Senate Resolution 15

A RESOLUTION TO COMMEND SENATOR MICHAEL D. WATSON, JR., FOR HIS DISTINGUISHED SERVICE IN THE MISSISSIPPI SENATE.

WHEREAS, Senator Michael D. Watson, Jr., has announced that he will not be seeking reelection, and will be running for higher office in the next election. He has represented Senate District 51 which is composed of portions of Jackson County. In Michael Watson, the citizens of District 51 have had effective representation from a dedicated public servant with professional legal experience; and

WHEREAS, Senator Michael David Watson, Jr., was born on December 22, 1977, in Pascagoula. Michael graduated from Pascagoula High School and went on to earn a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Juris Doctor from The University of Mississippi, where he is a member of the Ole Miss Hall of Fame. While at Ole Miss, Michael served as a Youth Minister on the weekends at a church in his mother's hometown of Noxapater. During the summer of 1999, he served as an Intern for then-United States Senate Majority Leader, Trent Lott, where his desire to one day serve the people of Mississippi as an elected official was reignited; and

WHEREAS, from the day he was first elected to the Mississippi State Senate in 2007 and throughout his 12-year legislative career, Senator Watson has wasted no time making a significant impact in several key areas of interest, including Immigration; Education; Public Charter Schools: Consolidation of Mississippi's 152 school districts, development and expansion of Alternate Track High School Diplomas, and Parental Choice in Public Education; Insurance crisis on the Mississippi Gulf Coast; Pro-Life Issues; Lower Taxes and Spending; and Individual Rights, preserving Mississippians' religious liberties, private property rights and our rights to hunt and fish in our beautiful state; and

WHEREAS, Senator Watson has served on the following committees: Constitution, Chair; Drug Policy, Vice Chair; Compilation, Revision and Publication; Finance; Forestry; Investigate State Offices; Judiciary, Division B; Ports and Marine Resources; and Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks; and

WHEREAS, Senator Watson recently returned to the legal field and opened Watson Legal, PLLC, where he practices Business Law, Construction Law, and Probate Law, among others. He is a member of the National Rifle Association, American Council of Young Political Leaders, the American Legislative Exchange Council, The Mississippi Bar, the American Bar, the Ole Miss Alumni Association and the Ole Miss Hall of Fame. He also spends many volunteer hours supporting the local affiliates of the American Heart Association and American Cancer Society; and

WHEREAS, Michael and his wife, Lauren, live in Hurley, Mississippi, with their three daughters: Gracie Pierce, Annie and Cora Elizabeth, and attend First Presbyterian Church in Pascagoula, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, Senator Watson's service has been marked by his commitment to success and recognized leadership, sound judgment and fairness. He has set the highest standard in all of his many roles, as father, husband, lawyer, statesman, community leader, and leader in the Mississippi Senate, and as a true friend:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend and recognize Senator Michael Watson, whose outstanding service enriched everyone with whom he was associated, and we wish Michael and his family much success in his future endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Senator Watson and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.