MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1999 Regular Session

To: Rules

By: Representative Ford

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING REPRESENTATIVE CHARLIE WILLIAMS FOR HIS EXCEPTIONAL LEGISLATIVE CAREER AND EXPRESSING APPRECIATION FOR HIS MANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PEOPLE OF MISSISSIPPI.

WHEREAS, Representative Charlie Williams, a lifelong resident of Tate County, has served District 8 in the Mississippi House of Representatives since being elected in 1975; and

WHEREAS, Representative Williams, the son of the late E.M. (Bill) Williams and Mary McGinnis Williams, was born November 28, 1944, and attended Senatobia City Schools; and

WHEREAS, after graduating from high school, Representative Williams attended Northwest Mississippi Community College and graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he was president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity; and

WHEREAS, Representative Williams, an All-SEC baseball player at Ole Miss, still holds the school record with 31 stolen bases in a 31 game season, and in 1996, he was inducted into the Ole Miss Alumni Association's Athletic Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, Representative Williams, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee since 1992, is a member of the House Insurance Committee, the Oil, Gas and Other Minerals Committee, and the Management, as well as the Joint Executive Contingent Fund Committee, the Joint Investigation of State Offices Committee and the Legislative Budget Committee; and

WHEREAS, during his legislative career, Representative Williams has been selected to serve on numerous special committees, including a select committee on education in 1990, the Joint Oversight Committee on Mississippi Bank Bonds, the Mississippi Home Corporation Oversight Committee and the Institute for Technology Development Oversight Committee; and

WHEREAS, a leader in both national and regional legislative circles, in 1998, Representative Williams was named Chairman of the Council of State Governments, a national nonpartisan organization founded in 1933 to promote excellence in state government; and

WHEREAS, Representative Williams is a recognized expert on gaming industry legislation and played a major role in passage of legislation involving the state tax structure, tax equalization, the widely acclaimed 1982 Education Reform Act, the landmark Education Improvement Act of 1992 and the 1987 Four-Lane Highway Program; and

WHEREAS, the owner of Charlie Williams Insurance Agency, Representative Williams is a member of the First United Methodist Church in Senatobia, the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi Advisory Board and the Special Olympics of Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, known by his colleagues for his dedication, organizational skills and hard work, Representative Williams has been a strong advocate of legislation dealing with economic development, highways, agriculture, rural opportunities and all phases of education; and

WHEREAS, Representative Williams is a highly respected and influential member of the House of Representatives and has brought much credit to himself and the House by his dedication and hard work to serve the best interests of his constituents and the people of the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend and express our deepest appreciation to our colleague, Representative Charlie Williams for his long and distinguished career in the Mississippi House of Representatives, and offer our best wishes for his continued success in all his future endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Representative Charlie Williams and to members of the Capitol Press Corps.