Massachusetts for his noted activities and unconventional techniques involving population control and applied psychology.

After it was passed unanimously by the House, Moore later withdrew the legislation, explaining he had only offered it to prove an important point.

References

• "The Ayes of Texas". Snopes. 2 March 2006. http://www.snopes.com/legal/desalvo.asp. Retrieved 2006-03-02.