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06 LC 18 5714

Senate Resolution 1370

By: Senators Hooks of the 14th, Johnson of the 1st, Brown of the 26th, Golden of the 8th, Seay of the 34th and others

A RESOLUTION

Commending Honorable Terrell Starr; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, Honorable Terrell Starr has served with unparalleled ability as a member of the Senate for 19 consecutive terms of office and has faithfully represented the citizens of Clayton and Henry counties with great distinction and dedication; and

WHEREAS, his consistently thorough consideration of the issues presented to this deliberative body and his integrity and reliability have rightfully earned him the honor, respect, and trust of his colleagues over the years; and

WHEREAS, his colleagues know him as a clear thinker and hard worker, as a man whose strong convictions are supported by meticulous research and careful consideration, and as an equitable, impartial leader whose decisions were governed by the rules of honesty and fair play; and

WHEREAS, this dynamic and powerful public servant has held a number of influential posts, including serving as chairman of the Senate Appropriations, Education, Ethics, Finance and Public Utilities, and Transportation Committees and serving as administration floor leader for former Governor George Busbee, President Pro Tempore of the Senate from 1999 to 2002, and he currently serves as Secretary of the Senate Ethics Committee and as a member of the Education and Youth, Finance, Natural Resources and the Environment, and Appropriations Committees, in addition to serving as an ex officio member of the Banking and Financial Institutions Committee; and

WHEREAS, he authored the Adequate Program for Education in Georgia, which guided the statés education program for some 15 years, and later served as a key member of the Governorśs Education Review Commission, coauthoring the landmark Quality Basic Education Act, resulting in former Governor Joe Frank Harris praising Senator Starr as a "champion of education improvements"; and
WHEREAS, he has also headed or served on an extensive number of special legislative and executive study committees, including the Governoŕs Growth Strategies Commission, the Hospital Cost Containment Study Committee, the Senate Private Long-term Care Study Committee, the Senate Defense Conversion Strategies Study Committee, and the Joint Study Committee on Revenue Structure; and

WHEREAS, during his long career in public service, he served two terms on the Clayton County Commission; eight years on the Clayton County Library Board; 18 years on the Clayton County Board of Health; and six years on the Atlanta Regional Metropolitan Planning Commission, now known as the Atlanta Regional Commission; and

WHEREAS, he bravely served his country with honor and distinction in the United States Navy from 1944 through 1946; and

WHEREAS, he is a real estate broker and insurance agent in addition to being an active civic and business leader and has served with distinction for 15 years on the Board of Trustees for the Forest Park School District Youth Center, was president of the Jaycees and the Forest Park Kiwanis Club, and received the Distinguished Service Award as the Outstanding Young Man of the Year in Forest Park and he continues to dedicate his life to his community by being an active member of the Forest Park Rotary Club, the Masonic Lodge #399, Royal Arch Chapter #75, the Tara Club, and the Yaarab Temple; and

WHEREAS, he has received a number of awards from various organizations for his legislative service, including the Georgia Legislator of the Year Award from the Georgia School Counselors Association; the National Legislator of the Year Award from the American School Counselors Association; the Legislator of the Year Award from the Georgia Parks and Recreation Association; and the Chamber of Commercés Distinguished Service/Citizen of the Year Award and has also been honored by the Georgia Municipal Association; the Georgia Association for Children with Learning Disabilities; the Georgia Moose Association; the Georgia Association of Home Health Agencies; the Elementary School Principals Association; the Georgia Association of Education Leaders; the Gridiron Honorary Society; the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; and the National Association for Home Health Care; and

WHEREAS, he is an honorary lifetime member of the Peace Officers Association of Georgia and was recognized by the City of Forest Park with the naming of a park in his honor and by Clayton County by the naming of the Terrell Starr Human Services Center in his honor, which includes a library, a mental health clinic, an office of the Department of Family and Children Services, a senior citizenś center, and a childreńs shelter; and

WHEREAS, the "dean" of the General Assembly has exhibited the level of political activism and unselfish leadership ideally expected of public trustees in an effective, representative democracy, and his stewardship in the Senate has been marked by unmatched dignity, grace, and wisdom; and

WHEREAS, the Gentleman from the 44th District attributes his success to his steadfast and loyal aide, Morris Boyer, and Judy Neal, his secretary and assistant of 18 years, Anne Messer, his secretary and assistant of seven years, and Sharon Wilder, his secretary and assistant of 13 years; and

WHEREAS, his creative leadership and his thoughtful sensitivity with respect to complex social and political matters, and especially his ability to work behind the scenes and build coalitions and consensus, have received the approval and applause of his peers who hold him in such high regard; and

WHEREAS, his foresight and forthright determination have brought unparalleled progress and a sense of destiny to the citizens of his district and the State of Georgia and it is abundantly fitting and proper that the members of this body, most especially those to whom he so freely imparted advice, encouragement, and friendship and who regard him with much admiration and respect, pay appropriate tribute to one of their finest, most distinguished, and most colorful colleagues for the many years of impartial, well-reasoned, and enlightened service he has rendered on behalf of this state and its citizens.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body unanimously honor and commend their most outstanding colleague, Honorable Terrell Starr, for substantially improving the quality of life for our citizens and contributing to Georgiás leadership role in the South, commend him for serving as an unmatched example of enlightened government and statesmanship for almost four decades, and wish him every success in all his future endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Honorable Terrell Starr.