Senate Resolution 68

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING SENATOR JOHNNIE "TEDDY BEAR" WALLS FOR HIS ROLE IN DESIGNATING THE TEDDY BEAR AS MISSISSIPPI'S OFFICIAL STATE TOY.

WHEREAS, Mississippi State Senator Johnnie Walls held two plush Teddy Bears, a brown one and a white one, during debate on the floor of the Mississippi Senate at the Capitol in Jackson, Mississippi, and voted along with the majority of the Senate on House Bill No. 951 to designate the Teddy Bear as Mississippi's Official State Toy; and

WHEREAS, as the bill passed Senator Walls stated, "There are some of us crusty old people who love to hug Teddy Bears"; and

WHEREAS, for nearly a century, the Teddy Bear has remained one of America's all-time favorite toys; and

WHEREAS, the origin of the Teddy Bear dates back to a hunting excursion made by President Theodore Roosevelt to Smedes, Mississippi, on November 14, 1902; and

WHEREAS, children from Plantersville School in North Mississippi wrote to legislators seeking support for the stuffed toy; and

WHEREAS, on the 100th Anniversary of the Teddy Bear, Senator Walls' picture appeared in Jet magazine as he held the two cuddly creatures bringing instant notoriety to the Mississippi Senate for its warmth and compassion:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend Senator Johnnie "Teddy Bear" Walls for his role in designating the Teddy Bear as Mississippi's Official State Toy, and hereby designate Senator Walls as the official Teddy Bear for the Mississippi Senate.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Senator Johnnie "Teddy Bear" Walls and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.